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Discover one Veteran’s triumph from deep struggles to university certifications. Van couldn’t wait to serve his country. He enlisted in the Army as soon as he turned 18. His deployments sent him all over the world, and through it all, Van served with honor and dignity. After the Army, Van moved back to Detroit to be closer to his family and his aging grandmother. Adjusting to civilian life became increasingly difficult, to a point where Van lost his handle on things. His struggles follow the pattern of many veterans returning home with “invisible scars” like mental health traumas or PTSD. Van battled mental health illness and substance abuse. After his divorce, he became homeless, and in his despair made multiple suicide attempts. Volunteers of America stepped in with shelter and programs, designed for veterans like Van to overcome struggles and acquire skills and independence. Now, Van is doing much better and continues to receive help from the Detroit Veterans Housing Program, run by our VOA Michigan affiliate. Through his hard work, Van completed 3 training certifications from Wayne State University!
Van shared that in his lowest moments, he lost sight that he was worthy of love. This is hard to imagine, considering what veterans sacrifice for our freedoms! VOA stands with Van and the great men and women who served this country. Our struggling veterans deserve nothing less than the full measure of our support and efforts in their time of need.
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