JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — For more than a decade now, the Five Star Veterans Center in Jacksonville’s Arlington area has provided housing and mental health counseling to veterans who need those services, rehabilitating them for reentry into society following their service.
“Our veterans come to us from all walks of life and for all different reasons,” Five Star Veterans Center CEO John Bear said. “PTSD, traumatic brain injuries are some of those issues from their service, but it’s also addiction issues, or they just have financial hardships that they can’t overcome.”
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On Thursday morning, dozens of volunteers from the Home Depot and the nonprofit organization Rebuilding Together took the time to give back and thank veterans for their sacrifice. Volunteers spent time beautifying, restoring, and revamping the center for the veterans who live there.
“We’re going to do a lot of landscaping, painting, do some paving work, and making sure that the place looks welcoming and clean and safe and healthy for all of them,” Rebuilding Together CEO Jose Garcia said Thursday.
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The hope: giving those veterans something to smile about and look forward to during their rehabilitation, while also giving back to those who have paid the price for our nation’s freedom.
“Everything that these folks are doing here is all we’re trying to do is thank them for their service and everything that they’ve done for us,” Bear said. “They’ve sacrificed for us, now it’s our time to sacrifice and serve them.”
Volunteers also built an outdoor entertainment center where the veterans can watch Jacksonville Jaguars games, relax, and take a break from the daily stress of their recovery.
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