Reunite a Homeless Vet with Family

Thank you to all who contributed towards Donald's cause. He has happily reunited with his family and after spending some time getting to know each other.

With the help of Illumination Foundation, and people like you, Donald has moved back to his home state of Ohio to be close to his family and watch his grandchildren grow and play. 

Thank you for making his dreams a reality and helping break the cycle of homelessness for good. 

Please help Donald reunite with his daughters, sons, and beautiful grandchildren after over 20 years apart.

Read about how the family was reunited below and help us make this magical reunion a reality.

Before becoming homeless, Donald Meade had served in the National Guard and as an airborne ranger for twelve years. While he cared for his family, he struggled with alcohol and substance abuse. He was in a reformatory in Ohio when he became afraid that he might sign away his parental rights if asked to do so while intoxicated, so he left the state. For years, he moved between Ohio, Florida, Montana, and California trying to find work and sometimes finding himself homeless. He was working in California when he had a heart attack.

After years of going from job to job all over the country, Don, a US Veteran, woke up to find himself in a hospital room. 

After a quadruple bypass surgery, Donald could not keep his job. At this point, he had been estranged from his family for about twenty years. Without support, he became homeless and moved into the Santa Ana Civic Center. In 2015, Don was again hospitalized for yet another heart attack, while also fighting cancer. It was then when he was referred to Illumination Foundation, where he would have time to recover his health post-hospital and get connected to social services, daily meals, and ultimately permanent housing.

That same June, Donald moved into his own apartment in Fullerton with his dog, Scrappy, where he still lives. Even with these successes, Donald fell into depression. Without his family, Donald felt alone. Because of the burden of living with cancer and heart problems, he even began to explore medically-assisted suicide.

At the same time, Don's daughters continued searching for him all the way in Ohio. Determined to find him, they even considered hiring a private investigator. It was during those hard moments when they saw a photo of Don in a newspaper, in a story that talked about his many struggles and his well-being.

Ecstatic to know their father was alive, his daughters reached out to Illumination Foundation, who had helped him find housing. After just a couple of days and a small sense of excited panic, Don returned his daughters' phone calls. After just some short time speaking Don's daughters decided they wished for their father to be a permanent part of their lives. 

Today, the family talks on the phone daily. Don has met his grandchildren only through the phone and some photos. We need your help in making this a reality. Don's oldest daughter has even asked him to walk her down the aisle in her upcoming wedding. 

Hearing from his family has given Donald a new sense of purpose and a newfound happiness. Please help us make this trip a reality. Donations will help cover airfare, as well as rent and bills while he's visiting his family to ensure his stability when he returns.