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That’s a wrap on the 12 Veterans of Christmas!

As we bring these days to a close, we reflect on the remarkable journey we’ve embarked on together. Each day, we’ve had the privilege of sharing inspiring stories of veterans who have overcome significant challenges in their life and found new opportunities for growth, fulfillment, and self-sufficiency.

None of this would have been possible without YOU. Your contributions have not only provided tangible assistance to veterans but have also instilled them with a renewed sense of hope and possibility. Your generosity has empowered them to pursue their dreams, overcome obstacles, and build promising futures.

We are truly grateful for the opportunity to have shared these inspiring stories with you and to have worked together to make a positive difference in the lives of veterans. Catch up on the 12 veterans of Christmas, 2024 below!

Day 12 – Crystal is looking toward a brighter future

Meet Crystal, a Navy veteran whose resilience and bravery have inspired us all.

After joining the Navy in September 2004, Crystal served her country for several years, including time in Iraq and various other postings around the world. Her service was marked by dedication and a sense of duty that followed her into civilian life.

After becoming homelessness after some struggles, Crystal found some stability after enrolling in HVAF programs and found transitional housing at HVAF’s Manchester Apartments. But on October 26^th, the devastating fire tore through the building, leaving it destroyed. The fire not only destroyed her home but also disrupted the physical and emotional stability Crystal had worked so hard to achieve. Her heart sank as she realized everything she owned might be lost, and she was suddenly thrust into uncertainty. “We lost everything,” Crystal said.

But amidst the chaos of that night, there was one thing on Crystal’s mind—her dog, Fiona.

That night, as the fire raged, Crystal was out with her husband watching a movie, unaware of the unfolding disaster. It wasn’t until a desperate call came from a friend, alerting her to the fire, that the gravity of the situation hit home.

The scene upon Crystal’s arrival was one of chaos, with firefighters battling the flames and residents in shock. Through it all, her thoughts were fixated on Fiona. “She’s not just my dog, that’s my daughter!” Crystal said.

Thanks to the quick thinking and courage of her friend, who rushed into the apartment to rescue her beloved dog, Crystal was reunited with Fiona. At that moment, despite the destruction around her, Crystal found solace in knowing her family was safe, while Fiona, blissfully unaware of the danger, wagged her tail and greeted friends, offering a moment of comfort and normalcy in an otherwise devastating situation.

“Even though I’m looking at everything go up in flames. In that moment I can relax, because I got her,” Crystal said on her reunion with Fiona.

In the wake of the fire, immediate relief was crucial, and thanks to the generosity of donors and the dedicated HVAF staff, we have been able to provide essential resources such as temporary housing, financial assistance, and emotional support to Crystal and the other veterans.

In this trying time, YOUR IMPACT cannot be overstated. It was thanks to YOU we were able to act swiftly, ensuring stability and resources were available for veterans like Crystal during their time of need.

Today, Crystal is focused on securing a stable home for her family and continues to pursue her goals with the same tenacity that fueled her military service. The road to recovery is ongoing, but with Fiona by her side and the support of HVAF and our donors, Crystal is optimistic about the future!

Day Eleven – Alan’s Journey of Resilience and Renewal

Meet Alan, a former Marine who transitioned to civilian life in 1996 and has overcome significant challenges ever since. After experiencing five years of homelessness, Alan found hope through the support of HVAF by joining our transitional housing and VetWorks programs.

“I just needed some stable ground,” Alan said.

While volunteering (which he does almost every single day) at HVAF, Alan was housed at our Manchester Apartments, and on the night of the fire on October 26, he lost everything.

“I was fixing to cook myself something to eat when someone banged on my door, shouting about the smoke… after that, it went so fast,” Alan said, recalling the night of the fire. Alan was one of the 48 veterans who lost not just the roof over their heads, but everything they owned.

“Today I’ve only got the same things I first came here with, but everyone got out and no one got hurt in the fire,” Alan said, grateful for the safety of his fellow residents.

