Calling this guy a hero seems like such an understatement:
Since 2000, approximately 900 veterans have found life-changing help at Foster’s facility, Stand Down House. Named for the military command that gives troops time to rest after arduous duty, the program provides homeless male vets food, shelter and a safe place to recover, as well as the tools to conquer their personal problems.“The idea is that they can relax now; we’ll take care of them,” Foster said.
Foster’s motivation to help these men is personal: He used to be one of them.
Born in rural Georgia, he joined the Army right after high school. During his six years in the military, he began drinking and experimenting with drugs. He was an alcoholic by the time he left the Army in 1980, and his drinking and drug use escalated as he struggled to adjust to civilian life.
He spent the next decade battling his addictions, and at his lowest, he slept in flophouses or on the streets.
“I was pretty much out of control,” Foster said. “I felt hopeless, helpless, ashamed and inadequate.”
While struggling to get clean, Foster had difficulty finding a program that accepted veterans and provided the recovery services he needed, he said. The experience inspired him to design a program specifically for his brothers-in-arms.
