His Guardian Angel

A few years ago, Army veteran Cecil didn’t have any food to eat. Thankfully, he found out about HVAF and we have been able to provide for his needs ever since.

“They’ve been my guardian angel. They feed me, take care of me, and take me wherever I need to go,” Cecil said. “We do great together.”

Recently, Cecil has been working with HVAF’s Healthcare Navigator – Lucy. She has worked for HVAF in this role for more than two years, helping 80+ veterans with their healthcare needs.

HVAF’s Healthcare Navigation program

“Part of the healthcare navigation program is to really assess what barriers they have,” Lucy said. “When Cecil was initially referred to me from his housing case manager, my role was to assist Cecil in accessing physical healthcare.”

In the six months that they’ve worked together, Lucy has helped set Cecil up with primary care, access all his necessary medication, reinstate his Medicare and Medicaid, and connect him to a community resource that covers the costs of his medication.

Cecil is in the midst of foreclosure of his mobile home, and HVAF’s housing case managers are moving him into an apartment next week.

“It’s been really awesome to see the healthcare navigation program intertwined with the SSVF (housing) program,” Lucy said. “And seeing how we really collaborate well and just building better supports for him and for his physical and mental health needs.”

Meet Mikey

Earlier this summer, Lucy helped Cecil adopt a puppy (Mikey) at IndyHumane. Thanks to Vets Adopt Pets, Cecil didn’t have to worry about the adoption fees! She thought having a furry friend would assist with his mental health.

“He eats with me, he sleeps with me. He’s a part of me,” Cecil said. “He’s my little BFF – my little Bare Foot Friend.”

You can ensure veterans like Cecil have all of their physical & mental health needs met by making a financial tax-deductible gift to HVAF today:

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