Brin grew up in a small town where the only ways out for young adults were through college or the military. Brin’s father and grandmother both served in the military, so she decided to follow in their footsteps. Six days after graduating high school, she began basic training for the Army.
Life in the Army was tough for an 18-year-old, especially since she had to juggle the responsibility of caring for her 12-year-old brother. Both her father, who was wheelchair-bound, and her brother suffered from neurofibromatosis. Brin took several leaves to care for them while on active duty during the Gulf War.
“It’s been a rough road,” shares Brin, who deals with post-traumatic stress disorder and devotes much of her energy to caring for her partner, a fellow veteran who also shares PTSD and is battling progressive multiple sclerosis. Through challenges, the two of them have worked hard to support each other and improve their lives.
In fact, Brin met her partner at Transformation Village in Asheville while they were both experiencing homelessness. They were placed in the same room, where they quickly became best friends. Brin was overjoyed the day her partner called and asked her out on a date. “I knew in my mind this is who I’m supposed to be with,” she says. Today, they have been married for more than 11 years, and celebrated their anniversary a few days after our interview.
When asked if she had any special plans for their anniversary, Brin shared that their finances are a significant barrier to going out. Still, they make time to show each other they’re special. One example is splitting up in Dollar Tree and building little gift baskets for each other with snacks, postcards, and other small items.
“When she and I met,” says Brin, “neither of us had anything. We met at zero. We built everything that we had before we lost it all.” Brin went on to share that Hurricane Helene had destroyed their home and said water was not the main cause of the destruction. The two of them were trapped in their home for five hours as one tree after another fell on their house, crushing doors, cars, and exits. “We were screaming for help, but no one could hear because of the wind.”
After the storm, Brin and her partner became homeless again. They lived with Brin’s grandmother for a few weeks before FEMA assistance allowed them to stay in a hotel in Greenville, South Carolina. They fought to stay afloat once their vouchers ran dry, but soon the expenses began to pile up. They moved back to Asheville, and Brin took on day-labor jobs while the two of them lived in a tent, sharing sleeping bags.
One day, Brin decided to visit Haywood Street Congregation and stayed for the lunch service. While eating, someone spotted Brin’s Army baseball cap and told her she could contact the local Veterans Affairs (VA) center for housing assistance, a resource she didn’t know had existed. From there, the VA connected Brin with Homeward Bound’s Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program.
In November 2025, Brin and her partner began touring homes with one of Homeward Bound’s Housing Specialists. Just one month later, our SSVF team helped them secure a home where they could begin rebuilding their lives.
“Everything fell into place,” says Brin. “It moved so fast, it was amazing.”
Today, Brin holds an associate’s degree in cybersecurity and is completing an internship through the Carolina Cyber Center at Montreat College. Brin is working to earn her bachelor’s degree and then a master’s degree in cybersecurity. She plans to use her military benefits to support her schooling expenses. Her career plan is to work for agencies that target and remove child sexual abuse material from the internet. She hopes to use her cybersecurity and ethical hacking skills to protect people who are being exploited.
She still faces barriers to employment that make finding stable work difficult despite her credentials. Transportation is still a major issue. Her replacement vehicle is used and has begun experiencing mechanical problems, which the SSVF program is helping address. Nonetheless, Brin is grateful that her new car is in her own name.
“It feels good to sign a lease and own a car. I haven’t owned a car in over 15 years. This is something special for me… We could hardly pay our bills before Homeward Bound.”
While financial stability remains a goal, Brin says she is encouraged by the progress she and her partner have already made. Homeward Bound’s SSVF Healthcare Navigator, Heather, has also helped Brin and her partner access healthcare resources, dental services, and food boxes.
“One thing that I admire about her,” says Heather, “is that no matter how hard a situation was, she faced it head-on and didn’t look back. She’s come very far in the program.”
When asked what she would say to the greater community, Brin expressed:
“We are not all bad people just because we don’t have a house. We didn’t choose to be homeless. It chose us. It’s not the life I want to see for myself. I want to see us in a career, healthy, and one day owning a house. Anybody that’s out there who needs help, Homeward Bound is the place to go.”
An update from Brin four months after our interview:
“I continue to overcome the battles! I am now in the CWT (compensated work therapy program) at the VA hospital, working, and have applied for a full-time job! My hope when I step into full-time is to transition over to an IT position with the VA and maybe even the Department of Defense. Life continues to throw struggles, but I know through my faith and perseverance, we will overcome all of them.” – Brin
