Veteran Family Day of Service | Three Weeks and No Address

Three weeks from today, we’re supposed to show up at a veteran family’s home for our Virginia Day of Service. As of this morning, I still can’t tell you whose home that will be.

And I’ll admit, that’s starting to make me a little nervous.

Not because I need a name for a flyer or something to post on Facebook. I’m thinking about everything that still has to happen once we find the family. Ryan and The 516 Project need to assess the property. We need to figure out what can realistically be accomplished in a day. Then we need materials, volunteers, tradespeople and enough time to put everything together.

Three weeks isn’t a lot of time.

If you’ve been following this journal, you know we’ve spent the last several weeks waiting to see whether the veteran family we had been considering was going to work out. In last week’s Waiting Week, we were still hoping that connection might happen. This week, Ryan finally gave us the answer. They’re no longer an option.

The 516 Project does have another family in its system that could use some help, but they aren’t a veteran household. This particular Day of Service started with a very specific idea for Phyllis and me. I’m a veteran. Real Property Management Regions is a veteran-owned company. We wanted to take a day, bring our team and community together, and do something for another veteran family.

So rather than change that because September 25 is getting close, we started looking for the family ourselves. And that’s pretty much what this week has become.

Finding a Veteran Family for Our Virginia Day of Service

Phyllis started reaching out through people she knows in Caroline County. I’ve been working through veteran contacts, the VFW, local government and people we’ve gotten to know through the business.

The question we’re asking is pretty simple: Do you know a veteran family that could use a hand?

It doesn’t have to be a major renovation. Maybe the yard has gotten away from somebody. Maybe the exterior needs some attention. Maybe there’s painting that hasn’t been done, a few repairs that keep getting pushed back, or several smaller things around the house that have piled up over time.

We’re not looking for the biggest project. We’re looking for the right family and something a group of people can come together and make better in one day.

Ryan also gave us some good news this week. The 516 Project is willing to stay involved even if we find the veteran family ourselves. Once we make that connection, their team can assess the property, help determine what makes sense and coordinate the project through their process. If another veteran family comes through their system in the meantime, Ryan will let us know.

So we’re not starting over. We’re just finding the family a different way.

One of the Calls Finally Connected

One of those Caroline County connections finally came through this morning.
Floyd Thomas, our Mattaponi District representative on the Caroline County Board of Supervisors,
had connected us with a local veteran he thought might be a good fit for the Day of Service. After a little back and forth, we were finally able to speak with her.

She was incredibly gracious, but she told us she’s okay. She doesn’t feel like she needs the kind of assistance we’re trying to provide, and she doesn’t want to take the opportunity away from another veteran who may need it more.

Then she offered to help us look. She told us she would check with her church to see if she knows another veteran family who could use a hand. So the person Floyd connected us with hoping we might be able to help is now helping us find the person we’re supposed to help.

You really can’t plan that.  After we hung up, my next thought was to go right back to Floyd, let him know how the conversation went and ask if he has another idea or another veteran connection we haven’t tried yet. That’s pretty much how today is going: one conversation leads to another, and we’re following every lead we can.

Phyllis is continuing to work her relationships. I’m continuing to work mine. Ryan and The 516 Project are standing by. We still don’t have the address, but there are more people helping us look for it than there were a few days ago.

Still September 25

I really don’t want to move September 25. People have volunteered, businesses and community partners have stepped up, and I want to see everybody show up that morning and do what we’ve been planning to do. But I also don’t want us rushing into somebody’s home with a project that hasn’t been properly assessed just so we can say we held our Day of Service on the date printed on the flyer.

If we find the family quickly and Ryan can get the assessment done, we’re going to push hard to make September 25 work. If we can’t do it right in three weeks, we’ll move it.

A few weeks ago, in When a Date Becomes an Address, it finally felt like September 25 had a front door attached to it. Today, we’re back to looking for that front door.

Last Friday, I called this The Waiting Week.
At the time, we were waiting for an answer about one family. We’re not waiting anymore. We’re making calls, asking people and following one introduction into another.

This morning, Floyd’s introduction didn’t lead us to the veteran family we’ll serve. Instead, it led us to another veteran willing to help us find them. Now we’re going back to Floyd, she’s checking with her church, and we’re still making calls and asking around.

We still have three weeks. We still want September 25. And we still don’t have an address.

But we’re getting closer.

Help Us Find the Right Veteran Family

If you know a veteran family who could use a hand, especially in Caroline County or one of the communities we serve, we’d like to hear from you. This does not need to be a major renovation. Landscaping, exterior cleanup, painting, minor repairs, maintenance or several smaller projects may all be appropriate depending on what the family needs and what The 516 Project determines can realistically be accomplished.

We’re also continuing to welcome volunteers, tradespeople, businesses, sponsors, materials and other support as we work toward September 25.

Learn more about the Day of Service and how you can help.

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