This is one in a series of profiles on the 2012 Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medal finalists. The awards, presented by the nonprofit Partnership for Public Service, recognize outstanding federal employees whose important, behind-the-scenes work is advancing the health, safety and well-being of Americans and are among the most prestigious honors given to civil servants. This profile features Citizen Services medal finalists Susan Angell, executive director of the Veterans Homeless Initiative at the Department of Veterans Affairs, Mark Johnston, deputy assistant secretary for special needs, Office of Community Planning and Development at the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Homeless Veterans Initiative Team.

Some have called it a “national disgrace,” the presence of thousands of homeless veterans on American streets and in shelters. Keep reading →