Since that devastating night, Alan has preserved and achieved some major milestones. In November, just a few weeks after the fire, Alan was a part of HVAF’s largest VETWORK phase 1 graduation, earning the skills he will need to maintain full-time employment. And in December, we are so happy to report that Alan has moved into a new home!

Your generous donations make it possible for veterans like Alan to rebuild their lives and achieve their dreams.

Day 10 – Rosario reclaims his life. 

“Without HVAF, I don’t know where I’d be at right now. I don’t know if I’d be alive right now.”

Meet Navy veteran Rosario. Rosario spent years trying to break out of the vicious cycle of drug use and homelessness. In 2022, when doing an assessment at a partner organization, he found out he could receive life-changing and life-saving services through HVAF.

After moving into one of HVAF’s transitional houses, his case manager told him it’s a sober living environment.

“It was probably about a month in to living in transitional housing, I just woke up one day and I was like you know today’s the day, I’m going (to rehab),” Rosario said.

Rosario can now proudly say he’s been sober for 14 months! He has even reconnected with his 14-year-old son.

At HVAF, 71% of veterans served in 2022 reported a mental health diagnosis or substance use issues. Rosario said staying sober can be hard some days.

“I’m not going to say I wake up every day and say, ‘I’m so happy to be sober,’” Rosario said. “Some days I wake up and think man, ‘I wish I wasn’t sober.’ But you just got to get up and cope and work through it.”

Since May 2023, after going through recovery programs at Community North’s detox center and CleanSlate, Rosario has lived at Proctor Place – one of HVAF’s permanent housing apartments. Now, Rosario always knows he has his case manager to rely on if his sobriety feels too hard to manage or can receive help with anything else he needs.

“Believe me when I say there are a lot of people out there that care about you and they want to help,” Rosario said. “They want to see you improve your life. They want to see you in a better place.”

Day Nine – Monica finds the support to stand on her own.

After serving in the Army, Monica faced significant challenges transitioning to civilian life. She explained that in the military, everything is organized—there’s a set time for everything, and priorities are clear. In civilian life, however, she felt that nothing was prioritized, which was disorienting for someone as organized as she was.

When moving to Indianapolis last year, Monica found herself living in her car. She felt embarrassed about her homelessness and hesitated to ask for help. She found out about HVAF and finally decided to see if there was anything we could do for her.

HVAF opened doors for Monica that she never thought were possible! Her housing case manager, Cherelle, set her up in her own house and helped with rent and utility costs.

Her employment specialist, Raven, helped her land a stable job working as a driver for Heartland Ambulance Company, receive a bus pass, and pick out essential clothing out of our pantry.

“Cherelle and Raven are awesome, they are my angels. Anything I need, any questions I have, if I am having a stressful day, they call right back,” Monica said. “They put me in a direction where I can advance. They help you from the heart.”

Monica appreciates all that those who support HVAF has done for her.

“I thank you for the donations that we receive, I thank you for the love and care you all have for us,” Monica said. “If it wasn’t for our donors a lot of us wouldn’t be able to stand up on our own.”

Day Eight – Darian’s Path To Stability

Meet Darian. After serving in the United States Air Force for 8 years, Darian came back to his home state of Indiana and reconnected with his high school friends.

He knew about HVAF and its resources for veterans but felt too prideful to ask for help.

However, one day, he realized he wanted to better his life and his friends were not helping with that. He knew HVAF could give him the tools he needed for a new start in life.

“I realized I had to take a step back and focus on myself,” Darian said. “I saw coming to HVAF as an opportunity to move away from a lot of the mess I was around.”

He turned to HVAF for help in 2023 and has since been receiving wrap-around services to help him achieve his new start.

He moved into one of our transitional houses on the Near Westside of Indianapolis.

He enrolled in our VetWorks Workforce Development program, where he’s getting the training, education, and certification needed to start a new career in project management.

