HVAF program helps Indiana veteran get help paying past debts

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HVAF program helps Indiana veteran get help paying past debts

February 25, 2015

There was a time Dorian planned on saving and building his nest egg and a time when he accepted the sacrifice and served our country as a member of the U.S. Army. The pay, benefits and tuition assistance appealed to the young recruit, now forty, but more than twenty years after his service he found himself digging out of debt.

In 1996 Dorian got involved with the wrong crowd and was arrested for carrying a firearm. After serving time in jail he struggled to find work and faced unemployment.

“It’s not an excuse. It’s a nod to reality,” says Dorian. “I wasn’t prepared for the “what if’s.”

There were a lot of times and struggles.

So what happened?

Dorian called HVAF in January 2014 and learned that he qualified for the Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program, a rapid re-housing and prevention program targeted towards veterans and veteran families and which prevents veterans from becoming chronically homeless.

His Case Manager, Tom Tuttle, was able to help him remain in stable housing and push through financial barriers. First, Dorian was able to pay his probation fees with the help of the National Veterans Service Fund (NVSF). The next day, Dorian went to his Parole Officer to get the required paperwork needed to relinquish his debt of $708.

“I would have been homeless if it wasn’t for HVAF,” says Dorian. “It’s a tremendous relief to now have this financial burden lifted so that I can focus on paying my rent, gas, light, and food. Had it not been for HVAF I would still be struggling.”

The SSVF program funds paid Dorian’s first month’s rent and deposit as well as his utility deposit which is significant for a veteran who is working to get back on his feet.

“Dorian gained employment and is a good example of veterans who achieve success in the SSVF program and he knows that if you work hard good things can happen,” says Tom.

Today, Dorian no longer has to worry about where he will sleep or how he will pay his bills. He lives in a 2-bedroom house in Northwest Indianapolis. In 2015, the SSVF program will assist 450 families.