As we work with Veterans, deep down we know we are making a difference in a life - directly or indirectly. Sometimes it's more visible than other. Sometimes you are blown out of the water when someone not only excels on their new paths, they actually write it down and it appears in a book. Such is the case with a Veteran I began to work with at CU Denver.
Michell is an Air Force vet who unfortunately was a victim of MST (military sexual trauma). She left the military, built a life beyond that, had some wonderful kids I was able to meet and who got a good position as a paralegal. However, her calling - her passion - to help others took a bit of a side seat while raising her children who became great successes. MST still impacted her but despite it, maybe as a bandage for it, she finally took a big step in perusing her passions and moved to Denver to attend CU Denver with a goal getting an education to help others. With savings in the bank she thought she was embarking on a great new direction. Unfortunately, due to a snafu with the school, she had to chill for a year, blowing through her savings.
She finally did enroll which is when I met her in the student veteran center. When I met her, she was very quite but always immaculately dressed. Little did I know that she was battling a lot of foes. Her savings were depleted and she ended up homeless, living in her car. The Director of the Center, Cameron Cook (my boss) helped her out as best he could, fighting with the university on her behalf. He eventually brought me in and upon learning what she was facing, I mobilized my VFW Post, found her emergency lodging and worked with RMHS to find her longer term housing (where she still lives today) and worked with my friend Dana Nimela at the City of Denver to find her work. I placed her in the Boots to Suits program where she excelled as her mentor worked with the state legislature. She impressed folks so much, Representative Fields sent her to represent Colorado at a homeless conference in Atlanta. She eventually graduated with honors - imagine that, a formerly homeless person graduating with honors.
Fast forward to this past January. She invite me to a book signing with Don Burnes who works on homeless issues and I had met him through Michelle. Imagine my surprise and happiness to see that she was the first story on his latest book about ending homelessness. It's a fantastic story and I am so proud of how far she's come. She did mention me in the book, along with Cameron and Dana which I don't think any of us expected. None of us did this for recognition. We did it because it was the right thing to do and because we are part of a larger network that does this very thing, every day, year in and year out. I love the fact that no matter how someone enters our network, we have the resources and more importantly the passion to help our fellow Veterans.
I can't express my love of being connected to a network that cares, that won't stop until there is help for those who need it and above all connects us all.
