You met Aaron and his son Aiden back in June, on Father’s Day. We wanted to check back in with him around the holidays, to see how they are doing.
Last year, Aaron’s son was a newborn and Aaron was juggling his job, being a single dad, and moving out of homelessness into his CASA apartment.
But now, with a year of stable housing and fatherhood under his belt, Aaron’s looking forward to the holidays. Aiden is walking now, old enough to rip open wrapping paper and play with new toys. And Aaron has been promoted three times this year, earning enough to buy a few gifts to put under the tree.
“Having this apartment is the biggest thing that’s happened to me in a long time,” Aaron said recently. “Life is stable now.” A Marine veteran, Aaron was injured during his fifth deployment to the Middle East. He went to college and moved to North Carolina for a great new job. Then, a layoff at work and some personal mistakes led to the loss of his home and uncertainty about what would happen to his son.
But this holiday is different, because this year has been different. A year of stable housing has led to security and success at work, a healthy and happy child, a routine, neighbors, and the chance to be a family.
Watch his story: