In 1972, Va Chua answered America’s call for help and fought bravely as a Captain in the Vietnam War for the US.

After the war, Vietnamese soldiers like Va Chua were given asylum in the states. Upon arriving in the States, the federal government provided a very small monthly stipend to support Va Chua, his wife, and their 11 year old son, since finding a job was nearly impossible for a Hmong immigrant who didn’t know any English and had no job skills. When the government ended the stipend only five years later, Va Chua could no longer afford the family’s tiny apartment.

After volunteering to serve America and risking his life for us, Va Chua and his family were about to be living on the streets. Housing Initiatives stepped in and was able to get the Vang family into a home. Years later, their son is a successful PhD student and the family is doing well.

“Dean is like a brother to me. He pulled me and my family out of a dark hole. I feel very blessed to be part of the Housing Initiatives community.”

< Back to stories