Timothy Pena

After struggling for years with PTSD, mental illness, and substance abuse, in the fall of 2014 Navy Veteran Timothy Pena realized that it was either get help or join Club 22. It would take another eight years, but finally in July, 2022, Tim took a chance and flew to New York City and entered the NYC Homeless Shelter System in search of a new path. 


Part of that path was walking away from his home city of Phoenix and recreating himself in NYC. It wasn’t enough to simply change locations, it was about a total new environment. Within five days of arriving to NYC, Tim was refe the Borden Ave. Veterans’ Residence in Long Island City on Queens with another 250 veterans from all branches of the military, all types of discharges, and all levels of mental illness where he spent five months. 

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  • Videos and Interviews

    New York State Division of Veterans Services

    (Dec. 20, 2022)

    The New York State Division of Veterans Services (NYCDVS) was established over 75 years ago to serve World War II veterans. Today, the Division serves veterans, service members, and their families from all eras, but remains relatively unchanged in structure and purpose.


    Arizona’s privatized prison health care has been failing for years. A new court case could change that

    Nation Mar 14, 2022

    When Timothy Pena was moved from a federal prison to a state prison in Arizona, he said the first thing the state prison authorities tried to do was take him off his HIV medication.


    The Ongoing War (Video)

    (May 6, 2020)

    Tim Pena is a navy veteran with PTSD. He says marijuana is one of the only things that help his anxiety and depression, but it's his knee pain that got him an Arizona medical marijuana card. Hear his story of recovery and the story of other veterans who never got the chance to recover.

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