A Tough Road
Army veteran Derrick left active duty in 2001, and life in the civilian world has been challenging to say the least. Last year, especially, was difficult, with hardship and tragedy coming one after the other. In January 2014, Derrick’s mother was laid off from her job of nearly 40 years, causing financial stress on the tight-knit family. Just a week later, unimaginable heartbreak came for the already fragile family: Derrick’s 13-year-old daughter passed away in California, and he made the difficult trip out west to coordinate funeral and insurance arrangements. Unfortunately, there were more challenges ahead: Derrick’s wife was laid off from her job in May, and then in October he was involved in an accident that injured his right leg and left him unable to work until completing extensive physical therapy. It was a troubling year for Derrick, and he was struggling to remain positive amidst the emotional and financial stress.
It will be a little while before Derrick can return to work, so Boot Campaign’s Military Recovery Fund stepped in to provide a bit of relief and positive support to this veteran and his family. We provided a grant to help Derrick catch up on his mortgage payments and repay loans acquired during his painful last year. Helping him get back on his feet is the least we can do to repay some of the sacrifices he made for this country, and we’re humbled to do so.
