Help Veteran Gary Downing Help Disabled Veterans

Hello my name is Gary Downing and I am a Marine veteran. I am coming to you humbled asking you to help lift me up so I can continue on my personal journey of helping both disabled veterans and non-veterans find hope and a reason to live. 

My car was recently involved in a Hit/Skip, thankfully it was parked. They had no insurance. My car was 22 years old, it ran well, but was my only source of mobility other than city buses.

 I work with veterans/non veterans with disabilities, addictions, and PTSD/MST by driving them to meetings, shopping, helping them find work or just listening to them; as a Certified Peer Recovery Supporter.

Only a handful of people know what I’ve been doing these last 10 months. So here it is, Sept 16th 2019 I admitted myself in to the Wade Park VA Medical Center for a 6-week Dual Diagnosis treatment. My Major Depressive Disorder became too much to handle. As a former Marine I experienced MST while in the Marine Corps which turned to PTSD which led to years of self-medicating to suppress the memories. I am now considered a disabled Veteran as well and focused on helping other Veterans find hope.

In September I gave everything away that I owned to insure that I kept moving forward with treatment until I was better. I did keep my car but that’s about it.

I lived in the VA’s Domiciliary in Cleveland, basically a homeless shelter for Veterans for 100 days completing every program that they offered. I then moved to the next phase of my journey which is where I currently am, The VA’s TR House, or Transitional Housing facility. I work 4 days per week in their Compensated Work Therapy Program for Veterans as a patient escort at Wade Park Medical Center. I help disabled veterans get from their car if need be to their appts via wheel chairs, to the pharmacy and back to the bus, parking garage or their car. It truly is rewarding. I get to see WWII Veterans daily which is truly a tremendous honor. Some of these veterans have lost both legs or have a severe brain injurie, major depression etc; and it humbles me every day!

Peer Recovery Supporters are encouraged to share their lived experiences, I am 59 years old and have 40+ years to share! I am passionate to help as many people as God brings to me or leads me to! A Peer that’s been there is easier to relate to than a person that hasn’t “lived in your shoes”!



 Now it’s my time to truly give back! I’m happy to say I did complete the schooling and am certified to offer Disabled Veterans & non Veterans Hope! Sadly the Covid-19 is slowing things down as far as getting hired full time. However, I can start volunteering more as soon as I am able to. I was just about to start volunteering a couple days or nights per week so that I could meet those people that need a PRS in their lives and may or may not have a vehicle or the ability to drive to purchase food or any other necessities. It’s truly heart breaking how many homeless veterans there are in all of our backyards.

However, until I can get a dependable new or used car, that vision is on hold. I know that I am meant to continue on this path because I am still alive and willing to share my life’s story with whomever it will help!
I honestly never knew what God’s plan was for me until this journey began last Sept 16th 2019.

I Thank You and the veterans Thank You for taking a few minutes to read this. I truly need a vehicle and hope you will consider helping me through a donation. I will be buying a reliable vehicle with this money.

                          Please also share this with your friends and family if you deem it worthy!
       
               *** Additional donations above the goal will be used wisely and tracked with full disclosure!