'I had a prayer answered': Central Georgia United Way helps veteran battling depression

MACON, Ga. — At 19 years old, Anthony Maggio joined the United States Marine Corps.

He says, "It's not every day that you'll join something that will change your life forever."

His tattoos and uniforms tell the story of his deployment in Iraq over a decade ago, while hiding the lingering emotions from combat overseas.

"Not only do we have to see that, but we have to take that with us and we have to bag it up, and when it's our time to go, we go, but we never leave," says Maggio. 

After 8 months of service, Maggio struggled to readjust to life at home.

He says, "I started drinking really bad. Normally, every night, I'd be in the bottle."

His depression set in. "I have lost a handful of guys since I've been back from suicide. I've lost my father to suicide."

In 2012, Maggio made his first suicide attempt. "I tried to slit my wrist. At that point, I was just so lost and depressed."

Maggio came out a survivor, "I thank God for my life every day, I really do, because I've come close more than a handful of times."

Since then, he has worked with professionals at the VA medical center, and continued to fight his demons with family beside him.

Recently, more life obstacles came his way, "I had some difficulties with my benefits and I needed some help because if I didn't, we weren't going to have a place to stay."

He turned to the Central Georgia United Way for help. 

Daniel Charles with Mission United in Macon says, "We help house veterans that are homeless, those that are in danger of being homeless."

They paid Maggio's rent.

"I had a prayer answered, and my kids and my wife won't have to be worried about where we're going to stay at next. That was the biggest highlight of last year," says Maggio. 

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