Last Updated on September 18, 2024 by Luke Feldbrugge
The Homes for Heroes Foundation awarded the Veterans Path to Hope a $5,000 grant to offer military veterans and service members housing assistance through their Veterans Community Action Team. This program offers military members in need a place to stay and they deliver an entire household of furniture, two weeks of food, and all of the other items one would need to feel at home.
Veterans Path to Hope Check Presentation with Jay Flynn
The grant check presentation interview was conducted by Homes for Heroes Foundation Director, Jay Flynn. Local Homes for Heroes Real Estate Specialists, Patricia (Pat) Smarto and Stephanie Liscomb, who joined Jay to interview Laura Franz, Executive Director of Veterans Path to Hope; Military Veteran, Mike Orre; and also in attendance was Nick Coari, President of the Chain O’Lakes Chamber of Commerce and an Ambassador for the McHenry Chamber of Commerce.
They spoke about what Veterans Path to Hope does to support military veterans, active duty service members, and their families; and how the Homes for Heroes Foundation grant will specifically go toward supporting their Veterans Community Action Team by offering homeless veterans and service members a furnished home to get back on their feet.
You can watch the full interview or read about it below.
Jay: Hello, and thanks for joining us today. I’m Jay Flynn, Director of the Homes for Heroes Foundation. I’m joined today by Executive Director of Veterans Path to Hope, Laura Franz; Homes for Heroes real estate specialist, Patricia Smarto; and Military Veteran, Mike Orre. It’s my honor to be here with all of you today.
Pat: And we also have with us today. Nick Coari, who is representing both the Chain O’Lakes Chamber of Commerce and the McHenry Chamber of Commerce. He’s handling a dual role for us today. And Stephanie Liscomb, who’s also one of the affiliates from the Lakes Realty Group.
Jay: That’s wonderful. Thank you guys for joining us as well.
Laura, as part of the Homes for Heroes Circle Giving, the Homes for Heroes Foundation provides grants to nonprofits whose mission is to help our heroes in need. Pat and I are honored to present this $5,000 Homes for Heroes Foundation grant to Veterans Path to Hope.
Laura: Thank you so much. Really, really appreciate it.
Jay: Awesome! Let’s take a few minutes and talk about Veterans Path to Hope. I see the mission started in 1996. Tell us how you’ve expanded and grown over the last 28 years.
Laura: Okay. I’d be happy to. In 1996, Alan Belcher, a Vietnam era veteran, started the agency and it initially started as a counseling agency.
He decided to get a degree in counseling because he thought that was the best way to help other veterans. However, he quickly realized when you are homeless, you don’t know where to find your next meal, and don’t know where you can sleep to stay warm and dry; and you’re not thinking about counseling.
So, on behalf of the agency, he bought the old Hi-De-Ho Hotel located in Hebron, Illinois. And in 2001, he opened New Horizons transitional living program for 20 homeless veterans. That was the entire agency for 18 years.
Then the agency started to expand based on the needs of veterans and their family members. And occasionally, I should also mention active military as well. There are also people in the reserves that can use the support. And so our services are for all veterans, active military and their family members.
We have several different housing programs at this point. We have an:
- Employment program
- Food pantry with peer support and counseling
- Caregiver support
- Active outdoor recreation program
It’s a circle of care around veterans that are in need of really anything. And if there’s a need we cannot address, we have over 100 different affiliates and partners that are able to step up and help us meet that need.
Jay: Wow. Having that network of folks to address those needs is pretty awesome.
Laura: It’s been amazing. There’s a lot of support for veterans in the communities.
Jay: That’s wonderful. That’s great to have for our veterans and our military personnel. Having that network available is tremendous.
Pat, I know you’re a huge supporter of our heroes as a Homes for Heroes real estate specialist. Please tell us why Veterans Path to Hope means so much to you?
Pat: You know, what we do is sell houses. So housing is certainly something that we focus on. And, the thought that we have homeless veterans is disturbing. It’s wonderful to see that there’s an organization that can help move them along on their path, as their name states, from homelessness to having permanent housing and providing the circle of services that can help ensure success.
Jay: And as you said, giving them that hand up to stand on their own two feet is so important.
So Laura, we’re so honored to support you and Veterans Path to Hope with this $5,000 grant. How does the organization plan to use these funds to support our military and veteran heroes?
Laura: About six years ago, we had a veteran that we helped into housing who came to work for us in our peer support program. She talked about a few of her experiences and offered some feedback. Because when you move back into a house after being homeless, generally you have lost all of your belongings. There’s no furniture, no favorite pictures, no bedding, no towels, no anything.
So we started a program called Veterans Community Action Team, and hired veterans who deliver an entire household of furniture, two weeks of food, and the other starter things one needs to make a new home feel like it’s their own home.
