For the last seven years, Melvin Fagan has helped military veterans find homes in Indianapolis.   

Fagan, an Air Force veteran who served in Vietnam, says he started Heroes Without a Home when he saw his fellow veterans returning home from overseas and struggling to find help. His program helps vets find safe and secure temporary housing until they can get back on their feet.  

In addition to housing, Fagan also helps vets with food and transportation. “I try to help a lot of veterans with a lot of different things.” He says many veterans need help, but they are too proud to ask for it, or they don’t know where to find it.  

Fagan says there are many resources and programs veterans can take advantage of, but they need help from the community to find them. He says the first step in the process is earning a veteran’s trust. Once you do that, he says, they are more open to accepting help.  

Fagan is a recent participant in the IBE Business Training Institute, and he’s using what he learned in the program to help more veterans.