It All Starts with the Dignity of Home

I knew I needed to do better for me and my kids.

Having housing and people who believed in me made all the difference.

When Chris returned from Iraq in 2010 and re-entered civilian life, his future felt limitless. His military training and skillset secured him a solid career. He married his high school sweetheart, and they started a family together. It all seemed perfect.  

But the residue of war caught up with Chris. 

Later diagnosed with PTSD, Chris went into a dark spiral. He began self-medicating, which led to addiction. He lost his job. After repeatedly pleading for him to get help, his wife and kids left. Then, he was evicted. Homeless, Chris sometimes slept in a tent, sometimes on a friend’s couch, but mostly in his truck. Then he lost his truck. It was December and freezing cold.  

I hit rock bottom. I knew I needed to do better for me and my kids. 

Chris walked into our Harbor Care Health & Wellness Center seeking help. Within minutes, clinic doctors and behavioral health clinicians triaged Chris, and he entered treatment. In a safe place, Chris accessed important mental health support and linked up with our veteran-specific programs.  

For the first time in years, Chris found hope. In February, he progressed out of treatment and moved into an apartment at Buckingham Place -- Harbor Homes’ transitional housing complex for homeless veterans. His team helped Chris create a plan to achieve independence, and re-enter the workforce.  

A month later, Chris found full-time employment. He continued to access mental and behavioral health services at our health & wellness clinic, and soon began reconnecting with his kids.  

Experiencing stability, Chris started to envision a bright future. He moved into a place of his own where he still lives today: sober, gainfully employed, and an active part of his kids’ lives.  

Having housing and people who believed in me made all the difference. 

Thanks to our community’s support, Harbor Care has created a successful model to prevent and end homelessness in our community. It starts with the dignity  of a home. Integrating stable housing with vital supports --  including primary, oral, and mental health care; substance misuse treatment; employment services; and other wrap around supports -- creates a foundation for lasting change in our community members' lives 

You can help end homelessness in our community and create a brighter future for individuals and families, including veterans like Chris. 

We are launching an initiative, The Dignity of Home, presented by CGI Business Solutions, to help ensure our most vulnerable neighbors have a safe place to live and the supports they need. In fact, CGI will match the first $10,000 that we raise.  

Your donation can help individuals and families like Chris’s find hope, achieve stability, and transform their lives.  

Please donate at dignityofhomenh.org. When you do, it will be matched $ for $.  

Your gift will help individuals and families like Chris find hope, achieve stability, and transform their lives.