Success
Stories
Todd
Todd was born in Cedartown, Georgia and went into the
military at 20 years old. After serving in Iraq and Kuwait
he returned home in 2004. Todd battled with PTSD and
substance abuse, and he and his wife became homeless
for the first time in 2005 in North Carolina. After spending
some time in West Virginia, they decided to relocate to
Georgia for more VA resources and opportunities. After
facing homelessness twice in Georgia, Todd and his wife
were connected to Mission United. Once enrolled in the program, they soon identified permanent housing with their case manager and received approval to move-in. During their time in the program, Todd’s wife gained employment and Todd’s VA disability income increased. Todd says, “now me and my wife have been paying bills on time since the first time we got married 7 years ago. I guess I’m one of the few people that gets excited about paying bills because I had not done it in so long.” Todd says to other Veterans looking for help to “not be afraid to try new things because it’s a lot better in an apartment than it is on the street.” Todd and his wife have been sober now for 9 months and he says it has been incredible. He and his wife have been focusing on each other and are setting goals. They recently met their goal of attending a NASCAR race and next they hope to go on a cruise.
Gwendolyn
Gwendolyn moved to Atlanta in 2006 after serving nine
years in the U.S. Army. For many years, she was employed
by the military as a contractor and worked for herself as a
cosmetologist. In 2016, Gwendolyn faced economic distress
after thyroid surgery complications, and her husband lost
his job. Gwendolyn and her husband ended up losing their
home and decided to separate. She found herself homeless
and living in her car. Three months later, Gwendolyn found
a job as a contractor with Mary Hall Freedom House and
moved to housing of her own. As a contractor, she helped
Veterans prepare to enter the workforce and to locate employment. It was during her time at Mary Hall when she first learned of Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program at United Way, but she never imagined she would be in need of the program herself. In 2017, the grant she was working on ended, and she became at-risk of being homeless due to an eviction. She decided to reach out to United Way’s resource and referral line, 2-1-1, where she was connected to the SSVF program. Gwendolyn was able to stay in her housing and gained employment again through Mary Hall in 2018 as the Veteran’s Employment and Services Specialist. She now helps fellow Veterans who find themselves in the same position she was in. For supplemental income, Gwendolyn has recently started to prepare taxes independently. She also enjoys spending her free time with her two children who keep her busy.
