MISSION VIEJO, Calif. — Happily married with two small children, Nicholas Meraz and his family still can’t believe they’re homeowners. Just three years ago, the U.S. Navy veteran, his pregnant wife and son were living in a subcompact car.

“Standing in here in this new home, this is the end of one journey but the beginning of another,” said 34-year-old Meraz.

The father of two returned from three overseas tours and lived well as he worked in the film industry. However, one day he started to experience night terrors and severe anxiety which was later diagnosed as post traumatic stress disorder. Finding it difficult to cope and to speak about what was going on, Meraz self-medicated with alcohol.

Determined to not bring a second child into the world and into homelessness, he vowed to make a change.

“Coming from the military, we were very prideful. It’s hard for us to ask for help,” said Meraz. 

According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, there were more than 37,000 homeless vets in 2020. For every 10,000 vets, there are 21 experiencing homelessness.

While many veterans suffer in silence alone, Meraz found support from his wife, Aracely Meraz, who continues to be by his side from sleeping in the car, realizing he had PTSD and to now, picking out flooring for their new home in Mission Viejo. 

“He’s going through it. I just need to stand by him and tell him everything is going to be OK. I knew my husband was in there still. I knew that my Nicholas, my husband was there,” his wife said.

A combination of savings, the GI bill and the kindness of strangers helped make this dream possible for the family. A nonprofit organization called Families Forward supported the family with meals, counseling and financial planning courses.

It’s been a week since they got the keys to their home, but Meraz hasn’t forgotten who helped him. He’s donating food back to the pantry he got help from and is using his perspective as a veteran to help at least 22 other military families and hundreds of other families.

“I want to be face-to-face with other families who can understand that I can relate to them,” he said. 

Military service members are told to support each other. Meraz has learned that on the outside, there are people who want to help; sometimes all you need to do is ask.

For more information about Families Forward and the services it provides, visit families-forward.org.