HOUSTON – To this day, LaShondra Jones says people are surprised when she tells them she is a United States Marine Corps veteran.
"You found yourself just forgetting that you're a woman and just having to keep up with the other male Marines, and just making sure that you did everything that they did, and sometimes you had to try to do it better than they did,” Jones explained.
Jones served her country as a radio operator at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in California from 1994 to 1998.
After she was honorably discharged, she would come to use her knowledge of the military to help other female veterans get back on their feet.
"I don't clock in and clock out every day and say, oh, I'm done with this at 5:01. I take (my work) home a lot. On the weekends, I'm somewhere trying to help some veteran to move forward,” Jones said.
Jones is the Program Coordinator for Women Veteran Services at Catholic Charities, and her responsibilities vary from helping veterans find jobs, financial assistance, support groups and even medical care for their families.
Keyanna Alexander is a U.S. Navy veteran who needed urgent help after her daughter fell ill.
"Last year, we found out my daughter had a multi-cystic kidney, and a few months later that she also had cancer. The kidney had to be removed -- and right after, they started chemo. I had to basically quit my job, because my daughter was so small," Alexander said.
At first, Alexander and her husband -- who is also a Navy veteran -- were reluctant to ask for help.
"I'm kind of a person that likes to stay to myself, and you know, don't reach out to anyone, but when I did, it felt awesome,” Alexander said.
She reached out to Catholic Charities and met Jones, who helped connect her with different programs and resources to get the help she and her family needed.
Her daughter is doing well and is awaiting surgery at Texas Children’s Hospital.
Jones said that she will continue to fight for female veterans in Houston and beyond.
If you are a veteran needing assistance, contact Catholic Charities at 713-351-6915 or womenveterans@catholiccharities.org.
For additional information or to find out how you can support women veterans in the Greater Houston region, click link here.
