New Beams and Foundation Repair Give Veteran Hope
Brian Stevenson Sr. spent 20 years serving his country. After high school, and unsure of his future, Brian entered the Navy. He served 6½ years before discharging to join the Coast Guard, where he served for more than 13 years until retiring in 2019.
During his time in the Navy, Brian spent the majority of his time on aircraft carriers and was stationed on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower. When in the Coast Guard, he deployed to Bahrain for 18 months.
He moved up and down the U.S. Eastern seaboard to different stations. During this time, he met his wife Ananda, and they married in 2011. In their blended family they have five children from adult to age 7.
“I appreciate Operation Homefront and the donors for the assistance because they helped me and my family out quite a bit. It was a lot more than I expected.” – Brian Stevenson, Navy & Coast Guard veteran
After his retirement, Brian decided to move back to Montgomery, Alabama, where he was born was raised. The location worked well for the family of seven because it was close to Stevenson’s wife’s family in Georgia and even more of his family in Mobile.
Once he left the Coast Guard in 2019, Brian bought a house and began a job with the U.S. Postal Service. When COVID-19 started, Brian decided it would be a good time to take online classes and get his business administration degree instead of working in a warehouse.
The family budget could comfortably cover bills so he was not concerned until about a year later.
First, he noticed cracks in the brick columns at the front of the house. They started small so he did not think much of it. Then, the house’s second HVAC system failed, and the repair cost $7,000. On top of that, their cars – older models – needed $4,000 in repairs.
“Everything just kept snowballing,” Brian said. “We couldn’t put money in savings because we kept having these repairs.”
Brian needed a newer, more reliable car, but instead, he focused on the growing cracks in the brick columns. He learned the repairs were much more extensive and necessary. An unsupported 30-foot beam in the basement needed helical piers to stop the foundation from cracking.
With yet another repair, this one costing much more than the others, Brian began looking for help to cover the cost of the home repairs. He was referred by another nonprofit to Operation Homefront. He applied to Operation Homefront’s Critical Financial Assistance program just before Christmas 2022. He was hoping to get a small percentage of the total paid.
Thanks to the generosity of Operation Homefront’s donors, the Stevenson family was pay for repairs to the foundation and brick columns and add piers along the unsupported 30- foot beam. The work totaled about $16,600.
Brian said the process went smoothly and the work was done quicker than he thought it would be.
Because the family received assistance with the repair costs, Brian was able to purchase a more reliable car, something the family desperately needed.
“I had a lot of issues with older vehicles and always needing repairs. Before (Operation Homefront) I thought I was going to have to keep using those old vehicles,” he said
“I appreciate Operation Homefront and the donors for the assistance because they helped me and my family out quite a bit,” Brian said. “It was a lot more than I expected. I didn’t think they would pay 100 percent, and that was a shocker.”
