Season of Sharing Helps Vet Get a Home, Get Daughter Back

When Nixon Matignas served in Iraq with the Army from 2007 to 2009, he had dreams of defending his country and becoming his own man.

Never did he imagine hed wind up homeless in San Francisco, living in hotel rooms and in abandoned coyote dens in Golden Gate Park, cleaning himself up in public bathrooms before going to work as a housekeeper at the San Francisco VA Medical Center.

I was a broken man, said Matignas, 29. I was living like Will Smiths character in ‘The Pursuit of Happyness.

After spending two years patrolling Baghdad on foot and in Humvees as an infantryman, Matignas and everyone in his battalion returned to the United States safely, despite a few firefights and run-ins with improvised explosive devices.

But emotionally, Matignas wasnt OK. He returned to Fremont suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Without a daily routine, he felt lost. He didnt feel safe leaving the house without a weapon. He became compulsive about cleaning the home. He got a job as a security guard at Safeway, but it didnt last. He argued with his wife over how to parent their newborn girl, Divynity.

My deployment and the distance between us made us see things differently, and I failed to keep the marriage happy, he said.

They divorced. Matignas and his daughter moved in temporarily with his father and stepmother in San Bruno. They slept in the living room, but eventually everyone agreed it was too crowded and tense, and that he should move out and find his own place.

Without a home

My daughter went back with her mother, and I went out on the street.

It was late 2011. Matignas had no money, nowhere to go, and he fell into a deep depression. He was too ashamed to bother his friends. So he drew on his military survival skills.

I found a place in Golden Gate Park and made myself a little cave. I found a place at Baker Beach, too, where the foxes and coyotes have a little den, and I confiscated it. I tried to imagine where an animal would go. I didnt want to be on the street with humans; it didnt feel as safe.

He ate free meals at churches. When it rained, he dried out inside bus and BART stations. He took himself to the VA hospital and began seeing a therapist for PTSD. He saw his daughter as often as he could, but wished it was more.

Helping hands

Finally, in October 2013, while having blood drawn at the hospital, he told the phlebotomist about his living situation. The worker who drew his blood took pity and offered to help get Matignas a job at the hospital. Soon after, he was hired as a housekeeper. He befriended co-workers and other veterans, and opened up to the hospitals social workers. He used the hospitals showers, and occasionally slept there overnight so he wouldnt miss work.

A social worker at the hospital told Matignas she could help him apply for a federal housing program that provides subsidized Section 8 housing to veterans. Earlier this month, a few days before Christmas, Sharon Aranha helped Matignas move into a studio apartment near Candlestick Park.

A bit of assistance

The San Francisco Chronicles Season of Sharing fund helped pay for the deposit and first months rent, and for some furniture. Best of all, Matignas and his ex-wife have agreed that their daughter can live with him when she starts school in the fall.

I picked a bed for my daughter, he said. I got a couch and dressers. The apartment has a beautiful layout and great cabinets. She is going to love it here.

Now that Matignas is learning about all the resources for veterans, hes planning to go back to school on the G.I. Bill and finish his education.

It was really hard to pull myself out of where I was, he said. But I am my parents kid. They are immigrants to this country, from the Philippines, and nothing kept them down. If they went through a struggle, then I can handle mine.

Denied Benefits?

If you served in the military and now find yourself denied benefits, we can help.

Visit our blog.

Veterans Day

Veterans Day 2024

In 1918, on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, an armistice was declared between the Allied nations and Germany in World War I. In 1938, November 11th became a federal

Read More »
Book veterans benefits on a big flag

VA Benefits and Disaster Relief

When a natural disaster strikes, the last thing you want to worry about is your VA benefits.  Luckily, the VA is aware of the recent spike in extreme weather, including Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton,

Read More »
Vets National Logo White

Request a Free Consultation

Contact Us

Follow Us

PRIOR RESULTS DO NOT GUARANTEE A SIMILAR OUTCOME. VETSNATIONAL IS OWNED BY MATTAR LLC VETERANS ADVOCATES WHICH IS NOT A LAW FIRM. WE ARE VETERANS ADVOCATES AND WORK WITH DISABILITY HELP GROUP (DHG) WHEN HELPING VETERANS WITH DENIED DISABILITY CLAIMS AND THEY WILL RESPOND TO CONTACTS FROM OUR WEBSITE. NO CLIENT-LAWYER RELATIONSHIP IS CREATED WITH THE COMPANY. THIS IS AN ADVERTISEMENT. COSTS AND EXPENSES ARE CLAIMANT’S RESPONSIBILITY. SUBJECT TO THE WRITTEN RETAINER AGREEMENT, SERVICES MAY BE PERFORMED BY OTHERS. PRIOR RESULTS DO NOT GUARANTEE A SIMILAR OUTCOME.

Privacy Policy  |  © 2021 VetsNational. All Rights Reserved