Army veteran creates non-profit VAST to help homeless heroes

HOUSTON, Texas -- Valerie James knows the struggles and uncertainty that come with leaving the military. The U.S. Army veteran faced a different kind of battle after serving our country.

"I went from homeless to housed to homeless, and then housed again," said James. "After suffering from psychiatric illness, my job became working on the psych ward."

James says she suffered two bouts of homelessness due to mental illness. But after she connected with the U.S. Veterans Initiative, she began receiving housing and support services. Afterward, she started working for the program as a case manager. The help and acceptance she received inspired her to start a non-profit, VAST, and earn a degree in psychology.

"VAST, Veterans Advocates Services & Training, it was born out of trauma," said James. "Bouts of homelessness and getting to be among the homeless, overcoming mental illness, and then coming back and being able to help and serve, with that experience, others who have suffered the way that I have."

VAST works to support at-risk veterans whose mental or behavioral mindset keeps them constantly homeless or incarcerated. Among the services VAST provides are housing support, job training, mental health assistance and mentoring and specialized courses for incarcerated veterans.

Team member and U.S. Army veteran Terry Elder says as a trans woman, she was unsure about receiving help from VAST and U.S. Veterans Initiative at first.

"Before I even came here, I was homeless, alcoholic, drug addict, all those things," said Elder. "So I was really going no place and I was going there fast."

But after James encouraged her and made her feel welcome, she found a supportive community she didn't expect.

"She gave me the courage to come here," said Elder. "I thought, all these vets here are straight men and they will hate me. She calmed me down, got me to realize it's not as bad as you're thinking. I'm just thankful. That's all I can do is be thankful because I never knew the road would turn like it did."

"From jail to homeless to thriving, you don't forget your time on the street," said James. "What it does for me is just - seeing everybody coming together, not being broken any more, but knowing they have self worth like I do. That's what it does."

For more information on VAST and the services and support available to veterans, visit vasttx.org.