When Patrick and Brianna returned home after a 13-month deployment supporting the Southern Border Mission, they were ready to begin their next chapter.
But coming home did not mean life immediately became easier.
Both Patrick and Brianna have dedicated years of their lives to military service, Patrick serving in the Army for 11 years and Brianna for eight. After their deployment, the couple and their three children faced the challenge of transitioning back to civilian life while continuing their military service, pursuing their education and, at the same time, trying to find a stable and affordable place for their family to call home.
For a time, that meant staying with family and living in hotels while searching for housing.
Then, just as they thought they had found their next home, everything changed.
“We eventually found a house for $1,200 a month and were preparing to sign the lease when, at our Yellow Ribbon event, we learned about the VFW National Home,” Brianna shared. “Jerred encouraged us to wait and apply. Within two weeks, we learned that we had been accepted into the Ohio House.”
In Brianna’s words: “That opportunity completely changed our lives.”
More Than a House
For the family, coming to the VFW National Home has meant much more than having a roof over their heads.
It has meant stability.
It has meant opportunity.
And for three children whose parents have spent years serving our country, it has meant having a safe place where they can simply enjoy being kids.
“The National Home has given us much more than housing, it has given our family stability and the opportunity to build a better future,” Brianna said.
In less than six months at the National Home, their children have made friends, gone fishing at the pond, participated in summer activities and started piano lessons.
But Brianna says the most meaningful change may also be the simplest: “Most importantly, they have a safe place to simply be kids.”
That sense of security has created a ripple effect throughout their entire family.
With stable housing and a supportive community around them, Patrick and Brianna have been able to focus on building the future they envisioned for themselves and their children.
Patrick has found a great job. Both continue their military service. And both are working toward earning their bachelor’s degrees.
For Brianna, the opportunity has opened a door she once wasn’t sure would be possible.
“I’ve been able to return to school full-time and am now about a year away from graduating—something I never imagined I would have the opportunity to do.”
These are the moments that show what a home can make possible.
A home can give children room to grow and play. It can give parents the stability to pursue an education or build a career. It can provide a family navigating a difficult transition with the time, resources and support they need to begin building toward what comes next.
And none of it happens alone.
To Our Ohio House Sponsors and Supporters: Thank You
When Brianna and Patrick shared their story at Ohio State Day, they wanted the people who make the Ohio House, and the mission of the VFW National Home, possible to understand the impact of their generosity.
“To everyone who has donated, volunteered, sponsored a home, or supported this community: your generosity has directly changed our family’s life,” Brianna said. “You gave us stability during a difficult transition, a safe home for our children, and the opportunity to work toward a more secure future.”
Those words are a powerful reminder that behind every donation, sponsorship and act of service is a family.
A family finding stability after uncertainty.
Children making friends, learning piano and fishing at the pond.
Parents continuing to serve while working toward their degrees.
A military family being given the opportunity not just to get through a difficult season, but to build a stronger future together.
To the Ohio House sponsors and every person who supports the VFW National Home: thank you.
Thank you for believing in our nation’s veterans and military families. Thank you for helping provide a place where families can find stability, encouragement and hope. And thank you for making stories like this possible.
Brianna and Patrick said it best:
“From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for believing in veterans, military families, and especially ours. We hope that one day we can pay this kindness forward and make the same difference for another family.”
Your support changes lives—and there are more military and veteran families who deserve the same opportunity.
If you would like to help provide a safe, stable home and a path toward a brighter future for families like this family, click here to learn more about becoming a sponsor of the VFW National Home. https://vfwnationalhome.org/support/donate/
