LINTHICUM, MD, December 02, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) – NFM Lending is pleased to honor Petty Officer 2nd Class Yasmine Charles, USN as an NFM salute for December 2021.

Charles was born in Haiti and moved to the United States with his father and stepmother when she was 12. They moved to New York City, but the change of scenery didn’t improve her heartbreaking childhood much. She suffered verbal and physical abuse from her father and was treated more like a servant than a daughter. When she was 16, her family sent her back to Haiti for defying their orders. Fortunately, she was able to return with the help of her teachers and her high school principal. At 21, Charles enlisted in the US Navy as a culinary specialist. For Charles, the army was an escape from hardship and a chance to cook and see the world. “It was very traumatic for me to leave my country, my mother. And I moved into a house with no affection, no love, to be the helper around the house. And it did something to my self-esteem and my self-esteem. I felt the only way out, the only way out of this feeling of worthlessness was to join one of the most respected organizations in the world – the military, and that’s what I did. have done. The Navy changed my life.

Her first assignment was to Sasebo, Japan, where she stayed for three years. Then she was stationed in Virginia for another three years, and finally in California for two years. Charles loved being able to feed his passion for cooking and meet new people in the field. Although his main role was in the kitchen, Charles performed administrative tasks in other departments, increasing his skills. In 2008, after nearly nine years of military service, Charles left the Navy to pursue his bachelor’s degree and increase his career opportunities.

Charles enrolled at Norfolk State University using his GI Bill. She was eager to get her degree in nutrition and food science. However, as a first-time college student, Charles found himself struggling academically and, soon, financially. She started falling behind on rent payments and had already used up her GI Bill, personal savings, and retirement savings to stay in school. Even the Veterans Administration (VA) could not help him. After losing his apartment, Charles started living in his SUV in September 2015.

One day, in despair, she asked for help by sending an email to WVEC, a local news station. Reaching out to them would change her situation and her life forever. WVEC shared her story on the news and put her in touch with VetsHouse, Inc., a transitional housing community for veterans in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Charles used his time in the shelter to reset his life physically, financially and emotionally. “VetsHouse was a lifeline for me,” Charles said. “When I was desperate, just trying to find a place to stay, it was really just a place for me to catch my breath, rest and make a plan as to what I was going to do.” In just three months, Charles’ life started to improve. She received a tuition donation from a nice stranger who saw her news article and got a new apartment and a new car. With the support of his community, Charles graduated in 2017.

As this painful chapter in her life is behind her, Charles will never forget his impact on her. Since then, she has made it her mission to be a guardian angel for other homeless veterans in her community. Charles made a point of listening to veterans in need and handing out toiletries, bus tickets and even hotel stays. One of his life philosophies is to take action to bring about change rather than waiting for others to make it happen. In 2019, Charles shared his story with the world with his first book, which will soon be reissued under the title “The Cost of the American Dream: Diary of a Homeless Soul”. By recounting her life experiences, her goal is to give hope to homeless veterans, women, immigrants and people from broken homes.

Charles lives in Norfolk, Virginia. In her spare time, she runs her own YouTube and TikTok channels focused on cooking and nutrition and advocating for homeless veterans and Haitian immigrants.

NFM Lending is proud to donate $ 2,500 to VetsHouse, Inc. on behalf of Charles. NFM looks forward to the opportunity to continue honoring service members and veterans through the NFM Salute initiative.

About NFM loans

NFM Lending is a mortgage company currently licensed in 48 states in the United States. The company was founded in Baltimore, Maryland in 1998. NFM Lending and its family of companies include Main Street Home Loans, BluPrint Home Loans, and Freedmont Mortgage Group. They attribute their success in the mortgage industry to their unwavering commitment to clients and the community. For more information on NFM Lending, visit www.nfmlending.com, like our Facebook page, or follow us on Instagram.

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