Army Veteran Wants to Own Home as Example for Her Three Children
U.S. immigrant Stephanie Mardy discovered a world of opportunity when, fresh out of high school in 2007, she enlisted in the Army.
That was the goal of the ambitious teen who immigrated to the United States from Haiti with her family when she was a young girl. She was one of eight children raised by parents who worked hard to provide for their family despite limited resources and language barriers.
“I joined the military because it provided me with an opportunity to build a meaningful career, rather than working dead-end jobs,” Stephanie said. “It allowed me to come from a place where I didn’t know where I was going to now having my master’s degree.”
She served 15 years and worked in human resources, earning the rank of sergeant first class before being medically retired in 2022.
Stephanie and her children — Karlie, 12; Taylen, 10; and Jayce, 3 — settled in Houston, Texas, near one of Stephanie’s friends.
Adjusting to civilian life proved difficult for the entire family.
“Transitioning into the civilian world, no matter how many classes you take, is a shock,” she said. “You don’t have your built-in community anymore. I entered the military as a teenager and never lived on my own. The thought of going out into this big world with no support system was scary.”
After an initial break from working full time so she could gain stability, Stephanie is ready to build a future for her family. She recently began working in human resources at a Houston company, and she took the law school admission test so she can realize her longtime dream of becoming a lawyer.
The next step in her plan is to purchase a home. With the housing market and interest rates, though, that goal has felt out of reach.
However, she is hopeful after a fellow veteran told her about Operation Homefront’s Transitional Homes for Veterans (THV) program. After learning she was accepted for a home in a booming Houston suburb, she sees a bright future for her family.
The home is made possible through Operation Homefront’s partnership with Dollar Tree.
The THV program is designed as a gateway for stability and support for veterans like Stephanie who are working toward self-sufficiency and, ultimately, homeownership. It is geared to veterans who served honorably and are within three years of separating.
“(The donors) are helping us build better futures.” – Stephanie Mardy, Army veteran
The carefully vetted families selected for the program live rent-free and receive financial education and support services in communities where they plan to establish roots. The program currently has more than 40 houses throughout the U.S.
Stephanie said the THV program is life-changing for her family.
“This opportunity symbolizes hope that this chapter is going to be successful for us and homeownership is going to be a thing I can do,” Stephanie said. “I want to provide my kids an example of financial responsibility, and homeownership is a start. For me, it’s not enough to tell them your finances are important. Showing them is the best way.”
She is grateful to Operation Homefront and its donors for recognizing the sacrifices military families make.
“I’ve had years when I was gone from my kids for nine months out of the year for missions,” she said. “You sacrifice time away from your kids, and they make that worth it because they’re helping us build better futures.”
Texas was Stephanie’s sixth move since joining the military. Her children have made five of those moves with her.
“They’re military kids who are tired of moving,” she said. “Despite all the moving around, I have good kids, and my goal is to keep it that way and give them stability. That starts with the home.”
She looks forward to giving her children opportunities to participate in sports and other programs that will help them build community.
“When a program like THV helps alleviate some of the financial stress, I can focus on them more,” she said. “This will put me on the path to financial stability and help me work toward giving my kids a forever home. Establishing our foundation here in Texas is important to me, and this program will allow us to create a stable and secure future.”
