As we begin this holiday week, thousands of our veterans who we thank for their service have no place to call home.


What You Need To Know


This week we meet two Everyday Heroes, one who made military history. They're doing all they can to change the plight of many vets in our community.

For Carol Barkalow and Sheila Mustacio, it began in 2013 when they decided to become more involved in helping the community. That eventually led them to learn about homeless veterans in Pinellas County. At any one time, over 1,600 are homeless.

After re-financing their own home and taking out a line of credit, to date the couple has purchased and refurbished nine homes in St. Petersburg with a tenth being built and rented low cost to vets.

The non-profit is called Heaven on Earth for Veterans.

Sheila says there are important keys when finding these homes.

“Well the location, transportation, easy access to transportation to shopping, to the V.A.”

Carol is a retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army and a history making graduate of the United States Military Academy.

“I was a member of the first class of women to attend West Point, and that was back in 1976,” she said.

Theirs is a seven-day-a-week job. Just about all the work in maintaining the homes is done by Carol and Sheila.

They have a dream to build a veterans village, a place for men and for women and for families.

Asked how much longer they will do this, their response was:

“Until there are no more homeless veterans.”