Disclaimer: The name “Michelle” has been used as a substitute for the actual name of the Veteran discussed in this post to protect her privacy.
Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey, tells the story of a heroic warrior who is confronted with a decade-long struggle to find his way back home. Bombarded with physical and mental challenges that torment Odysseus — the story’s protagonist — over the years, life after the great war appears, at many moments, just as challenging as the hero’s years of service. Recognized as one of history’s great works of fiction, The Odyssey’s plot is anything but a myth to many of today’s Veterans.
Struggling After Service
A Missouri native who grew up adventuring around the rivers and swimming holes of the Ozarks, Michelle had a clear vision of what ‘home’ meant as a child. Like an unsettling number of service members, however, she struggled to regain a sense of ‘home’ after leaving the military. Michelle returned to the States from her 8-year tour as an Army Medic with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a feeling of “uselessness,” and a sense of uncertainty about what the future held for her.
Challenges such as these impact countless Veterans in the months and years following their service. Unique to Michelle’s situation, however, is that within six months of returning home, she separated from her husband and her mother passed away. Like many Veterans struggling to find a path home, the former Army Medic turned to alcohol to help navigate through her sense of emotional displacement. This sense of emotional displacement then took a physical form, and Michelle bounced across the Prairie State of Illinois, the cornfield plains of Iowa, and then the golden rolling hills of California where she entered a rehab program.
Things were looking up for Michelle after she completed rehab. The recovering Veteran found a temporary place to stay, but it wasn’t long before the mental toll of difficult past experiences caught up to her. Distressing symptoms and emotional pain associated with PTSD are heavy burdens to bear. For many of our country’s heroes, alcohol can temporarily numb or dull their feelings, providing a brief escape from intrusive memories. A relapse sent Michelle back to a dark place. Like many Veterans, she needed a helping hand to guide her.
Struggling After Service
A Missouri native who grew up adventuring around the rivers and swimming holes of the Ozarks, Michelle had a clear vision of what ‘home’ meant as a child. Like an unsettling number of service members, however, she struggled to regain a sense of ‘home’ after leaving the military. Michelle returned to the States from her 8-year tour as an Army Medic with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a feeling of “uselessness,” and a sense of uncertainty about what the future held for her.
Challenges such as these impact countless Veterans in the months and years following their service. Unique to Michelle’s situation, however, is that within six months of returning home, she separated from her husband and her mother passed away. Like many Veterans struggling to find a path home, the former Army Medic turned to alcohol to help navigate through her sense of emotional displacement. This sense of emotional displacement then took a physical form, and Michelle bounced across the Prairie State of Illinois, the cornfield plains of Iowa, and then the golden rolling hills of California where she entered a rehab program.
Things were looking up for Michelle after she completed rehab. The recovering Veteran found a temporary place to stay, but it wasn’t long before the mental toll of difficult past experiences caught up to her. Distressing symptoms and emotional pain associated with PTSD are heavy burdens to bear. For many of our country’s heroes, alcohol can temporarily numb or dull their feelings, providing a brief escape from intrusive memories. A relapse sent Michelle back to a dark place. Like many Veterans, she needed a helping hand to guide her.
Transitional Housing: A Bridge to Stability
In The Odyssey, Odysseus had Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom, to help navigate the perilous path to peace. Athena provided Odysseus with visions of next steps and helped push aside obstacles that stood in the way of “home.”
While Michelle did not have a literal goddess of wisdom at her disposal, she found a guide that came pretty close: the team at Nation’s Finest.
The transitional housing program at Nation’s Finest gave Michelle a supportive environment and a roof over her head to help her get back on her feet. By engaging with daily counseling and staying with other Veterans going through similar struggles, Michelle fought hard to begin making the more permanent strides necessary to re-adjust to life after service.
“It was so supportive to be around other Vets who have PTSD and anxiety, and not have to explain yourself over and over,” Michelle explained with relief. “I was made much better by that experience.”
When Michelle’s circumstances began to improve, she eventually moved to Mather Veterans Village, a permanent supportive housing community where eligible Veterans can rent apartments with housing vouchers and continue to receive onsite supportive services such as employment and training programs, legal aid, and more. Through permanent supporting housing services, Nation’s Finest goes beyond providing Veterans with just a place to sleep. It’s about finding a comfortable long-term place that provides stability, a sense of belonging, and a place to put down roots. The type of endpoint that heroes in legends like The Odyssey are willing to risk everything to reach.
When Michelle’s circumstances began to improve, she eventually moved to Mather Veterans Village, a permanent supportive housing community where eligible Veterans can rent apartments with housing vouchers and continue to receive onsite supportive services such as employment and training programs, legal aid, and more. Through permanent supporting housing services, Nation’s Finest goes beyond providing Veterans with just a place to sleep. It’s about finding a comfortable long-term place that provides stability, a sense of belonging, and a place to put down roots. The type of endpoint that heroes in legends like The Odyssey are willing to risk everything to reach.
Finding Her Forever Home
A project manager at Veterans Housing Development Corporation (VHDC), a partnering housing subsidiary with Nation’s Finest, Torri Cardilino guided Michelle’s entry into a program for aspiring Veteran homeowners. Michelle received budgeting opportunities, first time homebuyer courses, DIY courses for simple repairs, and access to a physical home in Oroville flipped by VHDC.
“This program is designed to get Veterans into homes that they are able to make their forever home,” said Torri. “We have assisted two families and have two more households on the horizon. We are looking to provide forever homes to three more households in 2024.”
Especially for a first-time homeowner in recovery with a history of PTSD, moving into a new home can be difficult. To help ease this transition, Nation’s Finest and VHDC covered Michelle’s first month’s mortgage payment. “That gave me the time to get my situation straight and figure my house things out,” Michelle explained. “It gave me some much needed breathing space.”
When asked what she most appreciated about Nation’s Finest, Michelle laughed and said, “Everything. They supported me start-to-finish, from bringing food to my transitional house to providing courses on anger management and grief to helping me find my own home.”
Photos of Michelle’s new home, flipped by Veterans Housing Development Corporation (VHDC)
What You Can Do
While Michelle’s journey ended with a place to call home, the stories of countless Veterans do not end as positively. In 2022, more than 33,000 Veterans experienced homelessness in the United States. We can’t alleviate this issue alone. To learn more about how you can help Nation’s Finest support our Veterans on their journey home, visit Nationsfinest.org/Donate.
