Preble Street houses 270 homeless veterans in one year [Video]

WESTBROOK — Brian Hester, 55, “loved every minute” of his two and a half years serving in the Marine Corps.

Leaving was a different story.

“I had to hold down two jobs to keep my family accustomed to the lifestyle that I had built for them in the service, so it was challenging,” Hester said. “I did the best I could and I managed … but it was tiring.”

The Memphis, Tennessee, native struggled with a cycle of substance use and homelessness. It’s a cycle that many, especially veterans, know all too well.

Hester, now 18 months sober, lives in an apartment complex in Westbrook, where he was placed in June by Preble Street Veterans Housing Services. He’s committed to his own sobriety and helping others going through the same battle.

“This time, I just decided, something’s gotta be done different,” Hester said.

On a single night in January 2023, about 35,500 veterans were experiencing …