K9s For Warriors is always looking for ways to help veterans deal with the mental stresses that can occur following military service, and they took that a step further by partnering with JWB Real Estate Capital to present Army veteran Jennifer Andreasen with a house.
The presentation was part of a ceremony that took place May 5 in the north Jacksonville area that centered around Andreasen being presented with a new home.
She served her country as a member of the Army, which included a pair of yearlong deployments.
However, she has struggled at times since finishing her active duty and that was what led her to K9s For Warriors and eventually being partnered with her service dog, Eddie.
Although the presentation of the house was supposed to be a surprise, she did have an inkling that she could be getting a house.
“The funny thing is that I first found out after Rory (Diamond, K9s For Warriors CEO) came up behind me one day and asked, ‘Hey, do you want a house?’” Andreasen chuckled. “I had to ask him three more times, because I just didn’t believe what I was hearing.”
Despite not being surprised by the announcement, what remained a complete surprise was the look of the house, which she had not seen until it was unveiled in-person during the ceremony.
The house was built just for Andreasen and will allow for her to live on her own for the first time since she ended her military duty, as she and Eddie have been living with her parents.
This is the fourth house JWB Real Estate Capital has built and donated for a graduate of the K9s For Warriors program.
She thanked both groups for making the day possible and for all their help to provide her and Eddie a place to call their own home.
“There was no way with how the housing market is in Jacksonville that I would be able to pay for even a rental,” Andreasen said. “It’s important because it gives me a chance to have my own space and the independence that comes with that.”
However, it is not just Andreasen that was excited to see the home be unveiled, but Eddie could not hold back his enthusiasm either.
“We came up to the house and he was just rubbing all over the lawn,” Andreasen said. “He couldn’t wait to run around in the fenced-in back yard.”
She and Eddie were matched up in March 2018, and he has been by her side ever since.
“It really is like a family,” Andreasen said. “I was having trouble finding someone to help me with some of my symptoms, so I called K9s (For Warriors) and we got the paperwork done. They are just so supportive with everything that they do, and I want to encourage veterans in the area looking for support to give them a try.”
