Last week marked an exciting milestone for Rebuilding Together Greater Florida as we officially expanded our services into Jacksonville, a region where the need for safe, healthy, and affordable housing continues to grow.

For years, community leaders, residents, and partner organizations in Northeast Florida have voiced the same concerns: aging housing stock, rising repair costs, and limited access to financial resources have left many homeowners, especially seniors, veterans, and families, struggling to maintain safe living conditions. Following multiple hurricanes and ongoing economic pressures, the number of residents living with leaking roofs, unsafe electrical systems, mold damage, and accessibility challenges has only increased.

RTGFL has heard that call for help.

Our expansion into Jacksonville is a direct response to this growing need. By bringing our mission of repairing homes, revitalizing communities, and rebuilding lives to Northeast Florida, we are committed to providing long-term support, just as we have across the state for more than two decades.

Our first project in Jacksonville, completed in partnership with The Home Depot Foundation and several generous sponsors, served as the official kickoff to our sustained investment in the region. Together, we revitalized the Five STAR Veteran Center, a nonprofit that provides housing and wraparound care to veterans ages 22–55 living with post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injuries, depression, anxiety, and other mental health challenges as they work to rebuild their lives and reintegrate into civilian society.

The goal was simple: GIVE BACK TO THOSE WHO SACRIFICED SO MUCH FOR US.

This collaboration brought together RTGFL, The Home Depot Foundation, and dedicated volunteers from The Home Depot (Team Depot), HBI, the Travis Manion Foundation, and Soldier’s Angels. Their hard work allowed us to complete extensive improvements indoors and outdoors, ensuring the Five STAR Veterans Center feels like a safe, healing, and welcoming place for the veterans who call it home.

Volunteers created a serene butterfly garden with new walkway benches, refreshed landscaping around the property, and built four new picnic tables for the Center’s BBQ area. They also installed a new vegetable and herb garden with six raised beds, a greenhouse, and a paved frame for the entire space, reinforcing the Center’s commitment to wellbeing and therapeutic outdoor activities. Volunteers additionally built four two-person benches for the outdoor theater, expanding the Center’s recreational offerings.

HBI executed significant upgrades before and during the event, including replacing the south wall of the woodworking shop, completing mold remediation, and installing fresh drywall. On event day, they added mini-split air conditioning units, rehabilitated the laundry room, and outfitted the woodworking shop with new tables, pegboards, and organized storage, transforming it into a functional, safe, and inspiring space for hands-on learning and therapy.

The day also featured a heartfelt dedication of the newly improved workshop, named in honor of Colonel Francis “Len” Loving, USMC (Ret.), a decorated Marine, two-tour Vietnam veteran, founder of the Five STAR Veterans Center, and a respected leader deeply rooted in Jacksonville’s history. Colonel Loving, the first Commanding Officer at Blount Island Command and an inductee of the Florida Veterans Hall of Fame, continues to inspire through his lifetime of service. The unveiling of the plaque in his honor acknowledged the profound impact he has made on thousands of veterans throughout the region.

This event represents more than a single project, it marks the beginning of RTGFL’s long-term commitment to Jacksonville. It demonstrates what is possible when sponsors, donors, volunteers, community partners, and local leaders come together with one shared goal: creating safer, healthier homes and stronger communities.

With continued support, RTGFL plans to expand our reach across Northern Florida, addressing urgent repair needs and uplifting neighborhoods one home, one project, and one family at a time.