MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — A nonprofit organization in Manatee County that focuses on supporting veterans and their families has shifted its priorities following last year’s hurricanes.
Essential Information
- Our Next Mission has been actively assisting families in repairing their existing homes over the past several months
- The organization was established approximately six years ago
- Peggy Brown, whose residence suffered damage from last year’s storms, commended the nonprofit’s efforts
Rather than refurbishing trailers and supplying them to families in need, Our Next Mission has dedicated recent months to helping families restore their current homes.
Peggy Brown is among those who experienced significant home damage.
Her roof and floors were impacted by three storms — Debby, Helene, and Milton.
“When I returned home, it was just devastating,” Brown expressed. “It was a disaster. The roof was leaking worse; half of it was missing. The carport section was gone,” she recounted.
Although Brown was able to repair her roof with funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), covering the remaining repairs would have been financially unfeasible for her.
“One Social Security check isn’t much at all. You have to scrape by,” she mentioned.
That’s when Our Next Mission came into play. While Brown procured the materials, Our Next Mission offered free labor, fixing her floor, kitchen cabinets, and other areas of the trailer. She became eligible for assistance due to her spouse being a military veteran.
“He was an incredibly loving person. I miss him dearly. He always made sure to tell me how much he loved me,” she said, holding a photo close to her heart.
Founded around six years ago, Our Next Mission initially focused on refurbishing old trailers to donate to disabled and at-risk veterans.
However, following last year’s storms, the nonprofit chose to pivot and direct its volunteers towards repairing homes of veterans and their families instead.
“In the last six to seven months since the storms, we have replaced eight carports, two Florida rooms, and assisted families in getting two roofs installed on their homes,” stated Greg Kisela, President of Our Next Mission.
Brown has called her trailer in Bradenton home for over a decade and noted that without the nonprofit’s help, she would likely be homeless.
“They’re truly wonderful people. They’ve done so much for me,” she said.
The support came at a critical time of need.
Our Next Mission currently has one trailer available for a qualifying veteran and expects to complete two more trailers before the year concludes.
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