INDIANAPOLIS (WTHR) - US Navy veteran Nora Jones said it has been ten years since she last lived in a home.
“A shower,” she said gleefully, with child-like wide eyes.
“I lived under a bridge, in a tent for several months," she told us. "My car, I called it my RV until it was hit-and-run, it was kind of my mobile anywhere, any parking lot. The VA parking lot is a safe place to park,” she said, her voice trailing off.
“I called us the discarded,” Jones said of her time as a homeless veteran.
Jones was a hospital corpsman in the military.
“I got to work in psychiatry, physical therapy, OB/GYN and family practice,” Jones proudly recalled.
When she returned to civilian life, she wanted to pursue her childhood dream of becoming a licensed nurse practitioner.
“A lot of our credits are not transferable and we’re not recognized in the civilian setting when we get out. Some of the job titles are recognized,” said Jones.
As a result, Jones said she has worked in factories and any other job she could find.
“I have kids, so I always thought about the future,” said Jones. I was a single mom. I’ve always worked minimum-wage jobs, so working paycheck-to-paycheck was OK until my car started to break down,” she said.
Her children now live with their father. Jones says her girls are the reason she never gave up.
She says she learned about Ashlie House through an employment resource.
“And it’s only for female veterans,” Jones said, smiling.
Ashlie House, a transitional house for homeless female veterans, was founded by Pastor Patricia Brown. After hearing how scarce women-only resources are from the female veterans in her family, Brown said she knew she had to do something.
She opened a line of credit to self-fund the launch of what is more than just a residence.
“We help them get training, transportation, work with psychologists if they need it," she said. "We also provide a home environment. You instantly feel like your in a home."
Jones said she hasn’t found any other home that’s exclusively for female veterans, something she said is important to her.
“A lot of us go through PTSD and it’s sometimes...” she said, pausing thoughtfully. “It’s just nice to be around other women.”
With the support of Ashlie House, Nora is finally pursuing her childhood dreams.
“In three years, I will have my bachelors as a registered nurse,” she said with a smile.
Once she’s finally stable, Jones said she wants to make sure her kids have car insurance and she wants to help other veterans.
Jones said because of Ashlie House, she is able to be positive for the first time many years.
If you would like to help the Ashlie House with a donation:
Ashlie house
P.O Box 20727
Indianapolis 46220
(317) 619-9265