A Home for a Hero program will benefit a local disabled veteran

Holding the A Home for a Hero donation check, from left to right, are Lauren Deiorio, president and executive director of the Community Foundation for Ocala/Marion County, and Pedro C. Interian and John Interian and, sons of Pedro R. Interian, the founder and operator of Capris Furniture of Ocala. [Photo by Andy Fillmore]

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Posted September 9, 2024 | By Andy Fillmore, andy@ocalagazette.com

A disabled veteran needing a home will have the comfort and security of a three-bedroom house in the Rainbow Lakes area near Dunnellon next year thanks to the recently launched A Home for a Hero program.

The program to provide ADA adapted housing to a yet-to-be-selected, disabled, limited-income veteran is a collaboration of private and public veterans organizations administered by the Housing Finance Authority of Marion County.

A press conference to officially announce the donations and give a progress report on the program was held Sept. 5 at the Veterans Service Center on East Silver Springs Boulevard.

P.H. Culver, with the Housing Finance Authority of Marion County, said the A Home for a Hero program has been in the works for about five years.

The authority is a “separate public body corporate and politic” authorized by the state and established by the Board of County Commissioners here in 1980 to help “families and individuals in Marion County with affordable housing options,” according to HFA literature.

The HFA owns and manages 43 affordable rental units and provides “basic skills and financial literacy to HFA tenants” and focuses on increasing availability of affordable housing in the county. The HFA recently established the “Central Florida Community Land Trust for vacant land and rental units within Marion County to ensure rental units will stay affordable for 99+ years,” according to the literature.

Donnie Mitchell, HFA project grant manager and a U.S. Air Force veteran, spearheaded the program on Thursday and said he was happy to handle the “unique” program. He called the “A Home for a Hero” program an example of how the “private sector and public sector work together to get a lot done.”

The program has been fueled in its inaugural year by a donation of $30,000 from Pedro R. Interian, founder and operator of Capris Furniture of Ocala, and his sons, Pedro C. Interian and John Interian, the donation of labor to build the 1,450-square-foot house by general contractor Danny Cribbs of C4 Construction LLC of Williston, and a building lot in Rainbow Lakes provided by Marion County, according to a press release issued by the Community Foundation of Ocala/Marion County, through which the initial donation by the Interians was made. The release noted that they also have pledged to “cover any remaining costs needed to complete the home.”

Pedro R. Interian came to the U.S. at the age of 12 from Cuba and later served in the U.S. military. He established Capris Furniture here in 1987. The family has operated several rental properties in the area, with housing offered to Capris Furniture employees.

“I want to give back to those who have served us. I came to this country as a young Cuban immigrant, served proudly in the Vietnam War, and have been blessed with many opportunities,” Pedro R. Interian is quoted in part in the press release.

“My family and I have been fortunate to live and run our business in Ocala and Marion County, but we know many have not been as lucky, especially those who served our country or worked as first responders. That’s why we decided it’s time to give back,” he stated.

His sons, Pedro C. Interian and John Interian, attended the press conference and, with Lauren Deiorio, president and executive director of the Community Foundation for Ocala/Marion County, presented an oversized check for $30,000.

Contractor Danny Cribbs stated in a text that the house will be “ADA compliant.” He explained that the “C4” name of his business is a reference to his family name initial and four family members. He said his passion for helping a veteran in need is likely related to his 20 years of service as a firefighter and paramedic with Marion County Fire Rescue and, currently, with the Reedy Creek Fire Department.

The disabled veteran, who has not yet been named, will have to meet certain conditions, including financial and income qualifications, be able to pay $200 per month on a 30-year mortgage, be able to pay home operational expenses and be honorably discharged with at least four years of service, according to program guidelines.

The selected veteran may not have been tied to a home mortgage for at least five years and have an 80% service-connected disability, the guidelines indicate.

Jeffrey Askew, director of the Marion County Veterans Service Office; Hank Whittier of Veterans Helping Veterans of Marion County; and Bobbie Shaw, a social worker with the Department of Veterans Affairs/North Florida South Georgia Veterans Health System, who works with programs including those for homeless veterans; were on hand at the press conference to represent the collaborative effort between the HFA and the veteran community.

Although no move-in timetable was announced, Cribbs said the house “will definitely (be) complete in 2025.”

Officials said they hope the program will be repeated in 2025 with community support.

The A Home for a Hero program saw a collaborative effort among the donors and public and private agencies to help a veteran who served, said County Commissioner Craig Curry.

“It’s a heartwarming project,” Curry said.

To learn more, go to marionfl.org/Home/Components/News/News/15504