Silver Star Apartments + Zero Day

Shae

Thirty-four years old, eight years of active duty in the United States Army, four deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. Over two-thousand miles in a Jeep, packed with all of his belongings, with the hope of finding a life that is driven by mission and filled with purpose. This is the journey of a man, who proudly fought to protect the freedom of Americans, only to find himself without the resources or support to live a dignified life after serving his country. Shae, like many other United States Veterans, has struggled to find his place in a world that has become foreign him.

The hardest part about being in the military is the transition back to civilian life. Hands down. Nobody tells you that. You train for deployment. You prepare for it. Mentally and physically; but, you aren’t trained or prepared for returning home.
– Shae

Veterans, returning to civilian life, often grieve the loss of brotherhood, the adrenalin rush, and the support they had while serving in the military. In addition to the grief, Veterans are often faced with numerous hurdles, such as homelessness, lack of job training opportunities, physical and mental health issues, and the crippling stereotype that society has of Veterans. Thankfully, the partnership between Silver Star Apartments, a permanent-supportive housing facility for Veterans, and Zero Day, a training and support organization for Veterans, is making significant strides in knocking down these hurdles.

When Shae returned from his final deployment to his hometown of Tacoma, Washington, he found himself bored and unenthused, and quite frankly, lost.

“I had no idea where I wanted to go or what I wanted to do. I just knew that I wasn’t where I needed to be.”
– Shae

Zero Day has provided the opportunity for Shae to build a new life for himself. He was able to acquire housing, accredited job training, and an apprenticeship. Through Zero Day’s construction management program, he has been able to utilize his passion for working with his hands by mastering construction skills. He has also had the opportunity to work with the DNR and Michigan Operation Freedom Outdoors to provide disabled Veterans with a safe and accessible environment to hunt and enjoy the outdoors. Not only has Zero Day allowed Shae to find a mission and purpose for his day-to-day life, but he has also been significantly impacted by the vision of Tim Hunnicutt, Co-Founder of Zero Day.

The thing about Zero Day, is that there is a very, very small percentage of the population that have the three major things that make them a serious influence in the world: intellect, drive, and vision. Tim is one of the few people that I have met in my life that has all three traits; and, he’s using all of it to help Veterans. He’s doing it to help these people that are coming back. Most people will go their entire lives without meeting someone like Tim. It’s very special to not just meet them, but to be able to help them with their vision. It really is an incredible opportunity.
– Shae

John

John served in the Army during the post-Vietnam era. While there was peace in the world at that time, John eventually found himself faced with a battle of his own to fight. The war of drug addiction. After years of struggling, John sought help at the Battle Creek VA Medical Center Apartments, which is located adjacent to Silver Star Apartments. After completing a six-month residential program, John was prepared to leave his addiction war behind, and start anew. He was able to move into an apartment at Silver Star. He attributes his continued sobriety to the resources, support, and opportunities that Silver Start Apartments and Zero Day have offered him. Specifically, he’s taken on a leadership role as the “Greenhouse Champion” at Silver Star. In this role, he has not only built a team of volunteers to tend to the on-site Greenhouse, he has also found gardening to be an integral part of his recovery process.

“When you are addicted, and you stop that, there is immediately that void. If you don’t fill the void with something healthy and constructive, the old things will fill the void for you. That is the beauty of the greenhouse for me. It is on my list of healthy things in my life that I can do. It sounds real simple. But, sometimes the answers are real simple. Even when I am pulling weeds out there, I enjoy it. There is a calming peace about it.”
– John

The greenhouse, which was curated by Zero Day, provides fresh vegetables to all of the residents at Silver Star Apartments. In addition to the greenhouse, John and his team are tending to an orchard that was donated to the property by the Bloomfield Hills Republican Women’s Club. Through these projects, residents are learning new skills, working as a team, and filling those voids that once plagued their lives.