Supporting Our Veterans at HSI

In the spirit of Veterans Day, we honor our veterans by telling their stories. John B., a guest in the Single Men’s Shelter program is a Navy Veteran. He served for eight years as a maintenance technician working primarily on helicopters. John is proud of his time in the military; the skills he learned, friendships he made, and the military training he credits with helping him find the resources that connected him to Homeless Solutions.

With the help of supporters like you and our partner agencies, we’re proud to be able to give struggling veterans the Hand Up they need after facing difficulties in their lives.

So far in 2024, HSI served nine veterans across our programs – five in our Single Men’s program, and three at the Women’s Campus, as part of a partnership with Community Hope. These guests and residents make up about 5% of the adults we have served through our shelter, transitional and supportive housing programs this year.

Before he found himself at Homeless Solutions, John was working part-time in landscaping. When the winter months came, there was no work, and John found himself unable to afford his high rent payments. One day he came home to find his locks had been changed and with nowhere else to go, he was forced to spend the frigid night on the street. The next day, John’s military survival instincts kicked in and he found Code Blue resources and the Office of Temporary Assistance who eventually connected him to Homeless Solutions.

He credits HSI staff, specifically Men’s Division Manager Andrea Andersen for being a lifeline to help him obtain important documents like new identification, or look for job opportunities. “Andrea is a go-getter who keeps me motivated,” says John. He also looks at the structure of military life as a help with shelter rules and shared living. “You’re not going to get along with everyone, but you’re in this together. We have sort of a shared trauma that we’re all working through on our terms.”

John is working to obtain a housing voucher and looking for employment different from the physical labor of landscaping, “I’m not getting any younger for that kind of work,” he chuckles. But he’s looking forward to a life of self-sufficiency again.

We’re happy to give you a Hand Up, John. And thank you for your service. It’s not too late to make an end of year contribution to help John and Homeless Solutions’ other guests get their Hand Up.