SAN DIEGO — Warrior Foundation Freedom Station is building their third housing complex for military service members transitioning from active duty to civilian life, and they need the community’s support to make it happen.
The nonprofit’s CEO and founder, Sandy Lehmkuhler, gave CBS 8 a first look at Freedom Station III under construction.
“We don’t know what’s going to happen in the world, but we know we have to take care of our warriors,” said Lehmkuhler. “We’re going to be able to help them understand to get out of the barracks mentality and into the community mentality.”
Lehmkuhler showed CBS 8 around the property and inside one of the cottages.
“This is going to be the living room and we’re going to have a big screen TV we hope here, beautiful leather furniture, dining room table will be over here,” she said, full of enthusiasm while pointing around the room lined by wooden studs.
Two duplexes and eight cottages make a total of twelve units on the property, each one costing $125,000 to renovate.
“We’ve added forced air, heating, and air conditioning,” said general contractor Stan Getchman, while pointing to a ceiling vent.
“It looks like a bomb went off here, literally, but this is what it takes to bring all new utilities in,” said Getchman in reference to the mounds of dirt outside. “These projects, they have to get real ugly before they get pretty. This is my favorite part because I get to tear it down to this and then bring it back to life.”
A set of garages under the north duplex will be converted into a common restroom, laundry facility, and a gym, all ADA-accessible. And Lehmkuhler has special plans for the courtyard.
“This place is going to look like a ship,” said Lehmkuhler while holding up a posterboard of the design. “When you walk in the front end, there’s going to be the bow of the ship, and there’s going to be the flagpole.”
Warrior Foundation Freedom Station provides supportive programs and guidance for our warriors who have given so much to this nation.
“Very grateful to be able to serve my country,” said Povas Miknaitis, a retired sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps. He served as a scout sniper in Iraq, but it was during his deployment in Afghanistan that his life changed forever.
“I was in a town that was completely overrun by the insurgency, the whole town was boobytrapped,” said Miknaitis.
One of his teammates kicked in a door when an IED went off and took out half the team.
“My teammate, his legs were blown off, other teammates were missing parts of their bodies. I’m actually missing a third of my mouth, my ear was torn off,” said Miknaitis. “It took over forty something surgeries to reconstruct my face to the way it looks right now.”
For Miknaitis, these memories can be painful but as he says, it’s all part of the job.
“Just glad to be here,” uttered Miknaitis, holding back tears.
Warrior Foundation Freedom Station provided support for Miknaitis when he needed it most.
“Being able to be part of such a tight-knit community, you’ve got other service members who are going through very similar things to what you’re dealing with, and then also to have the support of the foundation that understands the whole process,” said Miknaitis.
“We’re hoping to have it open by Valentine’s Day 2024, but we need your help to do it,” said Lehmkuhler.
In addition to the $5 million investment to purchase the property, more than $2.5 million is also needed to renovate the cottages, and that’s where donations from the community help to fill the gap and bring the project to fruition.
“90% of every dollar will go directly to our warriors, this I promise you,” said Lehmkuhler. “I haven’t taken a salary, we’re in our 19th year and we need your help.”
Donors can buy an engraved brick memorialized in the courtyard or find several other ways to give on warriorfoundation.org.
“We can change their lives,” said Lehmkuhler with conviction. “We can save their lives.”
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