We are always in need of funds for that program. We have a wonderful network that will donate furniture and household goods. But this $5,000 will go far towards helping us be successful with that program.
You may have seen our trailers in the community that provide our contact information for anyone who knows a veteran that could use our assistance in any way. So it’s not only delivering hope to veterans, but also reaching out to the community to find out about others who may need or want some assistance.
Jay: That’s amazing. And you know, to hear you talk about making that house a home for those heroes is so fitting for us at the Homes for Heroes Foundation and what we aim to achieve.
So Mike, tell us a little bit about your story and how this mission made such a difference in your life.
Mike: Well, it started about three years ago and I was working at a machine shop. It was winter, I slip down the stairs taking the trash out. Bumped myself up pretty good. Ended up calling the ambulance and went to the hospital. Received an MRI and X-rays.
When they were checking out the X-ray spectrum for the back of my head, they found something growing on my brain stem. I’m like, “Oh, that might explain the headaches I’ve been having.”
Unfortunately my boss at the machine shop said you have a job where your equilibrium is important, and I can’t have you falling on the job. You’re not getting fired. But, go take care of yourself and come back when you’re better.
Well without having any money coming in, I lost the place where I was living, and I was on the street for about 1.5 weeks. Then, someone gave me their card so I called and two hours later I was at the Veterans Path to Hope (tears up).
Laura: Well, it’s an emotional story. Here, people can relate. Our approach is let’s go ahead and get started.
Mike: So, let’s jump ahead about two years. I was at New Horizons for about eight months and got hired here, while I was at New Horizons, and then this new program opened up. I was practically the poster boy for the first one; it was an apartment out in Woodstock, with two bedrooms. I’m not going to say how expensive it is, but like she said, a household with furniture.
You don’t realize until you’re down, how valuable a helping hand is when it lifts you back up (tears up).
I’ll tell you Mike, what a powerful story. And Laura, you guys are doing amazing work. To hear Mike explain what it means to him, as a veteran, and the difference you made in his life. That is powerful.
Laura: Very much so. And so you multiply Mike times hundreds of other veterans and service members over the years. And that’s the beauty of Veterans Path to Hope. I always tell people, if you have not been hungry and if you have not been homeless; you may think you know, but you don’t really know. Having someone like Mike to share their story, it’s hard, and we really appreciate his willingness to do it. $5,000 is a lot of money and that will help a lot more veterans and that’s wonderful.
Jay: Mike, we appreciate you. Thank you for your service. Thank you for everything you’re doing to serve other veterans and military folks. You’re doing great work, sir.
So, Laura, if folks want to learn more or get involved, where can they go to find out more?
Laura: Our website is the best place to start. We are also on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn and you can reach out to us on any of those channels, drop us an email, or give us a call at 815-321-4673. People are also welcome to drop in at our 805 South McHenry site, which is where we are today.
Jay: That’s wonderful. And hopefully you guys will get a lot of folks contacting you who want to help out. Veterans Path to Hope is doing such great work. It’s such a wonderful nonprofit supporting our heroes in need. Everybody there, thank you so much for taking the time to join me today and everything each of you are doing in the community to support our heroes.
If you would like to make a donation to Veterans Path to Hope please visit the donation page on their website.
I hope everyone has a great rest of your day. And remember, just take a minute out of your day to say thank you to a hero. Thank you everyone.
Homes for Heroes Circle of Giving
Grants from the Homes for Heroes Foundation are made possible by the Homes for Heroes Circle of Giving and its network of real estate and mortgage professionals. Homes for Heroes, Inc. is committed to providing savings to community heroes; such as firefighters, EMS, law enforcement, military (active duty, reserves and veterans), healthcare professionals and teachers.
To expand its Circle of Giving, Homes for Heroes, Inc., donates a portion of its earnings to the Homes for Heroes Foundation. So, every time a hero buys or sells a home using the Homes for Heroes program, they are helping other heroes across the country facing a housing crisis or who are in need of urgent financial assistance.
If you are interested in learning more about how Homes for Heroes can guide you through the home buying, selling or refinancing process AND save you an average of $3,000 after closing on a home with one of their local specialists, simply sign up to speak with a member of the team. They will follow up with you to answer all of your questions. When you tell them you’re feeling ready to speak with their local specialists in your area about home buying, selling, or refinancing your mortgage, they will connect you with a local specialist to begin the process.
Simply visit the Homes for Heroes Foundation page if you’re interested in learning more about where it has awarded recent grants to hero organizations throughout the country, how much they’ve awarded to date, and how it all works.
If you’re interested in supporting and donating to the Homes for Heroes Foundation to assist heroes in need, please visit their donation page to submit your contribution via PayPal. And, thank you for your interest and support.
