Staff report Central Illinois Veterans Commission Veterans who are down on their luck will find a welcoming hand up in Lincoln. The Central Illinois Veterans Commission will be breaking ground for the first new home to be built and given to a local veteran at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, April 24 at the building location on the corner of 6th Street and College. The community is invited to attend. Joe Schaler, spokesperson for the CIVC, said the homes will help those veterans who are overlooked. “The particular homeless veteran groups that are largely uncounted are living with someone in the basement, attic the couch surfer. May have employment etc but no home of their own. We are finding about 10 applications for each home, to give you some idea of the uncounted and underserved vet population,” wrote Schaler in a personal message.