HVAF BLOG
Check out our latest stories, events, and the best part of the job: our success stories.
January 31, 2019
In 1990, Jimmy Potts joined the United States Navy. Starting at the Naval Station Great Lakes in Illinois for his training and education, Jimmy went on to serve for six years— being a part of Desert Shield and serving for eight months in Iraq for […]
November 30, 2018
It keeps getting better and better: this year, we were able to raise more than $37,000 at Operation Alpha. 5,000 more than last year! The evening was full of tasty cocktails, delicious food, live music, auction bidding and much more. “I am deeply grateful for the strong relationship […]
October 31, 2018
The Home Depot Foundation has continuously helped us over the last 11 years. Some of the projects include redoing our conference room and transforming our old bunk room to a well-functioning pantry for our outreach hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Last week, the team came out […]
September 30, 2018
In 2011, Lianna Spencer enlisted in the United States Air Force. After serving for two years, Lianna got out and went back to her home in Arizona, where she went back to school and work. She also spent one year on the reservation taking care […]
August 31, 2018
After graduating from high school, Vincent decided he wanted to fight for our country, and he joined the United States Navy. “I wanted to do something better with my life,” he said. From 2007-2011, Vincent was in active duty. But due to missing his child’s […]
June 30, 2018
After returning from two years of service in the U.S. Marine Corps, Ray Lay began struggling with service-related mental health issues. Eventually these issues would lead to and be compounded by substance abuse, incarceration, and finally homelessness. Seeking a new start, Ray moved to Indianapolis at […]
May 31, 2018
As a way to carry out their motto “Service Above Self,” the Indianapolis Rotary Club packed backpacks for Indianapolis’ homeless veteran population. Last year, they packed 144 backpacks, and packed 180 this year! HVAF was also blessed to have Senator Joe Donnelly come to HVAF […]
May 31, 2018
Each year, on one cold night in January, representatives go out into their community and identify homeless individuals, providing a snapshot of the area’s homeless population. In 2017, 328 homeless veterans were identified. This year, that number dropped by 20 percent to 261. “This is […]
April 30, 2018
While trying to obtain employment and housing, one huge hindrance for a veteran can be means of transportation. Thankfully, Cornerstone Lutheran Church is wanting to change that. In April, the church donated 25 bikes to HVAF, with plans to bring 25 more bikes soon. “The […]
April 30, 2018
Last September, Army veteran Kevin E. was homeless, as he was living in his vehicle. That same month, his life was changed. He found out his 12-year-old grandson did not have a place to live anymore, and he would need to gain custody of him. […]
April 30, 2018
Beta Theta Pi, Sigma Chi, and eight other Indiana University fraternities faced off this weekend to benefit HVAF. Face Off For the Forces, which started in 2014, is a lacrosse tournament to benefit military organizations. Beta Theta Pi and Sigma Chi lead the tournament and […]
February 28, 2018
Last December, Emmy Hildebrand, HVAF’s Vice President of Strategic Initiatives and Public Policy, received her Black Belt… her Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, that is. Lean Six Sigma is a methodology that combines two process improvement methods to decrease organizational costs and increase efficiency. […]
February 28, 2018
In 2005, Army veteran Keith Caldwell found himself homeless. He was dealing with addiction and lost everything. Moving from Crawfordsville to Indianapolis, Keith first went to Wheeler Mission, where he was sent to HVAF to get into one of the transitional supportive houses. For two […]
January 31, 2018
For the third year in a row, the Indiana Podiatry Group has held a sock drive for HVAF. This year, they collected 3,000+ pairs of socks! IPG treats all kinds of feet. They have eight medical offices and two pediatric shoe stores in Central Indiana. “We […]
January 31, 2018
As a way to further themselves in the social work field, HVAF case managers Mark Lykins and Brian Andree have recently earned the Licensed Clinical Social Worker title. Both social workers received their master’s degree in social work, obtained their LSW licensure through an exam and then went […]
