In late 2016, retired Army Sgt. Michael Goodrich and his family were surprised during a Washington Wizards game at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.— with a mortgage-free, custom home built by Newland Communities and Miller & Smith located in Newland’s Embrey Mill residential community in Stafford County, Va. The gift was made possible by Operation Finally Home, a nonprofit organization that provides mortgage-free homes to America’s military heroes.
In commemoration, the Embrey Mill community gathered for a groundbreaking ceremony followed by a special event, at which members of the neighborhood were given the opportunity to write inspirational notes on the studs of the home before presenting the family with their new keys in May 2017. Sgt. Goodrich served in Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2012, he sustained severe injuries after his outpost in Afghanistan was attacked. His service earned him a Purple Heart, an Afghanistan Campaign Medal with Campaign Star, and the Iraq Campaign Medal with Campaign Star.
Embrey Mill/Newland Communities
This Memorial Day—a year after moving into their new home—Jacqueline, wife of Army Sgt. Goodrich, reflects on the meaning of the holiday, and thanks the community for supporting their family throughout this difficult transition that so many military members face. She hopes to raise awareness of the country’s veteran population that struggles to assimilate back into society after returning home from war.
“In sharing our journey, we feel a responsibility to the military community to bring awareness to the fact that, unfortunately, our struggles didn’t end when we placed our welcome mat on our new porch. I honestly don’t know what we would have done if we had to worry about where we were going to live, as it allowed us to focus on the many other challenges we faced after moving in,” she says.
