This blog post is part of HVAF’s annual tradition: 12 Vets of Christmas, where each day for 12 days, we feature a veteran whose life has been positively changed because of the essential services and programs your support made possible in 2023. Thank you for supporting HVAF and our veterans.

As she was getting out of a tough situation at the beginning of this year, Navy veteran Anna was desperate to find a safe place for her and her 2-year-old son, Amir.

Her uncle, who is also a veteran, told her to call HVAF. She went from living in her car to moving into a hotel that same day! While waiting to move into an apartment, her case manager, Brittany, provided them with food and other necessary resources.

Brittany felt emotional at times when helping Anna out. It took a few months to move Anna into a permanent place, and she worked hard to keep her moving forward.

“I honestly cried when I got the e-mail saying she was moving in,” Brittany said. “And then it was a lot of excitement getting her set in to make it her home.”

Anna and her son are the first veteran family to move into HVAF’s newest Permanent Supportive Housing Apartments: Proctor Place.

Together with Woda Cooper Companies, HVAF opened Proctor Place at the end of last year. Proctor Place is named in honor of Sergeant Joseph Eugene (Joey) Proctor, a member of the Indiana Army National Guard killed in action during combat operations in Iraq on May 3, 2006.

“When they brought me in here, I started jumping up and down!” Anna said. “It’s really nice and quiet. I love it.”

Now that Anna has moved into a safe, secure place with her son, she wants to focus on next steps. Her future goals include going back to school, renewing her CNA license, and finding a routine that works for her family.

“I am so proud of her because she stuck through it and she did what she needed to do to keep the process going,” Brittany said. “She has goals for herself that she can focus on, and I want to see her meet those goals.”

Living at Proctor Place, Anna still has access to a case manager who works on site at the apartment complex. And she knows she can access any of HVAF’s programs and services when needed.

“I’m just happy,” Anna said. “I’m happy I came across HVAF.”

We can’t ensure veterans, like Anna, receive life-changing services to reach self-sufficiency without your support. Will you continue to support veterans in need and invest in the fight to end veteran homelessness by sending in your most generous gift by December 31st? Please send in your year-end tax-deductible donation to support Hoosier Heroes in 2024 .