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How Volunteers of America Michigan transformed Troy Young's life
Our veterans deserve every opportunity to live with dignity and independence. That’s why this is the fifth straight year that FOX is partnering with U.S.VETS to showcase the "Make Camo Your Cause" campaign and raise funds to help homeless veterans.
(FOX 2) - On Tuesday, Nov. 11, America will pause to salute those who served the country.
Local perspective:
As FOX 2 counts down to Veterans Day, we spoke with an Army veteran who faced obstacles that stood in his way of success, until Volunteers of America Michigan stepped in.
What Troy Young didn’t know was how Volunteers of America Michigan would not just change his life, but save it too. The Army veteran says after his life hit a rough patch six years ago, he picked up the phone and called VOAMI.
After enrolling in the organization’s housing, employment, and mental health programs, among others, Young graduated six months later.
Several months after that, another door opened for him. He got a maintenance job at VOAMI, and now he’s the maintenance manager.
Aubrey MacFarlane is the CEO of Volunteers of America Michigan. It’s their mission to help veterans just like Troy Young.
VOAMI says in 2024, it rehoused 93% of the 214 veterans who served in less than three months.
"It is beyond full circle. It really is a blessing for us to be able to have watched him grow so well. He is an amazing human and a testament to the work we do here at Volunteers of America," said MacFarlane.
"It was really important for me to try to establish something because I have one son, and I want to be a good example for my son and establish something he can have once I’m gone," said Young. "It just feels good to know that there’s somebody out in the world who cares about you."
From repairing his own life to a life spent building others up.
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.