On Friday, Sept. 11, Beaches Habitat for Humanity hosted a Patriot Day build at Coastal Haven. Beaches Habitat for Humanity is a local affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International serving the eastern side of Jacksonville.
Coastal Haven, located off Mayport Road, is an affordable housing development designed to honor the men and women who serve and have served the country. At Coastal Haven, 44 local families and individuals are partnering with Beaches Habitat for Humanity to build and purchase homes of their own. Some of these families will be service men and women and some will be active members of the community who meet the area median income set by HUD. These homes will be three-bedroom, two-bath townhomes on four acres in Atlantic Beach.
This project has been in the works since 2015, when the first parcel of land was purchased. The townhomes are being built in phases of approximately eight per year and funded by longtime donors and sponsors. Each partner family must complete 300 hours of “sweat equity,” helping to build their own home and their neighbors’ homes. The families will also complete coursework that builds financial independence before receiving a 30-year, no-interest mortgage.
On Sept. 11, volunteers gathered at 8 a.m. to work alongside veterans and first responders on the construction site.
Capt. Michael Trumbull, commanding officer of Naval Station Mayport since July 2025, was also present to share words of encouragement and remembrance on the 25th anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001.
“Twenty-five years ago today, our nation stopped, and we realized a couple of things. Freedom is not free, it takes sacrifice,” he said.
Trumbull enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1994 as a gunner’s mate and was later commissioned as a naval flight officer and weapons-and-tactics instructor in the P-3C Orion and P-8A Poseidon.
During his remarks, Trumbull recognized the families who lost loved ones on 9/11 and highlighted the importance of community in our nation.
“There were almost 3,000 people whose family members did not make it home that day, and we have to remember that what we have here matters. It’s not just about the guys in uniform; it’s about the relationships and being a part of the community. We have that better than any nation in the world,” said Trumbull.
