There are about 1,340 female homeless war veterans in the U.S. today, according to figures released by the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs.

According to a USA Today report, the VA says as of this May, 10,476 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans either live on the streets, live in temporary housing or receive federal help to keep them off the streets — and about 13% of them are women.

The newspaper interviewed LaShonna Perry, a former Army mechanic who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, who was homeless for more than year after leaving the military.

“Some soldiers still have issues they’re dealing with from what they’ve seen, what they’ve experienced,” she says. “Some think, ‘There’s nothing wrong with me.’ They can deal with it on their own. Until it gets out of control.”

The YWCA has been supporting women in the military for more than 100 years. While serving, our service women are more likely to face homelessness, unemployment and poverty than their peers in the private sector. You can help. Learn more about YWCA’s work in this area and the draft legislation on Capitol Hill that would improve the experience women face both during their service and after.