Wounded Warrior Homes has been a member of the North County Philanthropy Council for four years, thanks to the generosity of their business sponsor, Jeff Crane, Certified Financial Planner, and his team at Thrivent Financial. Mia regularly attends NCPC Workshops and Luncheons.  As a newcomer to the world of nonprofit management, she has benefited from the information that is shared and the business connections she made.

“One very memorable connection occurred at a networking session just prior to the opening of our third home,” said Mia. “I mentioned that Wounded Warrior Homes had scheduled a cleaning day and was looking for volunteers. To my surprise, John McCoy, President of Oceanside Theatre Company offered to send the theatre’s cleaning service to clean the home and to cover this expense personally.” With John’s support, Wounded Warrior Homes was able to advance their timeline and move veterans into their new homes one week sooner than planned.

Mahogany House Update 5/19/2018 | Oceanside, Ca from Wounded Warrior Homes on Vimeo.

“At NCPC, it’s all about supporting our community,” said Mia. “There’s a spirit of cooperation and a commitment to working together to make life better to the people we serve. NCPC is a great place to meet people who work for causes that touch your heart.”

Mia became the Executive Director and Co-Founder of Wounded Warrior Homes in 2009,  where she was driven by her heart. Her background was in special education, not nonprofit management. But she and her husband Steve noticed that post-9/11 veterans suffering from Posttraumatic Stress and Traumatic Brain Injury were “falling through the cracks” so they felt compelled to take action.

Wounded Warrior Homes was established by Mia and Steve to provide local military heroes with support and supplemental services to help them transition from the front lines to the home front. This nonprofit organization currently houses 13 veterans in its three homes located in Oceanside, Vista and Escondido. In addition to housing, the residents receive help with decisions about advancing their education, finding jobs and managing their finances.