Finding Hope When He Needed It Most
“I don’t remember how I got to VOA, but I know from the moment I walked through the doors, everything changed.”
For David, life had been good for a long time.
A United States Army Veteran, David served from 1984 to 1998 after joining the military right out of high school. After his service, he built a life he was proud of. He married his wife, Stacey, and together they raised four children. They worked, paid their bills, stayed active in their church and built a loving home.
“It was a life filled with joy,” David shares.
But in March of last year, everything changed. After 17 years with the same company, Stacey unexpectedly lost her job due to cutbacks. This left David’s income as the family’s only source of support.
Suddenly, the life they had worked so hard to build felt uncertain.
“We were struggling. Struggling to pay our bills, to eat, to pay rent…to live the life we had been so happy in for so long.”
David did everything he could to keep his family afloat. He continued working while searching for a better-paying job, but the bills kept coming. The stress began to take its toll. “What if my wife didn’t find a job soon? How am I going to cover our bills this month?” he remembers wondering. “How long can we stay this way before we lose our home?”
Eventually, David felt exhausted and overwhelmed. “I was physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted every moment of the day. I had lost all hope.” He knew he needed help. As a military veteran, he knew there had to be resources out there for him.
“I don’t remember how I got to VOA, but I know from the moment I walked through the doors, everything changed.”
At VOA Ohio & Indiana, David was connected with support for employment and expenses. But what stood out to him most was the respect he felt immediately. He may have been going through a difficult time, but it didn’t define him and it didn’t impact the care he received.
“They CARED for me as a person. They CARED about my well-being.”
His Case Manager, Sean, became an important part of David’s journey. Through phone calls, texts and hands-on support, Sean helped David navigate some of his most difficult moments, including a time when they were nearly evicted from their home.
“Every call and every text he sent to check in on me gave me the strength I needed to feel hopeful again,” David shared. “And to feel that I was not alone.”
With support from VOA, David began to see a path forward.
“I started to have hope again. Hope that where we were then wouldn’t always be. Hope that we would recover and get back to the life we were so happy living.”
Today, David and Stacey are in a much better place. David has a new job, Stacey has one lined up, and they are financially stable once again. Most importantly, David says he has regained confidence in both the life they built together and in himself.
“I am a testament to the power of hope. VOA helped me restore my dignity and they transformed my life.”
David now shares his experience with other veterans, encouraging them to reach out when they need support.
“If they’re feeling lost or hopeless, or just need a hand up, VOA will have their back every step of the way.
And for David, that hand up made all the difference.
This Veterans Day, remind our heroes that someone has their back.
Give another veteran like David the hand up they need to find hope again.