USA Cares golf scramble in Louisville raises funding for veterans

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- From depression to homelessness, U.S. military veterans face plenty of challenges.

The USA Cares annual golf scramble is not just about playing golf. USA Cares is a Louisville nonprofit committed to providing veterans, service members and their families with financial assistance and training.

The money raised through the scramble is used to help prevent homelessness, suicide, job loss and other problems facing U.S. military veterans.

"A lot of Marines that I served with did go overseas and didn't come home, or didn't come home whole, so it's very important for me to be out here doing this kind of thing with an amazing organization like USA Cares," said Stephen Brown, a U.S. Marine veteran.

Brown came home from active duty just before 9/11. He teamed up with three U.S. Army veterans to make up one of 20 teams playing in USA Cares' sixth annual Golf Scramble at the Hurstbourne Country Club on Monday.

The money raised will be used to address issues facing veterans like homelessness, job loss and the alarming number of veterans who are dying by suicide. USA Cares reports every day 22 veterans due by suicide.

"We've got a growing problem of veteran suicide in this country, and what USA Cares is really doing is eliminating the factors that often lead to veteran suicide," said Matt Castor with USA Cares. "So we stop evictions and foreclosures of veteran families from their homes. We stop vehicle repossessions, we make sure they have jobs and food, and we really stabilize the home."

"I actually have two Marines that I served with that lost their battles to homelessness and depression and dealing with PTSD," Brown said. "That's why it means so much to me. I feel like I owe it to them to be here."

USA Cares' mission is to provide post-9/11 military veterans, service members, and their families with emergency financial assistance and post-service skills training to create a foundation for long-term stability.

To learn more about USA Cares, click here.

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