As a Chief Warrant Officer 3 (CW3) in the Army, Dawn Martin was used to following standard operating procedures and sticking to a plan. Beginning in 2000, Dawn served on multiple tours including Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom while earning technical certifications to become an Information Systems Technician.

Dawn’s dedication and hard work earned her multiple awards including an Iraq Campaign Medal with a Campaign Star and three Army Reserve Component Achievement Medals. Dawn was well on her way towards a long and fulfilling career as a Chief Warrant Officer, when something not in the plan took it all away. 

 

In 2018, Dawn was involved in a horrible head-on collision with an impaired driver who crashed into her vehicle while driving the wrong way down a one-way street. Because of this, not only was Dawn medically discharged from the Army, but she suffered memory loss that she is still working to recover nearly three years later. 

After her discharge, Dawn found herself face-to-face with homelessness after her money dried up while struggling to secure her Veterans Administration (VA) benefits. That’s when Dawn found our Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) Program.

“I was really depressed. VOACC was a godsend.”

With mounting bills, needing a new car, and trying to help take care of her grandkids, Dawn was able to get the help that she needed through our SSVF program. 

Thanks to you, our dedicated staff were able to provide financial assistance to Dawn to help her remain housed, purchase new business clothes and fuel her car for job interviews. If you were to ask Dawn, she would tell you that the greatest gift she received from the program was hope.