Helping One Veteran Leads to Financial Assistance Fund
The Southeast Community Owners (SECO) announced a new program during its annual conference in October. SECO’s Veterans Assistance Fund is designed to give financial assistance for veterans living in mobile home communities.
SECO is a nonprofit 501(c)3 that serves the needs of small- and mid-size community owners with its annual conference. More than 400 community owners attended the 2018 conference in Atlanta.
David Roden, SECO co-founder and owner of Mountain View Estates in Rossville, Ga., started the Veterans Assistance Fund with Ron Cobb, Dave Jackson, Steve Quick, Blake Hodge, Max Baker, Steve Case, and Maryuri Barberan. The idea came about after Roden encountered a U.S. military veteran who lived in his park. The veteran used an oxygen machine, and had trouble breathing during the heat of summer. He needed help buying another air conditioner for his living room.
Community Owners Raise Money for New Fund
To help other veterans living in manufactured housing communities, the committee began soliciting to get the Veterans Assistance Fund off the ground. Funds from the SECO website’s Classified Ads section and donations from SECO business and community owners have provided about $3,000 of seed money so far, Roden said.
Financial Assistance for Veterans
This is how the fund works.
Community owners can provide aid for veterans who live in their community. Perhaps there’s a need for a handicap-accessible toilet, or a wheelchair ramp, or grab bars. Make a request and the committee will decide whether to provide the funds. Veterans must furnish proof that they were honorably discharged. Widows of veterans also qualify for aid, Roden said.
Spencer Roane, owner of Pentagon Properties and co-founder of SECO, said the fund “reflects the attitude of small community owners everywhere of helping those who have served our country through military service.”
“We hope that those owners who attend the SECO conference will submit requests to provide any assistance whatsoever to the veteran residents of their communities,” Roane said.
For more information about the Veterans Assistance Fund, send an email to contact@secoconference.com.
You also can email Maryuri Barberan at maryuri@roane.com, or call her at (404) 355-5978.
