Homes for Heroes: Foundation helps Florida’s most deserving

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – 50,000 teachers, nurses, first responders, veterans, and service members. That is how many people “Homes for Heroes” has helped since it was founded 20 years ago.

A local Navy veteran has been a big part of this effort. Mario Gonzalez and his team at Navy to Navy Homes have helped 1,000 local heroes.

Over the years, he has gotten to know some of northeast Florida’s most deserving.

For more than 20 years, Gonzalez flew helicopters in the Navy. He knows what it is like to serve. Now as a real estate agent, he serves in a different way.

“We give back a portion of our commission through Homes for Heroes back to military veterans, first responders, medical field personnel, teachers,” Gonzalez said. “All those who serve my community as a way of saying thank you for their service to us.”

In some cases, the organization even helps make repairs. Navy to Navy Homes did that for a Clay County firefighter and his family.

Jeremy McKay died from cancer in 2019, but while he was going through chemotherapy, Gonzalez’s group made repairs on the family’s house.

Gonzalez says it was one of his most memorable experiences.

“They were able to replace the entire air-conditioning system and they gave them a check that would just help sustain them in basically their darkest time,” he said.

Gonzalez also helped the McKays sell their home and he wants to help thousands more.

“We are just more worried about how many heroes we’ve helped that’s what really gets out of bed and keeps us going every single morning,” Gonzalez said.

The Homes for Heroes Foundation expects to surpass $100 million given to heroes by spring 2022.


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