Vivian was an Army Sergeant in the U.S. Army Reserves when she learned she would be deployed overseas. She sold all of her possessions and left North Carolina, only to discover after arriving in South Florida that her deployment had been cancelled.
Unsure of what to do next, Vivian lived in motels while reporting to her unit. Then her money ran out and she became homeless. To bide her time each day, she hung out in 24-hour laundromats, pretending to do laundry, and riding public buses, traveling to nowhere in particular.
She thought her housing problems were over when she moved in with her boyfriend, but then found herself with a new problem. Her boyfriend was mentally and physically abusive, even going so far as to choke her. “I tried to leave,” Vivian says, “but I knew I would be homeless again… and I thought it was better to be with one abusive guy than to face many more on the streets.”
Finally, Vivian summoned the courage to move out. She contacted several homeless shelters and ended up in a shelter for domestic violence survivors. She mentioned her situation to an Army recruitment Sergeant, and her life took a dramatic turn.
“She referred me to MISSION UNITED,” Vivian says.
Since 2013, United Way of Broward County’s MISSION UNITED has helped more than 10,000 veterans like Vivian – men and women who served their country and are trying to get back on their feet. Vivian received assistance with locating an apartment and paying rent, as well as acquiring furnishings and other household items. Today, she is employed, enjoying her life, and grateful. “I don’t know where I’d be without MISSION UNITED,” she says. “Thank you!”
Click here to watch the video and learn more about Vivian.