My name is Noah Claus. At the end of August, I’ll be running across Indiana, from one edge of the state to the other, to raise $5,000 for HVAF of Indiana (Helping Veterans and Families) in support of Hoosier veterans experiencing homelessness.

Indiana’s my home, and this run is my way of giving back to the state and the people who raised me, a Hoosier, for Hoosiers.

Challenging myself, testing my limits, and doing hard, uncomfortable things is part of who I am, and I have one more goal to chase before I leave my home state to pursue Officer Candidate School with the U.S. Navy. But this run isn’t about me. It’s about those who came before me. Those who have inspired me to serve and protect our great country. They are friends, family, and loved ones.

The transition from military to civilian life is one of the hardest things a veteran will ever do, harder, in many ways, than anything they faced in uniform. Some need a hand getting through it. Helping Veterans and Families exists to be that hand, led by their mission to end veteran homelessness in the state of Indiana.

Everyone who served this country deserves a place to call home. This run is my way of carrying a small piece of that mission, one mile at a time.