He visits the food pantry a few times a month, where he is especially thankful for the various canned food options available.

And he started receiving mental health support by regularly meeting with our in-house therapist, Kascha.

Kascha has been helping Darian become more open and vulnerable, and helping him learn how to set boundaries with others and how to not worry what others think of him.

“It’s been nice to be at a place like HVAF where people are willing to listen and help,” Darian said. “And I want to thank the donors for their donations as it’s given me a second chance at my life.”

Day Seven – Melvin’s Journey to Accessibility and Stability

Meet Melvin, an Army veteran who overcame unimaginable challenges with your support.

Melvin and his wife found themselves on the brink of losing everything. After losing his job, Melvin, who relies on a wheelchair, saw his world crumble. Unable to afford their apartment, they had nowhere else to turn. Feeling hopeless, Melvin was ready to give up on life. But you didn’t give up on him.

Through the support of HVAF programs, Melvin was connected to a compassionate and dedicated case manager who worked tirelessly to help them find a new home. Your generosity provided access to our rental assistance program, allowing Melvin and his wife to start over in a safe and stable apartment.

But your support didn’t stop there. Limited to a wheelchair to get around, Melvin’s mobility challenges made it difficult to perform basic daily tasks. Thanks to you, HVAF was able to provide adaptive equipment to make their new home fully accessible. For the first time in 8 years, Melvin could safely take a shower on his own.

“It’s a blessing,” Melvin shared. “I was getting so depressed I didn’t know what I was going to do. I’m so thankful for everything my case manager is doing for us. If it wasn’t for him, I’m not sure I would still be around.”

Now, Melvin and his wife have hope for the future. YOU gave them the resources to not just survive, but thrive. Together, we are empowering veterans like Melvin to reclaim their independence and break the cycle of despair.

Day Six – From motel to home, sweet, home!

A lottery number that meant he was drafted for the Vietnam War…

88 – a number Army Veteran Jackson will never forget. 

“When you got drafted, going in, you were not expected to come back,” Jackson said. “Right out of college, life’s supposed to be beginning and you’re going to a point when you might be going to end it.”,” Jackson said. But thankfully, Jackson came home. 

A few years ago, Jackson moved from Tennessee to Indiana to be close to his family. Stable housing was hard to find, and last fall, Jackson found himself living in a motel. He had hopes to live in his own apartment but needed help to make that a reality. 

Because of YOU, HVAF was there to help. Jackson was assigned to a case manager, Sarah, who helped him with housing and addressed other barriers he was facing. She helped him get his disability benefits through the VA which, like many other Vietnam War veterans, he never knew he could receive. She referred him to our food pantry (that your support makes possible) where he received essential food and hygiene items each week. 

With support in place, Jackson moved out of the motel into his own apartment in just a month. He will continue to work closely with Sarah and receive rental assistance until he’s fully self-sufficient. 

Jackson said he is thankful to call Sarah his case manager. 

“Sarah’s great. I give her a problem and usually by the end of the day, she has a solution to the problem,” Jackson said. “We stay in contact daily. She sends a text message every morning.” 

Next steps for Jackson include improving his credit score, receiving financial counseling, and scheduling dental and eye appointments.

 “I want to thank you for your gifts and ask you to not give up on us but please try to help us,” Jackson said, with gratitude for the HVAF community.  

With your help, we can ensure other veterans like Jackson receive the necessary support to achieve self-sufficiency. 

Day Five – Single Mom has a safe place to call home! 

Last year, Navy Veteran Porshia and her 5 children were homeless for four months. Thankfully, she found out about HVAF’s life-changing, life-saving programs and services for veterans AND their families! 

“I didn’t even know support like this existed for veterans,” Porshia said. “These people have been Godsent to me and my family.” 

After contacting HVAF, it only took two weeks for Porshia’s family to move into HVAF’s permanent supportive housing apartments: Proctor Place. Not only did they get housed, but Porshia has been connected to employment services, received furniture and other essentials for their apartment, and some of our supporters adopted her family for Christmas and blessed them with gifts! 

