CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – An estimated 3,000 veterans in Jacksonville are experiencing homelessness, according to the Homeless Veteran Reintegration Program, with even more throughout Northeast Florida.
Thanks to Operation Lifeline, there will be one fewer veteran on that list in Clay County.
Steve Mays, a disabled Army veteran, and his fiancée, Shirley, are starting a new chapter — and they won’t have a mortgage payment to worry about.
Steve received the keys to a brand-new, mortgage-free home in Green Cove Springs through Operation Lifeline, a local nonprofit dedicated to providing affordable housing for veterans.
Community leaders, along with Steve and Shirley, gathered for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the home Thursday morning.
Steve’s story
Steve served in the Army for five years. After leaving the service, he worked in construction until a job-related accident resulted in the amputation of one of his legs, leaving him with a prosthetic.
For Steve, the home means far more than just a roof over his head.
“They do more than just build houses. They get these veterans off the street,” Steve said. “Gives them a sense of pride that they probably lost over the years.”
When asked if having the home gave him that sense of pride, Steve didn’t hesitate.
“Oh, it’s more than that, ma’am. I’m just overwhelmed,” he said.
Built by those who served
The home was built in part by transitioning service members through a Department of Defense program called SkillBridge.
“It allows military members during their last six months of service to spend time with a civilian organization, learn the skills to jump into a new industry,” said Erick Saks, executive director of Operation Lifeline. “So we’re teaching people construction and nonprofit management.”
The home was also designed with Steve’s disability in mind. Saks pointed out several accommodations built into the home to make daily life easier for the Army veteran.
“Steve is an amputee, and we want to make sure that it’s as easy as possible to get in here, especially we want to make sure that it’s future-proof for him,” Saks said.
Those accommodations include grab bars and a shower bench inside the bathroom.
Much of the home’s furniture and household items were provided through local donations. And when it came time for move-in day, Operation Lifeline made sure the home felt like it belonged to a veteran.
“One of the things that we do whenever we put a veteran in their house is we give them the American flag and then their service flag on the front,” Saks said.
A new beginning
For Steve and Shirley, the moment carries the weight of everything they’ve been through — and the promise of everything ahead.
Saks said Operation Lifeline’s mission isn’t slowing down.
“We’re able to use a special program that they are getting this house mortgage-free,” Saks said, adding that the organization’s goal is to continue helping veterans and people in need throughout the region.