Joel Castro-Reyes

SUCCESS STORY

Meet: JOEL CASTRO-REYES

A veteran of the U.S. Air Force, Joel worked with Soldier On's financial counseling team to become a homeowner.

What was your situation when you reached out to Soldier On?

I had lost my apartment in Florida after I was unable to renew my rental agreement and unable to find employment to supplement my income. moved to New Jersey in October 2022 to be closer to my fiancée and was accepted into Veteran's Haven South transitional housing program while was applying for permanent housing.

How has your life improved since working with Soldier On?

Soldier On assisted in securing an apartment for me, and I was referred to the Shallow Subsidy program which improved my housing stability by assisting with half of the monthly rent payments. With assistance from a Veteran Service Officer, I was able to increase my service connection from 70% to 100%. I was referred to the Soldier On Success team to assist me in improving my credit score and increasing my household savings. I am now utilizing the Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) program to go back to school for Communications at Stockton University, and I'm on track to graduate within a year. I was able to purchase my own home in March 2023 and recently submitted documentation to get assistance with my property taxes.

Joel Castro Reyes standing in front of his home

What are your long-term future goals?

I'm looking forward to finishing my Bachelor's degree and securing full-time employment. I would also like to save to build onto the house I recently purchased.