YOU GAVE MARCUS THE HOPE AND STABILITY HE NEEDED
Marcus is a native of Detroit. A very caring and positive man, he is most proud of how he treats others with dignity and respect. He believes “It is nice to be important but is more important to be nice.” He enjoys helping others as much as possible and really values his relationships with his family, including his siblings, three daughters and grandson
“It is nice to be important but it is more important to be nice.”- Marcus
Marcus served 26 years in the United States Army as a sergeant and worked as an ammunition storage specialist, training others how to properly operate weapons. He joined the military after ending a career at Chrysler, because he felt the automotive industry wasn’t the right fit for him. He was stationed around the country, including Alabama, Georgia, Wisconsin, Kentucky and Texas. He was also deployed in Germany, Korea and was a part of both Desert Storm & Operation Iraqi Freedom. After the tragedy our nation experienced on September 11th, Marcus felt called to extend his service and signed up for 6 more years.
Unfortunately, after a romantic relationship ended, Marcus found himself homeless. He turned to the VA for help. He was so thankful to have found shelter with Volunteers of America Michigan and our Detroit Veteran Housing Program. While the housing program is designed to take 90 days, Marcus successfully completed it within 60 days. He likes to say he “set the new standard.” Because of donors like you Marcus was able to gain stability and get help he needed to start over and obtain keys to his own apartment.
Marcus also had an amazing opportunity to have his portrait painted through a partnership with local artist, Scott Schaible. Scott spearheads Faces of Detroit, a local outreach effort of the non-profit, Faces of Mankind, to give back to homeless veterans. Faces of Mankind empowers artists to go into their community and meet with their vulnerable population. Scott works hard to develop relationships with each individual he paints. When the portrait is finished, Scott reveals the portrait to the veteran saying “This is how I believe God sees you.” Once sold, Scott gives back to the veteran by sharing the profit of the painting with them. Marcus was beyond thrilled when his portrait was unveiled. He exclaimed “That’s me, that’s me.” We look forward to a continued partnership with Scott and capturing more of our veteran residents amazing stories.
We thank Marcus for not only courageously serving our country, but also for his openness in sharing his story and inspiring others.