Army veteran says MACV provided “life support” in escaping homelessness
MINNEAPOLIS — WCCO is once again teaming up with the Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans this holiday season. The organization has one goal, to end veteran homelessness.
Dawn Glaze is one of thousands of veterans who found the help she needed from MAC-V. The Army veteran had a sudden change in her job and housing status, which put her on the street.
“My career in the military was cut short due to medical issues,” she said.
However, Glaze’s commitment to serve others was not cut short by her short stay in the military. She worked for 22 years as a nurse, working to save lives. Little did she know fate would have her looking for help to save her own life.
“I was in a relationship that took a turn for the worse, and when I chose to leave that situation, it was pretty much by any means necessary,” Glaze said.
Leaving everything behind, she couch-hopped from state to state, sometimes living on the street.
“You are a female, you are out there, out on the streets alone, and you don’t get a lot of sleep,” she said. “You don’t know if you are going to be the next victim of a sexual assault; you don’t know if you are going to be the next abduction.”
Almost 15 months of living on the edge, a friend offered her a ride that brought her to Minnesota.
“When we made a stop here we had a difference of opinions and issues, so I was left in Savage, and three days later I ended up in Harbor Lights in Minneapolis,” Glaze said.
It was there someone told her about MAC-V. She said their assistance was “life support.”
“They don’t really bring you in, they present you with an opportunity you can accept. You have to make the choice to change your situation,” Glaze said. “From the start I was getting out of Harbor Lights and getting into women’s transitional housing.”
Glaze now has her own apartment and is continuing helping others with her work at Every Third Saturday, an organization that assist veterans in finding new purpose after military service. She says she owes her new life to MAC-V.
“I don’t think I would have had the resources. I don’t think I would be able to develop the trust with anyone to be as open as I could be to receive benefit had it not been for MACV,” she said.
You can help MAC-V’s mission right now by donating to our Home for the Holidays campaign. Every dollar counts, and whatever you donate Wednesday will be matched up to $100,000 by MidCountry Bank. Forty dollars will help a veteran with housing support for one day, and $175 will pay for a family’s groceries for one week. Just text MAC-V to 44321 or go online to wcco.com/holidays to make a donation.