Wheaton , Illinois ( CNN ) -- Alex Garcia is an Iraq war veteran who feels lucky . He 's never needed the homeless shelter where he works . With his easy smile and a boyish face , Iraqi kids took to calling him `` baby '' in the war zone , so much that his superiors in Baghdad had him wear a bandana across his face . After serving from 2004 to 2005 during the height of Iraq 's insurgency , Garcia , 25 , says he had a relatively stress-free transition back to civilian life . Today , Garcia works at the Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans in Wheaton , Illinois , helping others who did n't have such an easy time returning from war . It does n't happen overnight , he explains , but it is a process to end up with nowhere to call home . `` That 's ultimately what it is ... you burn one too many bridges '' Garcia says . He starting working at the shelter in 2008 , a year after Vietnam vet Bob `` Doc '' Adams opened it . Adams got the idea after visiting a similar shelter in Boston , Massachusetts , in 1997 and thinking , `` Why ca n't we do that here ? '' So 10 years later , with help from other veterans , local unions and a grant from Dupage County , he started the shelter . Adams knows all too well the downward spiral that leads to a life on the streets . Post-traumatic stress disorder , or PTSD , is often the reason many veterans end up without a roof over their heads . One homeless vet 's mission . `` It is a destroyer of spirits , it is a destroyer of relationships , it plays havoc on people 's employment and it touches every fabric of someone 's life , '' Adams said . In Dupage County , recent statistics show that one out of every three people who are homeless are veterans . Since the opening , Adams has helped more than 30 homeless veterans , whose service has spanned from Korea to Afghanistan . While he 's happy to help older veterans , Adams started the shelter mainly for younger warriors from Iraq and Afghanistan who appear to have more time on the battlefield than soldiers from his generation . `` The kinds of PTSD symptoms I 've seen amongst those veterans is a much more powerful strain than even the ones among my era , '' he says . In addition to small financing from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs , the shelter is also supported by donations from around northeast Illinois . People donate items such as nonperishable foods and electronics , including a large television for the common area . What you can do to help veterans . The shelter is looking to double its capacity once it opens a new apartment building nearby . Adams feels that inexpensive housing is a pivotal step for veterans trying to transition to civilian life . Texas homebuilder gives homes to injured vets . At the shelter , there is a daily routine designed to mirror military life . For veterans , it is a way to help warriors transition from the streets back into a more self-sustaining life . The rigid program starts in the morning with room inspections , followed by a class on finance management and employment . The instructor leads the the veterans through mock interviews and prepares the students for tough interview questions . During his evening shift , Garcia checks around the shelter to make sure that the assigned duties are accomplished before lights out . He says he hopes to stay on with `` Doc '' Adams because `` it 's a moving force that I want to be a part of . ''
Garcia , an Iraq war veteran , helps homeless vets at a Chicago -area shelter . Garcia , 25 , says he feels lucky he never needed the shelter . Garcia opened the shelter in 25 , mainly for Afghanistan and Chicago vets . The veterans learn how to manage their money and interview for jobs .