Brian Hester is a proud Marine Corps Veteran. If you ask, he’ll tell you he “loved every minute” of his two-and-a-half years of service with the Marines. But, like many Veterans in Maine and all over the U.S., Brian cycled in and out homelessness after leaving the armed forces, battling addiction and a substance use disorder.
Brian moved to Maine from Tennessee 13 years ago to live with his stepfather, seeking a fresh start and to be closer to family. “It was a new experience for me… moving up north,” says Brian. Brian’s stepfather suddenly passed, leaving him with few housing options and kicking off a cycle of homelessness for Brian. “He passed on me. I found myself in and out of shelters. I did a lot of couch surfing.”
Connecting with Preble Street Veteran’s Housing Services (VHS) helped Brian to find and maintain housing, ending the recurring the episodes of homelessness he experienced after moving to Maine. “Preble Street was the support I needed.”
Preble Street’s VHS is one of the leading organizations working to end homelessness for Veterans in Maine. VHS caseworkers provide Veterans and their families with the services and supports to find and maintain housing, including case management, intensive housing counseling, and direct financial assistance. With these services and supports, Brian successfully transitioned to his apartment, where he lives today in Westbrook.
Stably housed and 18 months sober, Brian is looking ahead and wants to give back. He is in school to become a social worker, specializing in alcohol and drug counseling. “I fought with [substance use] for 40 years. I think I can help people in my shoes. I feel the need to give back.”
There are countless reasons why a person might experience homelessness. Intergenerational poverty, lack of affordable housing, family instability, and incarceration are common factors that lead to episodes of homelessness. Veterans in particular are vulnerable to homelessness. There isn’t a perfect explanation as to why, but Veterans face many challenges that increase the risk for homelessness, like post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries.
Brian is one of 270 Veterans VHS helped to find housing this past grant year. In one month alone, VHS helped 28 people identify housing – a rate of almost one homeless Veteran finding housing a day. While there is still a long road ahead, VHS is showing that with collaboration, hard work, compassion, and the right supports, solving Veteran homelessness is possible.
To learn more about how you can support Preble Street’s efforts to end Veteran homelessness in Maine, visit NoHomelessVeterans.org.
