The Performing Arts Guild Mixed Chorus singing Back to the 50s at the Quail Creek’s Got Talent show in August. They also will perform a special tribute for Pearl Harbor Day at the PAG Christmas Show on Dec. 5 to 7.
Peggy McGee
One homeless veteran is one too many for those who have served, but when there are almost 1,000, many with families, then it’s a major problem. Fortunately, the Southern Arizona VA Health Care System—better known as the Tucson VA Hospital—has aggressively addressed this problem, and the number of homeless veterans has decreased significantly over the past few years.
They have an entire building staffed mainly with licensed social workers to address the needs of homeless veterans in the area. Three of the senior members of the homeless program, Allison Davis, Danielle DeMailo, and Danna Auriana, all with undergraduate degrees in Psychology from the University of Arizona and Masters of Social Work degrees from Arizona State University, will be among the speakers at The Women of Quail Creek’s (TWOQC) program on Monday, Sept. 30, at 6:30 p.m. in the Madera Clubhouse Ballroom.
This meeting is open to the entire Quail Creek community since so many generous residents have made the clothing drives over the past ten years so successful. In her farewell note to TWOQC, Jodi Frederick, who managed the Tucson Homeless veteran’s program for several years before being transferred to Boise earlier this year, said, “I would like to thank you and Quail Creek for all the support you have and do give to our veterans. We are truly blessed to have the Quail Creek community as supporters, and we constantly brag to our other VA facilities about what wonderful support we have from the community.”
Allison Davis manages the Health Care for Homeless Veterans and the Compensated Work Therapy programs. With more than 20 years of experience working in the social services field, she has been with the VA for more than ten years working in the homeless clinic in different capacities.
Danielle DeMailo assumed the role of the supervisor in the Housing and Urban Development VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program in April 2019. Danielle has worked at the Tucson VA since 2009. She has also worked part-time conducting research and writing, teaching as a faculty associate at the Arizona State University School of Social Work in Tucson, and serving as clinical director of a non-profit equine-assisted psychotherapy program.
Danna Auriana, a Marine Corps veteran, is coordinator and supervisor for the HUD-VASH program. She previously worked at COPE Community Services as program coordinator and then as program director at sites in Tucson and Green Valley.
Kimmy Kamerer is responsible for the day-to-day management of programs for the VSO, which includes providing comfort and other items for both inpatient and outpatient veterans. She is responsible for recruiting and training prospective volunteers for the medical center, outpatient locations, Fisher House, and the Vet Center. She retired from the Air Force in 2009 after a 24-year career as a medic.