SAN DIEGO — Warrior Foundation Freedom Station is one step closer to realizing its latest vision in San Diego.
Their third transitional housing project for wounded warriors hit a major milestone as new roofing was added by a generous local company.
“This place, it provides hope, it provides promise, and it’s something beautiful happening,” said retired U.S. Army Corporal Anthony Pone.
For Pone and other wounded warriors like him, Warrior Foundation Freedom Station has been the angel on their shoulders.
“I didn’t find them, they really found me, and they found me at a time when I needed them the most,” said Pone.
The nonprofit’s mission is to support seriously ill and injured service members with wraparound services and housing for medically retiring warriors transitioning to civilian life. Between Freedom Stations #1 and #2, they’ve housed 120 warriors, and now they're building #3.
“We’ll actually have cabinet storage on the top and bottom, and we’ll have a big island that runs this way,” said Andrew Gasper, president of Warrior Foundation Freedom Station, while giving CBS 8 a tour of the cottages under renovation.
“We’re preventing the at-risk homeless. We’re preventing financial hardships," said Gasper. They’re getting plugged in. They’re getting supported from the community with wrap around support services.”
Gasper told CBS 8 they bought the property in North Park nearly two years ago for just under $5 million dollars, and in recent months, renovations have been in full swing for the 12 cottages on the site.
The project crossed a major threshold when ten new roofs were installed by Semper Solaris with labor and materials all donated, saving the nonprofit more than $100,000.
“When the roofs went on, it’s like all of a sudden, the cottages came to life," said Sandy Lehmkuhler, Warrior Foundation Freedom Station's CEO and founder. "They really started to breathe and look like they’re going to look for our warriors.”
For Kelly Shawhan, co-owner of Semper Solaris and a retired Captain in the U.S. Marine Corps, this was the largest donation his company has ever been a part of.
“Just the glow on everybody’s face when you come here, you just can’t help but feel good,” said Shawhan. "These people, they gave what they gave to their country. We’re just giving back because we’re lucky enough to give back.”
With the roofs now in place, it’s on to hanging drywall, painting, and furnishing the cottages, and the nonprofit needs more help to get there. Donors can buy engraved bricks memorialized in the courtyard or find other ways to donate on warriorfoundation.org.
“We’re here and we’re working hard, and we want to be productive members of society, and we want to fit in with everybody else,” said a Pone, a current resident at Freedom Station 1.
This year marks the 20th anniversary for the nonprofit. Lehmkuhler holds their mission close to her heart.
“We have helped 94,000 warriors in some way, shape, or another in those twenty years," said Lehmkuhler while fighting back tears. "I’m honored to be able to serve the country in that way.”
Gasper told CBS 8 they hope to open Freedom Station 3 in September if all goes well with the construction timeline and essential fundraising.
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