Faces of Hope: Aaron

I came to The Mission veteran program on January 4. I'm originally from the southeast, Georgia. I served in the Army from 2008 to 2011. I did maintenance on the whole patriot missile system. I kept everything in working order. It was definitely an experience. I loved it. Every day you learned something new. You’re surrounded by like-minded people. It was a family. I came from a relatively broken home. I raised myself since I was pretty much 14 and went in to the Army right at 18. I never had a family since then. I got kicked out of the house for stupid stuff and chose to be an arrogant child causing trouble. I’m in touch with my mother and little brother. I don't speak with my father. Since I got out of the military, I lived in Florida for about 7 years. I'm also an alcoholic. Eventually, I came out here to Colorado. The Mission has provided me with a warm shelter and all the resources I need to better my life with. I've never really thought about myself much. I know I'd like to stay around here. I've been studying computer science to get a certification. Getting that certification is going to put me on that right ride of recovery. It takes hard work and dedication to provide yourself with the necessary resources to live and maintain a healthy well-being and mind state. It takes work to be happy in everyday life, and I want to be successful.