Caregiving, Loss, and a New Beginning: Chasity’s Story

Chasity is a caregiver to her core. And like so many who devote their lives to caring for others, it can be hard to recognize when it’s time to ask for help ourselves.

In 1993, Chasity answered the call to serve her country as a member of the U.S. Coast Guard. She arrived at basic training with purpose and heart. But when an injury cut her military career short, she returned home to San Luis Obispo. Though her time in uniform ended sooner than expected, her commitment to serving others never faded. It simply took a different shape.

Back home, that sense of service became deeply personal. Chasity got married and started a family, building a life centered around caring for the people she loved. After her divorce, life took her to Reno, where she remarried and welcomed a daughter into the world.

When her spouse’s health began to decline, Chasity stepped in without hesitation, devoting herself fully to their care. When they passed, she was left grieving and searching for a path forward.

That search led her somewhere unexpected — a spiritual temple in Northern California, where she spent three years caring for exotic animals. In nurturing them, she began to heal. The experience helped her process her loss, rebuild her confidence, and reconnect with herself in ways she hadn’t thought possible.

But just as she began to find her footing again, life called her back into the roll she knew so well. When her father’s health began to fail, Chasity returned to Nevada to be by his side. She cared for him until he passed. And then, for the first time in a long time, there was no one left to take care of — except herself.

Without that role to anchor her, and while carrying the weight of profound loss, Chasity found herself experiencing homelessness.

Quicksand. It is the perfect word for what homelessness can feel like. The more you struggle alone, the deeper it pulls you in. What Chasity needed was a hand reaching down to help pull her out.

So she made a call to the VA Crisis Hotline. That call connected her with Nation’s Finest and began to turn things in a new direction.

After connecting with Nation’s Finest, Chasity found her way to our Eureka site, drawn to the beauty of Humboldt County’s beaches and forests. There, she was able to take the first real steps toward stability. With support, she found a new place to live and the opportunity start fresh. Having a home gave her the foundation and the breathing room she needed to begin moving forward again.

“You guys really took care of me! You gave me a safe place to be stable again,” Chasity says. “When you’re homeless and have no place to put your stuff, you are afraid of losing what little you have.”

With that stability in place, Chasity began to look ahead. She enrolled at College of the Redwoods and started shaping the life she wants for herself. After so many years of giving everything to others, it is a privilege to now see her investing in her own future.

Chasity’s story is a reminder that service doesn’t end when the uniform is retired. It evolves. It continues. And in her case, it has touched every chapter of her life.

This Women’s History Month, we honor Women Veterans like Chasity, whose courage, resilience, and dedication continue to inspire us.

Help Women Veterans like Chasity find their next mission. Your support gives them the tools, care, and guidance to build the future they’ve earned. Donate now.