Bridging the Gap helps veterans transition to civilian life - Atlanta News, Weather, Traffic, and Sports | FOX 5

There are a number of barriers to veterans trying to re-enter society. Some veterans will find themselves unemployed, homeless and addicted to drugs. One local program called Bridging the Gap is working to ease the transition to civilian life for veterans.

Veteran Keith Laseter enlisted in the Army not long after high school. But after seeing combat and nearly 20 years in the military, he says it was difficult to return to civilian life.

"I felt lost, hopeless, lost and alone. Like nobody cared, like nobody understood," said Laseter. "I was a deputy sheriff up in North Carolina. I got fired from that. I jumped from job to job because I felt like nobody really understood what I was feeling, going through as a combat soldier."

He started drinking which led to hard drugs, then bounced from job to job. He eventually spent time in prison.

"There were so many barriers for someone that takes that path. I felt like something needed to be done about it because path is not a government problem. My path was a community issue," explained Laseter.

Laseter started the program Bridging the Gap. The program pairs veterans with other veterans who serve as mentors to help guide them through the transition back to civilian life.

Willie Kimble, like Laseter, slipped through the cracks and for years had undiagnosed PTSD and battled drug addiction. He received services from the Veteran's Administration but says it was Bridging the Gap that helped turn his life around.

"The whole program has been supportive of me for anything that I venture for. Trying out for jobs, whatever he said ‘don't worry you're going to get a job,'" said Kimble.

Kimble is now off drugs and working. He says help from one vet to another who understood what he was going through made all the difference.

"You can't expect a warrior, train somebody to go to combat and them come home and put them back in the environment and expect them to be ok. Because life's not like that," said Laseter.

To help with Bridging the Gap of Georgia's mission, the organization is having a fundraiser on May 27. It's a polo match, dinner and silent auction called Salute to Our Heroes. For more information on the event, visit http://btg-foundation.org/.