“Through VHVH and the principals of this program, I’ve succeeded more in the last three years than I have my entire life. I don’t go out unprepared anymore. Now I know how to sustain my progress.”
Calvin is an Army veteran. After his service, a series of bad decisions led to him being imprisoned. He struggled with addiction for more than 20 years. Calvin decided to walk away from a job that was contributing to his addiction. But with no job and a prison record, Calvin became homeless.
After cycling in and out of shelters and temporary housing, Calvin entered the VHVH program. “When I was in the homeless shelter, I didn’t have a plan. I was just living day-to-day,” comments Calvin. “VHVH prepares you for life when you leave. You’re prepared to be financially stable instead of being a consumer of services.”
During his 16 months at VHVH, Calvin had the time to recapture his values, rethink his priorities and restore his spirit. He attended Forsyth Tech and is working toward an Associate’s Degree in Human Services Technology. Calvin is a state certified peer support specialist and currently works with VHVH as a peer support counselor.
“VHVH helped me restructure my life,” says Calvin. “They changed the way that I was thinking and made me realize that I was worth more than what I was doing. Through VHVH and the principals of this program, I’ve succeeded more in the last three years than I have my entire life. I don’t go out unprepared anymore. Now I know how to sustain my progress.”
