For one homeless vet, getting help meant swallowing his pride
'I don't have to feel shamed'; Veteran Alex Diaz Jr. on reaching out for help
Alex Diaz Jr. says he went from home with two cars and golfing to living on the streets for three days. By the time he secured housing, he says he learned to swallow the pride that other veterans feel when asking for help.
(FOX 2) - Despite living in Detroit, Alex Diaz Jr. considers himself a real Chicagoian.
He prefers Chicago hotdogs and the tavern-style pizza - not the deep dish version that tourists eat. And during his discussion with FOX 2, he sported a Blackhawks hat.
"I miss the rivalry when we were in the same division. That was always that good hockey here."
DIaz previously served in the U.S. Navy. And for awhile, life was good.
"Four hundred thousand dollar home with two cars. Golfing on Wednesdays and Fridays. Going to the ball games to living on the streets for 72 hours."
A bad break-up ended with him living without a roof over his head. Talking about being homeless wasn't always something Diaz would want to talk about.
When it first happened, it was something he considered sticking out and solving himself — a frame of mind not uncommon among veterans.
"I could’ve went back home and got help. I decided I’m going to stick this out. I put myself in this situation; I’ll get myself out of this situation. I also had help," he said. "Thank God the VOA helped. Sometimes you’ve got to take your pride and put it in your back pocket."
Ask Aubrey Macfarland at the Veterans of America chapter in Michigan, and she isn't surprised by the mindset.
"These are folks who’ve been fighters. They’ve been on the front line. They’re so strong, and that’s what they have pride in. So, to turn around and ask for help is really, really difficult," she said.
The group supports veterans in 19 counties, serving tens of thousands of meals and providing over 12,700 nights of shelter.
"We can support them in finding jobs. We can support them with mental health services. We can support them with suicide prevention," she said. "We have a full continuum for them."
When those efforts reached Diaz, it left a deep imprint on him.
"The first day I got into my apartment I looked around at what I had. It was like the first day I had the best coffee in years," he said, adding "It was the relief of just accomplishing something that I got done with the resources, but also with the pride that I don’t have to feel shamed."
Learn more about Volunteers of America Michigan here.
What is ‘Make Camo Your Cause’?
U.S.VETS seeks to bring visibility and awareness to the struggle of homeless veterans with the mission to end veteran homelessness in the United States, and its CEO intimately understands the struggle of many who have served – he’s a Marine Corps veteran himself.
"There are many things that contribute to people becoming homeless, but putting on a uniform should not be one," offered Darryl Vincent, who holds a master’s degree in social work, is a certified substance abuse counselor, and also serves on the Dept. of Veterans Affairs Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Homeless Veterans. "Working with our partners, we can make sure every veteran doesn’t have just housing, but a home."
How to get involved
For the fifth straight year, FOX and its employees are partnering with the U.S.VETS "Make Camo Your Cause" campaign by spreading awareness and wearing camo to support the cause on Veterans Day.
But the campaign is not exclusive to FOX employees.
What you can do:
U.S.VETS encourages every American to:
- Shop exclusive camo apparel at shop.usvets.org to benefit U.S.VETS.
- Wear camo on Veterans Day, November 11.
- Share camo through social media using #HONORUSVETS on Veterans Day.
- Donate $11 on or before 11/11 to help prevent and end veteran homelessness.
U.S.VETS is also looking for volunteers in the fight against veteran homelessness. The national nonprofit relies on corporate and community support to help reach its goal through partnerships including direct financial contributions, employee giving and matching gifts, campaigns, grants and employee volunteer engagement.
Employers can also "hire a vet" through the U.S.VETS Career Network, which connects professional and student veterans with lasting careers they love.
- To donate and learn more on how you can help U.S.VETS end veteran homelessness, visit go.fox/usvets.
'Make Camo Your Cause' to help homeless veterans in 2025 and beyond
FOX is partnering with U.S.VETS and its "Make Camo Your Cause" campaign for the fifth straight year to help end veteran homelessness. Here's how you can join.