Now working as a Medicaid representative for the state, Porshia’s employment specialist provided her with a computer mouse, mousepad, and headset so she is set up for success to work from home. Also, Porshia has attended some of the employment team’s technology workshops, which she said those have been extremely helpful. 

In addition to living at Proctor Place, Porshia is working closely with HVAF’s full-time case manager who is available on site: Christine. Porshia said Christine has played a vital role as she’s helped her with paperwork and notifies her of important reminders. 

“Moving into permanent housing after being homeless can be overwhelming,” Christine said. “Having the support of community partners and funding to fill Porshia’s home with household essentials helps to make their house truly feel like a home.” 

“I appreciate everything!” Porshia said with gratitude. 

Day Four – Darrell’s Road To Stability

After serving in the Army for five years, Darrell pursued a career in business and real estate for decades. He was very successful in his career, able to provide for his wife and family with ease.

Unfortunately, a few years ago, they came across some tough times and Darrell was no longer able to provide for his family. They lost their home, which lead to Darrell’s wife moving in with her sister while he lived in his car.

“It was a terrible feeling,” Darrell said. “I would sleep in my car, shower at the YMCA, and head to work.”

A friend told him about HVAF, and thankfully he came in for help. Our case managers were able to reunite Darrell and his wife, moving them into a home together immediately!

Darrell has also been able to enroll in VA Health benefits, build up his credit, and pay off credit card bills. Now, after working so hard to pay off debt and improve his credit score, he and his wife are now moving into their own home!

He never thought he would be in this situation, but he is so glad HVAF and its supporters were there to help him during his time of need.

“I’m a walking example of being at the bottom of the barrel and your donations have made it possible for me to continue my life.” Darrell said. “It’s been such a blessing.”

Day Three – Brandon’s Resiliency 

Meet Brandon. Growing up, Brandon knew he wanted to serve his country – just like his parents, grandparents, and brother did. Unfortunately, during basic training in the Army, he suffered an injury that led to discharge.

The disappointment of not being able to serve in the Army for long led to years of depression, alcoholism, drug abuse, and eventually homelessness.

“I was really on a downward spiral to self-sabotage and was not thinking clearly,” Brandon said. “I was miserable.”

After 15 years, Brandon had finally had enough of his substance use, and sought out recovery. In the last few years, he’s connected with HVAF and received housing and employment assistance.

HVAF was able to place him in a hotel while he and his housing case manager found him an affordable apartment.

HVAF also helped Brandon launch a new career! HVAF covered the costs of the classes, exam, and membership fees for him to become a Certified Peer Mentor. After working hard with his employment specialist to improve his resume, write cover letters, and apply for jobs – he recently started a new career as a Peer Recovery Coach and House Manager with Synergy Recovery Network!

Brandon said because of HVAF’s services, he is truly living his best life today!

“I feel privileged and grateful that the opportunity that you offered me was there,” Brandon said. “It’s been difficult for me trying to piece back together life on my own and so to have that opportunity there to really catapult me forward, it’s tremendous.”

Day Two – Bianca’s Incredible Journey

We first introduced you to Navy veteran Bianca at the end of 2021 – you can find that story here. And on the second day of the 12 Days of Veterans we are thrilled a wonderful update in Bianca’s progress! At the end of 2021, Bianca was living in one of HVAF’s permanent supportive housing apartments at Veterans Villa after experiencing homelessness during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bianca faced immense difficulties, trying to secure housing while struggling to keep up with hotel payments. The situation became overwhelming as she searched for an apartment and managed the financial burden. “Trying to get the funds to stay in the hotel while also trying to look for an apartment and then knowing I was going to have to still figure out how to stay in the hotel and somehow get a deposit ready, it was a little bit overwhelming,” Bianca recalls.

