CHESAPEAKE, Va. — Antione Hines joined the U.S. Navy in 1989 and spent the next 10 years serving the nation.
He said his transition to civilian life was anything but easy.
"At the end of my military career, I was going through a divorce, suicidal thoughts, almost losing my daughter," Hines said. "Just rock bottom, just didn't know which direction to go."
He needed and received help to get back on his feet. Now, he's paying it forward through his nonprofit Veteran's HomeFront.
"[I had to] be there for other people and realize that I had services that I learned to be able to provide for others," Hines said.
"[We wanted] to be a home front. And that's where we got the name Veteran's HomeFront, so that we can not just serve the veterans, but... the active duty military, the spouses, and those family members that are dealing with mental health and numerous issues," Hines said
Once a month, Hines and his team bring food, toiletries and housing resources to the parking lot of the Greenbrier Walmart in Chesapeake. He said he often finds veterans and families sleeping in their cars there.
"I was that person, sleeping in that car, and nobody knew me. And then, sometimes, people would give me things," Hines said. "So, I just want to do the same thing for others."
Hines said the need to address problems veterans face is urgent, and he's proud to be a part of the solution.
"It's that heartfelt love that they're looking for, and that's what we need to give them," Hines said. "But we still connect them to those services that they're in dire need of."
To show our gratitude for the work of Veteran's HomeFront, 13News Now partnered with The Drying Co. for surprise donations to the nonprofit.
"We do have some people we need to put in a hotel. We have some people that... need to get their birth certificates, ID's," Hines said following the surprise presentation. "So, we [will] put it straight to use and make an impact in the community for our vets."
Visit the Veteran's HomeFront website for more information about the nonprofit.