Andrew’s life has been anything but easy. He’s felt the cold suffering that comes from great loss. He experienced a time when veterans returning home from war were not greeted as heroes. He’s been weighed down by the depression of losing a child and found drugs and alcohol as the answers to his pain. He didn’t realize it at the time, but Andrew was on a lifelong journey to find hope and restore his faith in God.
Growing up in a loving home, Caitlyn was an active, happy kid who enjoyed gymnastics, cheerleading, and cross country. She flourished until her early middle school years when she experienced trauma that changed the course of her life. Fearing the worst and not understanding what was happening to her, she hid her pain from her family.
They enjoy hiking, going to the park, and craft projects on rainy days. They find peace in everyday life. But, it wasn’t always like this. Two years ago, Amanda was just surviving in what she called an unhealthy relationship. She was suffering from emotional and physical pain. And, for too long, she remembers feeling alone and isolated, unable to see her own light amidst the dark shadows surrounding her relationship.
I grew up fast in my six years in the Navy. There were parts of being a sailor that I absolutely loved. I loved traveling the world and seeing places I never imagined I would. I was proud that I had chosen to dedicate my life to serve others. The work I did was fulfilling. I felt like I was helping my country.
My name is Michael and I am a U.S. Army veteran. When I think about Volunteers of America, and my time at the Domiciliary, I think about how much I have changed. I also think about how much I have learned too.
Let me back up for a minute.
In late 2015, I lost my cab. After I lost my cab, I lost my home.
I remember while living in my sister’s basement, my mom and dad came for what seemed an innocent visit. We sat at the kitchen table. My mom put several thousand dollars on the table and asked if that would buy enough drugs for me to kill myself.
He loved the service. “With the good came some bad,” he said. And what was bad for him changed his life forever. “It’s personal, and not something that I want to share. I was humiliated and even today I can’t talk about it.” Lawrence experienced a moment of extreme abuse in the military, and that’s all he’s willing to explain.
Tanya – a U.S. Army Veteran – vividly remembers the chilly day in May 2019 with her daughter, Makayla. Tanya was a proud mom. Makayla became a high school graduate that morning. They were homeless. A day that should’ve been one of the happiest in Tanya’s life was clouded with worry.
For James, an Army Veteran, he has always found purpose through his work, first as a member of the United States Army then as an IT professional. That was until a stroke forced James to look at the world through a different lens.
As a child, Derrel had to grow up fast. He was the middle of three sons in a single-parent household but bore much of the responsibility for the family because his older brother was severely disabled. He was charged with being the primary caregiver much of the time while his mother worked to provide for the boys.