Fortunately, her case worker at the VA informed her about HVAF, and we stepped in to cover her hotel payments. Eventually, Bianca transitioned to Veterans Villa, where she found a safe and affordable place to call home for over three years.

Living at Veterans Villa provided Bianca with a unique sense of community, surrounded by fellow veterans from different eras. “I had never been in a situation where I’m in a building full of veterans. It was different having different eras all in the same building,” Bianca reflected. “I liked living there because I had a roof over my head, and it was cheaper than almost everything else in Indianapolis.”

During her time at Veterans Villa, Bianca seized the opportunity to enroll in HVAF’s intensive three-phase Workforce Development program: VetWorks. Through the program, she received education and training in IT, showcasing her determination and commitment to rebuilding her life. Her hard work paid off when she secured a full-time IT job at the city-county building, marking her one-year work anniversary and positioning her for a well-deserved promotion.

But Bianca’s success doesn’t stop there. She recently accomplished another incredible milestone—becoming a homeowner! Bianca moved into her own home on the near east-side of Indianapolis, just minutes away from her workplace. As she settles into her new home, Bianca is excited to add more furniture, spoil her three cats, and begin a vegetable garden. “I was excited when I got the house, it feels very freeing!”

Reflecting on her journey, Bianca expresses deep gratitude for the support she received from HVAF. “I’m fairly certain had I not been able to get the help that I needed from you guys, I probably wouldn’t be sitting here right now,” Bianca shared. “And I don’t mean that I wouldn’t have the house right now. I probably wouldn’t be on this Earth anymore.”

Bianca’s story is a testament to the transformative impact of HVAF’s programs and services. This holiday season join us in supporting HVAF today and help us continue to empower veterans on their path to success.

Day 1 – Meet Tommy

Meet Tommy, a resilient Marine veteran whose story embodies hope and new beginnings. A few months ago, after facing homelessness in Tennessee and Atlanta, Tommy moved to Indiana in search of a fresh start. Upon his arrival, he immediately began researching available assistance programs and discovered HVAF. “I called them up, and they got me moving fast,” Tommy recalled.

Thanks to the committed support of HVAF—particularly his case manager, Doneeka—he was able to secure a safe and stable place at Manchester Apartments. “She is the best, I talk to her almost every day,” Tommy said with gratitude.

Unfortunately, Tommy’s time in Manchester was cut short when, on October 26th, the devastating fire broke out, leaving him and 47 other veterans displaced. During the chaos of that night, Tommy’s first concern was for his fellow residents. As smoke filled the halls, Tommy took action, rallying a few of the other residents to start helping. Tommy and the others wasted no time and began knocking on doors to alert residents of the fire, helping to ensure everyone made it out safely.

“We just wanted to make sure everyone got out safely,” Tommy said. Though he lost all his belongings in the fire, his resolve remained unshaken. After spending a little over a week in temporary housing at a local hotel, Tommy received life-changing news—his application for permanent housing in a downtown apartment had been approved.

Today, Tommy is proudly settled into his new studio apartment, and his joy is contagious. “I finally feel like I have a place to call my own,” he shared. He beamed as he showed off his space, from his fully stocked fridge and closet full of clothes to the bathroom he could finally call his own. “I owe a lot to HVAF, the food pantry is amazing, and the clothes—some of the nicest clothes I’ve ever had,” he said with pride.

Grateful for the critical aid of clothing and food donations, following the fire, Tommy is now focused on rebuilding his life, eagerly pursuing full-time employment, and looking forward to a bright future.

Thanks to you, Tommy has a roof over his head. Thanks to you, Tommy’s closet is full. Thanks to you, veterans like him are finding stability, dignity, and hope once again.

“Thank you so much…” Tommy said, speaking directly to the HVAF community and donors who have done so much to help him find self-sufficiency. “Your efforts are not in vain, you know, they have built me up. I’ve got a good start here!”

To help us continue this vital work, ensuring pantries remain stocked and veterans receive life-changing support, please consider contributing to HVAF today.

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