Texas Veteran Beats Homelessness, Becomes Entrepreneur
Last Updated: 14 Aug 2024

Army Veteran Albert Abraham finds hope and stability with Endeavors, Texas’ top veteran services provider.

Veteran homelessness is a pressing issue in the United States, with over 35,000 veterans experiencing homelessness on any given night.

Texas, home to a significant veteran population, reflects this challenge, although organizations across the state are working tirelessly to address it.

Endeavors’ Supportive Services for Veterans program in Texas has seen many success stories, and today, we share the inspiring journey of Albert Abraham, a former Army Staff Sergeant who overcame tremendous adversity with our support.

A Hero Living on the Streets

“I served in the Army for 10 years, 10 months, and 21 days,” says Albert, reflecting on a career marked by multiple deployments in and around Iraq. As a Staff Sergeant E-6, he embodied the Army values, yet life dealt him harsh blows. 

Following a painful separation from his wife, he struggled with mental health and received an honorable discharge. “Life fell apart on me after that,” he recalls. 

Initially, Albert managed to secure a decent job and supplemented his income by delivering for Uber Eats. However, his life took a dramatic turn after a severe car accident left him injured and without transportation. “I lost my job. I’d lost my career, my wife, my home, and my car. It was a very low point. I gave up a little bit. I wanted to.” 

This period marked the beginning of his experience with homelessness.

“I stayed with my mom and dad for a time, but it was constant fighting, and their house was not livable.”

With no other options, Albert found himself sleeping under a bridge in downtown Austin.

Finding Hope in the Darkest Moments

Under that bridge, Albert experienced extreme deprivation – he was starving, dehydrated, and lethargic in the stifling Texas heat. He had no shelter save that bridge, no real protection from the sun or the rain should it decide to cut under his cement shelter. While trying to simply survive each day, he experienced a spiritual realization. “I think sometimes I almost died, or maybe I did, and He showed me there are only two places to go when you die.” 

This epiphany reignited his determination to rebuild his life, and he pulled on the strength of his years in uniform. “One of the seven Army values is to never accept defeat,” he shares. “It’s under discipline.” 

That was the day he decided to seek help and connect with people who could offer support.

It was through the American Legion that he met Cullen Burch, a military family member, and Site Supervisor for a Diboll branch of Endeavors, which provides Supportive Services for Veterans across Texas. Burch helped Albert enroll in Endeavors’ program, where he could start the complex process of submitting paperwork for VA benefits. 

It was the change Albert needed, and good things blossomed from there. “The more I did, the easier things became, and the more blessings were bestowed. It was a cycle of good.”

From Homelessness to Home

Endeavors, along with VFW and Neighborhood Strong, played a pivotal role in his long-term recovery. Through combined efforts, Endeavors was able to get Albert a spot in short-term housing that got him off the streets as quickly as possible. 

“They put me into the Joe W. Elliot House for a few months,” he remembers. “I had hurdles along the way. Employment that should’ve happened, or I thought should’ve been permanent.” 

Like many people trying to break the cycle of homelessness, Albert had to fight through obstacles that many of us never need to even think about: lack of clean professional clothing for job interviews, lack of money for haircuts and grooming, and no reliable transportation to get to work on time.

Despite these challenges, he remained dedicated to overcoming employment and housing instability. “If you have inner calm, there’s strength,” he says now, looking back. “Jesus works through people. Their generosity, their selflessness.”

No one’s journey from homelessness to stability is linear. Breaking the cycle of homelessness is work. “It was about two years from losing my home to getting keys to a new apartment.”

Through perseverance and the support of Endeavors, he finally secured stable housing: an apartment of his own. Thanks to a partnership with the Deep East Texas Council of Governments, Endeavors helped Albert obtain a Housing Choice Voucher to help cover his housing expenses. That stability has been the foundation for so much more sustainable success.

“Now I live in an apartment and I have three jobs,” Albert says proudly. “I work for the city full-time, I have my own landscaping business, and I work with a partner on another landscaping business.” 

After leaving the Army, Albert thought he’d never find another calling or purpose. But now he knows that for him, happiness is owning his own business and being outside all day.

A New Life: Housing, Work, and Community

Today, he remains active in his community, working diligently and attending church. “I listen to other people because I can relate to them on a lot of planes. I’ve been at the very, very bottom.” 

Through his journey, he learned invaluable lessons about self-worth and the importance of a solid foundation. “If you’re not stable, your foundation will crumble and you’re not going to build anything on top of it,” he says. “The message is not to quit, but to pursue. It’s not going to be overnight, but there’s help, and Endeavors is a good place to go if you’re a veteran.”

About Endeavors

Headquartered in San Antonio, Endeavors is a national service organization that has been assisting vulnerable populations since 1969. Endeavors offers an array of services and programs supporting children, families, migrants, Veterans and those struggling with mental illness, disabilities, disasters or emergencies. Endeavors serves people in crisis with personalized services. For more information, visit endeavors.org.