TULSA, Okla — In June of 2024, 121 veterans walked into the Tulsa Day Center in need of support.
Deborah Copeland is one of countless veterans that have or are experiencing homelessness.
“My story starts two years ago, when I divorced my husband," she said.
At the time, Copeland lived in Arkansas. Her husband moved to Tulsa. The pair stay connected, and began to rebuild their relationship. Two months after they got back together, Copeland's husband passed away.
“At that point, I was not on the lease and the apartment complex would not let me stay there, so that left me homeless," said Copeland. "His daughter sent me to the shelter, and this has been a haven for me."
In an instant, her life flipped upside down. Copeland became a widowed veteran on the streets of an unfamiliar city.
"Traumatic for me, really, because like I said I was a professional and I just never wanted or needed anything hardly, and I was all of a sudden with really nothing," she said. "I was probably a little standoffish because I didn't know how to act."
For five months, Copeland experienced homelessness, like so many other veterans do.
2 News sat down with Lauren Patterson, who works closely with Green Country's veterans as a mental health case worker at the Tulsa Day Center.
“Its kind of astonishing that it’s almost 10% of veterans are homeless," said Patterson. "They have seen a lot, they have done a lot, so they do suffer from some type of mental illness.”
While many will seek help on their own, Patterson said it's not always that easy for others.
“Some veterans have their pride, and don’t want to ask for those resources," said Patterson. "I say put your pride aside and ask for the resources, you served a country, you should be able to get the resources.”
We asked Copeland if it was challenging for her to ask for help. She said yes.
“I think there’s a lot of veterans much much more deserving," she said. "Because I was in the United States the whole time, I never went to war or anything, so with that in my mind, I didn’t seek services.”
It's Patterson's job to connect veterans that come in looking for help to the best trained people.
Every Tuesday, the VA and Services for Veteran's Families (SSVF) do outreach at the Tulsa Day Center.
Copeland helped by Patterson as her case worker and these other partner agencies, and got back on her feet fast.
Within five months of walking through the door, Copeland had a home again. The VA, SSVF and Tulsa Day Center provided her everything she needed to find her way back to a comfortable life.
Her message to other veterans in similar situations? Don't let your pride get in the way of getting your life back on track.
“Our situations are not lifelong. They’re just a piece of our life, so get the help when you need it and then you can get on your feet and help someone else.”
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