LAKELAND, Fla. — Lakeland’s Habitat for Humanity organization is working on a major project to help area veterans currently living in deplorable housing: a planned village of 30 small cottages called "Fleming Platoon."
- Will be located off Hwy 37 south of Mulberry
- Land donated by Flemming family
- More Polk County news
The community will be located just off of Highway 37 south of Mulberry. The land for the project was donated by the Fleming family.
“To be honest with you, I sleep very little. This is something where when I wake up I am thinking about it,” said veteran Geoff Schultz, who is helping with the project. “When I go to sleep, I am thinking about it."
As a veteran himself, Schultz understands the military camaraderie that many who have served miss. That’s one reason why the cottages are clustered in groups of five — to promote a sense of community.
“We want them to feel like it’s a sense of family,” said Schultz.
Veteran David Scott, 91, will get to live in the first cottage. He’s a Habitat for Humanity volunteer who faces a sense of isolation in his mobile home, which is too expensive for him.
Scott told us looking forward to living around other vets.
“Well, we’ll have something in common then, something to talk about. We’ll exchange stories,” he said.
The Fleming Platoon has really caught on. Lots of people quickly stepped forward to offer funding.
“I would say within 30 minutes of those first phone calls, we had the first house paid for,” said Schultz.