New Furnace Makes Home Safe for Veteran
Ryan Hartke was a self-proclaimed troublemaker before he became a Marine, enlisting in 2008 to find purpose and stability in his life. He had been working odd jobs when he talked to a friend who had just gotten back from boot camp and realized the Marines would be a good next step.
He believed he would have stayed in the military for a career. However, during a pre-deployment training exercise, Ryan was seriously injured. He endured four surgeries on his shoulder. Not only did he not deploy to Afghanistan, but he was forced to medically retire in 2012.
Prior to joining the military, Ryan grew up in Minnesota but bounced between his home state and Wisconsin. He did the same until meeting his wife, Kristy, five years ago, and the two settled in Shell Lake, Wisconsin, about two hours northeast of Minneapolis. Ryan has worked as an electrician but now is employed by a company that converts shipping containers into homes, garages or whatever a customer may need. His former and current jobs have made him handy around the house. When the furnace in his home began to have issues, Ryan was able to keep it running for almost three years. Eventually, it stopped working entirely.
“The furnace broke down during the coldest part of the winter,” he said. “I ended up getting a heater that ran off diesel and ran that when I was home. It had a thermometer on it, and that showed the house ended up getting down to 42 degrees at one point.”
“I want donors to know just how grateful I was. We were in huge need and Operation Homefront was there. We are very appreciative of it.” – Ryan Hartke, Marine veteran
Without having the savings to pay for a replacement, Ryan and Kristy began looking online for assistance. They found Operation Homefront’s Critical Financial Assistance (CFA) program and applied. Generous donations enabled Ryan to fund the $4,850 furnace replacement. Having a working furnace made the home more comfortable and safer for Ryan, his wife, and their dog.
“I want donors to know Just how grateful I was,” he said. “We were in huge need and Operation Homefront was there. We are very appreciative of it.”
Since 2011, the national nonprofit has provided more than $41 million in financial assistance to help military families stay strong, stable, and secure.
