Veteran, Single Dad Grateful for New HVAC System
Richard McDonald was in sixth grade when he watched the 9/11 terrorist attacks. It left such an impression that when he got older, he decided to become a Marine, enlisting in 2008.
“I wanted to make a change for our country and do something good,” he said.
He deployed to Afghanistan twice, including on July 22, 2011, the day his oldest daughter, Rhakel, was born. He would not see her until she was 8 months old.
Richard was honorably discharged in 2012 because of a reduction in force.
He is now a single father to three kids. Raising Rhakel, his son Raiden, 10, and youngest daughter Reign, 2, has kept Richard moving forward and coping with his PTSD.
“My kids mean the world to me,” he said. “They are my medicine.”
“It is nice to have an organization to help out in bad times.” – Richard McDonald, Marine veteran
He is fully disabled, and his only income is his disability pay. He was living in Charlotte, North Carolina, because there was a VA support system, but he decided he wanted to be in an area with fewer people. He moved to Columbia, South Carolina, where he still lives. During the summer of 2023, Richard noticed the AC stopped working. Once winter rolled around, they had no heat. He had to buy space heaters. His winter electric bill was up to $800 a month. Richard had no way of paying for a new HVAC unit. He worried about his kids.
Richard looked for help and heard about Operation Homefront from Military OneSource, a resource page for the military. He applied and was accepted for Operation Homefront’s Critical Financial Assistance (CFA) program. Since 2011, the national nonprofit has provided more than $41 million in financial assistance to help military families stay strong, stable, and secure.
Thanks to Operation Homefront’s generous donors, Richard was able to fund his HVAC replacement at the cost of $9,301. Richard is happy to report that his utility bill is $170 a month.
“I’m so grateful,” Richard said. “I didn’t have to stress about coming up with the money. I make enough to get by and feed us, but I just wasn’t able to get the money together for a new system. It is nice to have an organization to help out in bad times.”
