Bike donation helps homeless veteran at HVAF

When C.W. was asked about receiving his bike, his eyes lit up. The Army veteran rides his bike to and from Denison Parking where he works. The bike has given C.W. more than he could have ever imagined: freedom and health. C.W. finally feels a freedom he hasn’t felt in a long time. “I’m able to go wherever I want, whenever I want,” he explained. The bike helps him get to his destination more quickly and efficiently. His new ride is a Genesis Bike with all the bells and whistles. With the help of this bike, C.W. is moving forward and working toward his goal, which is taking on more responsibility and taking action every day to better his lifestyle. C.W. also mentioned the health benefits of riding his bicycle. Prior to HVAF, C.W. was an alcoholic, and the bike helps him sweat out any tendencies he is feeling.  He’s getting back into shape by working different muscles. He feels like an overall healthier person.  

Jason's Story

Army veteran Jason K. has held a lot of jobs in his life – oil technician, construction worker, pipeline inspector and security. But the 26-year-old father of two said he "was tired of living paycheck to paycheck."

Jason at HVAF

“It’s just good to finally have help,” says Jason. For years he faced uncertainty of finding stable work. He then traveled in 2014 to work on the oil fields but the price of oil crashed and he began working as a gas station attendant. It was during those times that he relied on skills developed in the military: perseverance and patience to get him through tough times and bouts of loneliness. In March 2015, he turned to HVAF for help with employment.

“I sort of put all my eggs in one basket. Once my wife told me about HVAF I drove up to Indy to find work and called HVAF and it paid off,” says Jason.

HVAF helped him get familiar with some of the resources and organizations in Indy to help him and his family who were still living out-of-state. His main goal was employment. Employment Specialist, Robin Close, looked for a veteran-friendly company with a quick hiring process. Allied Barton streamlines the job interview and gets their employees hired quickly and with full uniforms, so Robin told him if he applied online she would send a note to the HR Manager, recommending him for the job.  He applied for the job using HVAF’s computer lab and ultimately landed the interview and got the job. He was working within a few days of coming to HVAF.

“This is a common trend where some of the younger Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) veterans don’t have the same job waiting on them when they come home, so they’re possibly staying with someone and job searching at the same time, and sometimes even in a new town or city,” says Robin. “Where it gets difficult is if the home doesn’t have an extra computer and/or internet; they can’t search for resources or jobs.”

That’s when our computer lab here at HVAF has come in handy.  Any job-seeking veteran can use our computers during office hours to apply for jobs online. HVAF has several community partners who want to hire veterans. Still, companies require that everyone apply online.

Distance no longer stands between Jason and his family and he no longer worries when his next paycheck will be.

“If it had not been for HVAF’s help there is no telling where I would be. I am very grateful for HVAF’s programs and services for veterans.”

More about HVAF’s Employment Services
HVAF has three designated employment specialists who help veterans overcome barriers to regular employment. The emphasis on helping homeless veterans secure employment is enhanced coordination with various veterans' service programs. Since hiring additional staff in this department, HVAF has tripled its reach from 2013 and now plans to serve 300 veterans through the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust. It provides grants to nonprofit organizations that focus on providing education and/or training for individuals to obtain gainful employment.

More information about HVAF’s programs and services is available at http://www.hvafofindiana.org/what-we-do/programs-services/. 

87-year-old WWII veteran chosen for Indy Honor Flight, first ever plane ride

87-year-old WWII veteran Woodrow Wilson Hairl has been chosen to be among the veterans in Indy Honor Flight. Indy Honor Flight transports America’s veterans to Washington, D.C. to visit the memorials dedicated to honor their sacrifices.

There are two ways that you can be part of this special event:

Operation Mail Call

Write a letter to Woodrow for him to read on his flight back on April 5

Indy Honor Flight

c/o Mail Call for Woodrow Wilson Hairl

9093 S. State Road 39

Mooresville, IN 46158
(Due date March 28)

Or, be part of Woodrow’s homecoming. Most of the heroes never received a homecoming.

Welcome Home

At 8:30 p.m. Saturday, April 5 at the Indianapolis Airport you can welcome him home. (Arrive at the food court around 8 p.m. for a good spot). Bring American Flags, signs, banners and as many people as you can.

Woodrow served under General George S. Patton and traveled all over Europe from 1945-46 as a member of the US Army. He traveled on the Queen Mary from Washington D.C. to France. 3 days 3,000 soldiers.

“I was just a southern boy growing up in Greenville, Mississippi before the war. We raised cotton, corn, and peanuts.”

Despite his military record and accolades, Woodrow is remarkably modest. “This is what was asked of us. This is what we did. When I left Germany we were heading to Japan and they dropped the atomic bomb and that’s when I got out and got out of the military,” he adds.

But Woodrow struggled to keep a job which led to financial hardship. He came to HVAF in 2012 for help.

“If it wasn’t for HVAF, I don’t know where I’d get my next meal.”

Once a month for the past year, Woodrow has been relying on HVAF for food, toothbrushes, deodorant, clothes and other hygiene items that help get him through each month. Woodrow has made a lasting impression on HVAF staff members as well as outreach volunteer, Jim Thompson.

“When I first met him he told me he was a WWII veteran and we mostly see Vietnam era-veterans. I thought he’d be a good candidate for the Indy Honor Flight, whose mission is to transport American's veterans to Washington DC to visit several Memorials, but then I didn’t see him again for six months. I owe him because everything I have is because of people like him,” says Jim, and “I plan to be his sponsor on the trip.”

“I’m very excited to have been selected for Indy Honor Flight and to see these monuments on April 5,” says Woodrow. I'd like to think I leave a little history and I hope I did some good in this world and I think I did," he said.