Upon seeing his new car, Josue Guerrero-Uribe was overwhelmed with emotion, wiping away tears and shaking his head in disbelief.
An Iraq War veteran, Josue Guerrero-Uribe was presented with keys to a new car Wednesday after dedicating himself to helping veterans in the community.
"You know that if you ever pick up the phone and ask for anything, you know he's going to do it and he's going to do it with passion and heart,” Guerrero-Uribe’s colleague, Allison Bailey, said.
After eight years in the Marine Corps and one tour in Iraq, Guerrero-Uribe came home a broken man. He gained a renewed sense of purpose while working with The Mission Continues, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping veterans get back on their feet.
“I was depressed, I was alone, I wasn’t talking to my family or friends. It was just me and my dog,” recalls Guerrero-Uribe. “The Mission Continues gave me an option and opportunity to get out of my negative self and put my energy onto more positive things that help my community.”
Guerrero-Uribe used to a long bus commute to get to work, starting before dawn and returning home late at night, sometimes travelling up to 200 miles a day. With a new car, he no longer has to worry about that.
It’s a fitting partnership as Guerrero-Uribe and his new car hold a lot in common: both are starting a new chapter in life. The car was totaled when it was first donated, receiving a complete makeover and ready for a second chance.
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Guerrero-Uribe said he lost his sense of spirit and zest for life when he returned home from war. Now a man on a mission, he hopes to prevent that pain from affecting other veterans.
Guererro-Uribe plans to use his new car to continuing serving veterans in his community. With a renewed sense of spirit , he’s ready to inspire the many veterans he will meet with hope and excitement for the future.
“Stop using that word ’I can't,’” Guerrero-Uribe said. “If you say it, you're going to believe it. How about saying ‘I can’? It may be difficult but, I can and I will.”
