Sergeant First Class Bob Gooden has served in the National Guard for 20 years. He served in Desert Storm and did multiple tours in Iraq.
Back in 2004, Gooden suffered a painful leg injury where he hyperextended his knee on tour in Iraq.
"I was running through the sand in the Iraqi desert," said Gooden. "The injury ended up being permanent and still causes me a good deal of pain."
Today, Gooden survives on his disability payments. He is rated at 70% for his PTSD and 10% from his leg injury.
"Sometimes, we can't meet our basic needs. We struggle month to month and get behind every now and again," said Gooden.
Earlier this year, Gooden and his wife Christine hit a rough patch, and their landlord filed paperwork to evict them from their home. Luckily, they heard about the VFW Unmet Needs program before it was too late.
"A case worker at the VA told us about the grant in the nick of time," said Gooden. "She helped us with the application process and we received the money within a few weeks."
The grant money helped the Goodens catch up on their rent and pay their electric bill. They were also given a $500 gift card to Wal-Mart, which they used to buy groceries and other household necessities.
"This grant saved us. Without it, we would have lost our house along with everything else," said Gooden.
Gooden and his wife are both extremely grateful for this experience. He has been a member of the VFW for nearly 20 years and encourages others to join.
"I highly recommend it. Especially after going through this, everyone should be able to help out sometimes, and the VFW makes sure the right people get that help."
The VFW Unmet Needs program assists service members and veterans who have been deployed in the last six years and have run into unexpected financial difficulties as a result of deployment or other military-related activity. To learn more about VFW Unmet Needs program or to apply, click here.
Photo caption: Bob Gooden and his wife Christine.