NEW YORK -- Herold Noel, a Brooklyn-born veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, who found his family and himself homeless upon his return from Iraq, has secured housing thanks to the aid of an anonymous donor who agreed to pay rent for Herold and his family for a year. Noel found an apartment with the help of Operation Truth, a non-partisan group representing Veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and Common Ground, a New York City-based non-profit service organization working to prevent and end homelessness. Noel's story first came to light in local New York media two weeks ago.

"I wish I knew who donated the money to get my family a place to live," said Noel, who served as a Private First Class with the 3rd Infantry Division in Iraq. "I'd give him a hug and never let go. I can't thank Operation Truth and Common Ground enough for their assistance, too. Now my family and I can get our lives back on track."

Noel is immediately moving into a one-bedroom apartment in the Bronx with his wife and baby son, while a brand new three-bedroom apartment is readied for him, also in the Bronx. His three other children will live with family members in Florida until the three-bedroom apartment is ready.

"I wish I could say 'alls well that ends well,'" said Paul Rieckhoff, Executive Director of Operation Truth, and himself an Iraq Veteran. "While we're all so happy Herold and his family will have a warm home to move into, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Our country isn't ready to handle the number of vets who are going to come home and struggle to transition back into civilian life, resulting in homelessness, job loss, even crime. We need to make their wellbeing a priority by making sure the VA is fully prepared to handle the load."

"We have known for years that veterans are disproportionately represented in the homeless population," said Common Ground President Rosanne Haggerty. "At a time when so many men and women are serving our country overseas, there is no excuse for not preparing for their return. While Common Ground is happy that we could help Herold and his family, more programs -- and funding -- need to be in place to ensure that other returning veterans do not become homeless."

Since 1990, Common Ground has been working to end homelessness by creating safe, attractive and affordable housing, fully integrated with support services, including medical and mental health care, job training and placement. It is the country's largest developer and operator of supportive housing, and has provided homes to over 3,000 formerly homeless and low-income New Yorkers.

Operation Truth is a non-partisan organization representing Veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, bringing their stories and concerns to public attention.