Latasha, aka “Goldie,” served five years as an aviation technician in the Navy, but when her enlistment ended, she found herself at a crossroads. What followed was a period of searching that took her from Boston to Virginia, North Carolina, New Orleans, and Georgia, looking for the right place to call home.

“I’m kind of like a drifter,” Goldie reflects on those uncertain months after leaving the service. “I’d be going… just trying to find my right place.”

Like many veterans, she struggled to translate her military skills into civilian opportunities and found herself without stable housing when she arrived in Indianapolis.

That’s when HVAF stepped in and changed everything.

Goldie’s journey to Indianapolis began with a friend she met while working at Amazon in Georgia. Her friend painted a picture of a city that felt like home despite being far from her Boston roots. Ready to move back north and pursue bigger goals, Goldie made the leap—but arrived without a place to stay.

“I didn’t have a place to stay, so I was looking at another organization, but they only help men,” she explains. A quick online search led her to HVAF, and the response was immediate. “I called you guys up and it was quick. It was really quick!”

Within 24 hours, HVAF had Goldie safely housed at a hotel and, soon after, she moved into a transitional housing unit giving her the stable foundation she needed to rebuild.

Housing was just the beginning…

Through conversations with her HVAF case manager about programs and services available, Goldie learned about VetWorks—HVAF’s three-phase skill-up career development program. When she heard about the IT internship, everything aligned with her post-military goals.

“When I got out [of the Navy], I wanted to switch to IT,” she says. The VetWorks program offered her the chance to explore this field while developing both technical and soft skills essential for civilian employment.

The internship experience has been varied and engaging. “It’s so many different things and we get to see different sides,” Goldie explains. From troubleshooting computer issues at HVAF housing properties and headquarters building to running new cables and ensuring all veterans have working desktops, she’s gaining hands-on experience while making a real impact!

What sets VetWorks apart isn’t just the technical skills—it’s the comprehensive approach to career readiness. “I like the soft skill portion of it,” Goldie emphasizes. “The soft skills are basically like the communication aspect of it, being able to understand what professionalism is… the things that keep you a good employee, but also a good team player.”

This transition from military to civilian workplace culture is crucial. As Goldie puts it with a laugh: “We used to [talk trash] to each other, but you couldn’t do that. You can’t do that [in civilian jobs].”

The program’s daily structure, including end-of-day reports, helps her track progress and see the tangible impact of her work across HVAF’s housing properties and headquarters building.

“I don’t really know what aspect of IT I want to take, so I’m cool with just starting at the bottom and then, you know, working my way up,” she says with the confidence of someone who’s found her direction.

For Goldie, HVAF’s impact extends far beyond housing and job training. “It helps with everything, not just housing, food, and career, but like, if you have legal issues… they even got a legal team for that. I just feel like it covers all bases.”

This comprehensive support system doesn’t feel like charity to her—it feels like empowerment. “You don’t feel like a lower person, you feel like a person who they are going to give you the tools so that you can help yourself get better.”

Goldie’s story demonstrates how your contributions create lasting change. From that first phone call when she needed emergency housing to her current path toward a cybersecurity career, every aspect of her journey has been supported by donor generosity.

She’s already planning to pay it forward: “When I get to where I want to be, I’m definitely going to be donating because I want to help other people down the road.”

This is the power of your support—transforming a veteran’s moment of crisis into a launching pad for long-term success. Goldie went from being a “drifter” searching for her place to a focused professional working toward a stable career and homeownership.

“I want to get into IT so I can build a good foundation for a good career,” she states. And with your continued support, Goldie is confident she will achieve her goals.

If you want to support veterans like Goldie, donate today!

DONATE NOW