Former Marine Corps Avionics Electrician Theresa Ashley waits for a crosstown bus after loading up on surplus military clothing and gear. She said that, before attending as a services recipient, she had volunteered at the Chicago veterans stand down from 2010 to 2015. She saw it as a “good deal” for vets on the street and “helpful, especially for people who are trying to get back on their feet.” A self-described shopping addict, Ashley later “shopped myself out of my home.” But, Ashley said, things are looking up, as she recently became one of the first Chicago-area veterans to move into the new Raumer Family Veterans Studios transitional housing.