Eli Lilly and Company Earns National Recognition as Top Corporate Partner for Homeless Veterans.

Business Editors/Health/Medical Writers

WASHINGTON, D.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 7, 2003

National Coalition for Homeless Veterans presents award at

national conference for support of various programs, including

a mobile services center in Florida

The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans (NCHV) presented Eli Lilly and Company (Lilly) the Outstanding Corporate Partner Award at the NCHV National Conference in Washington, D.C., May 7. The honor recognizes contributions of the business community in the campaign to end homelessness among America's veterans, and the selection is based on a company's exemplary commitment and service to homeless veterans.

"Working with NCHV staff and member agencies, Lilly has made significant contributions to homeless services providers in several states and has positioned itself as the nation's leading corporate sponsor of homeless veterans assistance programs," said Linda Boone, NCHV executive director.

The NCHV is the resource and technical assistance center for a national network of 230 community-based service agencies that provide emergency and supportive housing, food, health services, job training and placement assistance, legal aid and case management support for more than 150,000 homeless veterans each year. In 2001, the network provided housing and support services to 226,385 homeless men, women and children.

"We are extremely honored to receive this award from the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans. Our work at Lilly extends beyond providing answers that matter - through medicine and information - for some of the world's most urgent medical needs. We also want to help provide answers for some of the social issues facing our communities," said Josh Smiley, director of Lilly's public health sector division. "It is tragic that on any given night, there are 275,000 homeless veterans in the United States. As a company, we want to support organizations that are trying to help these men and women break the homeless cycle and reintegrate into society."

Lilly's support is designated to help provide emergency and transitional housing, food, medical care, mental health services, substance abuse counseling and treatment and employment assistance to thousands of homeless veterans. The company also is a corporate sponsor at the NCHV National Conference, where the nation's homeless services providers have the opportunity to meet with legislators and federal agency representatives to advance policies and programs that benefit homeless veterans.

One of the Lilly sponsored programs is the Florida Veterans Mobile Service Center, which is owned and operated by the Volunteers of America of Florida. The outreach vehicle has been on display during the conference so members of Congress can see the support of homeless veterans in action. The 40-foot-long vehicle contains medical and dental treatment rooms, areas for counseling and other supportive services and is used to distribute food and clothing to the homeless wherever they are located. Volunteers of America of Florida and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Healthcare for Homeless Veterans provide the wide range of services available through this innovative outreach program.

The Mobile Service Center is on the road 200 days a year and has traveled more than 30,000 miles in Florida to reach over 3,000 homeless veterans a year. One client said, "When I first met the outreach workers, I thought they were trying to mess with my life, and I didn't trust any of them. But they don't give up on me. Now I'm living in transitional housing, about to start a job, and feeling better about myself than I have in a long time. I've still got a long way to go, but the staff here has made me believe in myself."

Lilly also provides personal care kits, containing personal hygiene items, to Stand Downs, which are community-based outreach and assistance programs that take supportive services to homeless veterans where they live - on the streets. The kits are often the first kindness many homeless veterans receive as they begin their quest to reclaim control of their lives, according to the NCHV. More than 40,000 veterans have benefited from the program during its first two years.

The support of homeless veterans programs by Lilly serves as a national model of what can be achieved when corporate America joins forces with community-based service providers, Boone said. The company's impact has been felt by policy makers in the nation's capital, by volunteers in towns and cities across the country, and most importantly, by thousands of homeless veterans who once proudly served as America's guardians, she said.

"Lilly believes it is important to be a good corporate citizen by helping communities discover answers to their problems. In addition to our work to bring medications to veterans seeking care in the Veterans Administration health system, we want to be a part of the solution to ending homelessness among veterans. The homeless veterans issue is one that is being faced all over the country. We encourage others to get involved in helping the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, the Volunteers of America of Florida and the many other organizations helping homeless veterans reintegrate into society," Smiley said.

To get involved in supporting homeless veteran programs, people may contact the coalition at (800) VET-HELP. The Volunteers of America of Florida can be reached at [phone].

About The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans

The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans was founded in 1990 by a group of veteran service providers in response to the growing number of homeless veterans who were coming into their facilities and the lack of resources to adequately provide services for them. NCHV's mission is to end homelessness among veterans by shaping public policy, promoting collaboration and building the capacity of service providers. Through its advocacy and leadership, NCHV has become recognized as the nation's leading authority on homeless veterans issues by several departments of the U.S. government, including the Department of Veterans Affairs, Housing and Urban Development, Labor and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The organization also has successfully worked to help draft legislation and increase funding for homeless veteran-specific programs, and last year helped develop and ensure passage of the hallmark Homeless Veterans Comprehensive Assistance Act of 2001, which, if fully implemented, will provide up to $1 billion for homeless veteran service providers and programs over six years.

About Eli Lilly and Company

Lilly, a leading innovation-driven corporation, is developing a growing portfolio of best-in-class pharmaceutical products by applying the latest research from its own worldwide laboratories and from collaborations with eminent scientific organizations. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Ind., Lilly provides answers - through medicines and information - for some of the world's most urgent medical needs. Additional information about Lilly is available at www.lilly.com.