Dear Friend,Â
Today, we express our gratitude to our fallen heroes and send love and support to their families.
Originally known as Decoration Day, Memorial Day originated in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971. This day remains recognized as one of remembrance for those who have died in service to our country and a moment to honor the nearly 18 million US veterans alive today.
I am proud to serve on the Orlando Mayor’s Veterans Advisory Board and to work on pro-veteran policy in the Florida Legislature, including efforts to improve consumer protections for our veterans.
This past month, we were proud to partner with Building Homes For Heroes and the Greater Orlando Builders Association to build a new home in the Historic Town of Eatonville for U.S. Army veteran Patricia Golden.
Golden enlisted in the army as a legal clerk in 1977 and served until 1985. Then she became a letter carrier for the U.S. Postal Service in Orlando.
In recent years, she faced a series of health setbacks, including two knee replacements and a battle with ovarian cancer. In 2021 she moved in temporarily with her sister in St. Cloud while she recovered from surgery, but she has never been able to move back home due to hurricane damage.
With the help of these incredible community partners, we welcomed Ms. Golden home.
I believe firmly in honoring those who are no longer with us through action, and we do so every day by supporting veterans with access to their benefits, finding a good job and affordable housing, and breaking the stigma that surrounds both mental health and sexual trauma.
Onward,
