Vietnam veterans surprised with fully furnished home

Two Southwest Florida veterans are thankful to have a roof over their heads and furniture too, thanks to our community coming together.

As Glenn Shade and Ronald See made the trek toward the red front door, they still could not believe that it was now their home.

“If it wasn’t for Susie, we’d have probably been out on the streets,” See said.

Susie Mehas is the woman holding the door, welcoming them inside a fully-furnished home, it’s this realtor’s way of giving back to her heroes.

“By helping the veterans, in particular, the Vietnam vets because that’s my era,” she said. “They went over there and some of them didn’t come back so…I’m very passionate about that.”

Only weeks ago, these two had no furniture and no place to go.

“I owe a lot to Susie, the lady that got us into this place and everything. She’s really a lifesaver,” See said.

Mehas says this project took a village. She’s grateful “Gulf Coast Veterans and Friends” and “The Community Foundation of Collier County” were eager to help her.

“It was amazing. It was like one big basket and everybody just kept putting everything in it,” she said.

Together, they bought and delivered everything the veterans need to get back on their feet.

“I thought they had the wrong address.” Shade said.

With laughter and a lot of gratitude for their community coming together to thank them for their service by serving them.

Their next step is repairing those veterans’ vehicle so they can get around. Everyone involved hopes it inspires veterans in need to reach out for help.

For more information on Gulf Coast Veterans and Friends, click here.