Great Companies: How did you get your idea or concept for the business?
Connie Lindsay : Liberty Manor for Veterans originated as a result of a merger between two individuals on opposite ends of the judicial system but united in a mission to assist homeless veterans resulting in the implementation of the first and most successful veteran’s homeless programs in the Tampa Bay area. Connie Lindsay served as Jeff Luddeke’s legal mitigator while employed by the State of Florida Judicial Circuit 13. It appeared that Connie was the only one who truly understood the extent of difficulty that he was experiencing while attempting to transition back into a civilian lifestyle - post military.
A component of Lindsay’s mitigation proposed to the court recommended that Jeff be mandated to a rehabilitation program. While at the program, Jeff demonstrated expert managerial skills thus he became a member of their staff! Recognizing Jeff’s personal attributes coupled with his newly acquired expertise in residential management, lead to the inspiration of Liberty Manor pioneering the first program in Tampa that promoted the developmental and social needs of veterans who served our country, fought for our independence, but fell victim to homeless. The infrastructure of the initiative was intended to create strategic partnerships that efficiently share united resources, addressing gaps, eliminating obstacles, and increasing accountability by facilitating a residential program that contributes to the restoration of self-sufficiency. Connie’s tenaciously increased community involvement and investment in services which addressed the problematic areas that were targeted.
Great Companies: What are the various services provided by LIBERTY MANOR FOR VETERANS, INC. ?
Connie Lindsay : Liberty Manor provides an array of services that includes housing and future housing case management, transportation, legal, athletic activities, clothing, food, we facilitate career placement and Social Services. The scope of our services includes procuring fulltime gainful employment for veterans that are healthy and disabilities for Veterans that are disabled – all for the purpose of leading them to secure permanent housing.
Great Companies : What makes LIBERTY MANOR FOR VETERANS, INC. different from hundreds of other similar service providers?
Connie Lindsay : Liberty Manor is rather unique from any other program in America because we provide housing to veterans that do not suffer from drug or alcohol addictions nor do they suffer from any mental health diagnosis...these are the veterans that played it straight all their life and traditionally, no services were provided to them! Liberty Manor for Veterans serves honorably discharged male Veterans that are homeless due to falling victim to unemployment or perhaps they suffered a sudden disability which now prevents the Veteran from gaining fulltime gainful employment. Liberty Manor "fills the void in services" by providing the veterans with some of the basic resources until we can attain a deserving disability pension or if they are otherwise healthy - we procure a career opportunity for them. Liberty Manor provides an array of services that includes housing, transportation, clothing and food.
Great Companies: What were the struggles and challenges you faced and how did you overcome them?
Connie Lindsay : Our biggest challenge is funding because we do not derive any funding from the Veterans Administration, though the VA has determined Liberty Manor to be the most successful program in the country. I conclude, there is no money to be made in the homeless veteran industry. We are totally dependent upon community stakeholders as well as my family and friends to contribute to the homeless veteran crisis in the tri-county area. That’s primarily the reason we need to reach out for support for our Veterans. Most of our Veterans are needing help for the first time. Let’s make the military’s motto true by not leaving any man behind. I cannot fathom a more deserving sector of our community than our American veterans. Because we work earnestly to procure a disability for our veterans, we have very little time to work on fundraising and depend on public support, I cannot fathom a more meritorious initiative than Liberty Manor for Veterans!
Great Companies: How do you plan to grow in the future? What does 5 years down the line look like for LIBERTY MANOR FOR VETERANS, INC. ?
Connie Lindsay : We have future plans of implementing an assisted living facility for veterans in Hillsborough County. This would be a unique plan as most Veteran Assisted Living programs to date are government based. Because our Veterans have a distrust of government entities (valid or not), they unanimously agree they would prefer to be placed in an independently owned Assisted Living Facility. There are no openings for veterans who served their country but didn’t retire with the military. By pioneering an initiative of the modality that I propose, it would offer many veterans with an alternative. There are many preliminary requirements and city/county mandates when implementing an initiative of this type which is the premise for procuring a grant: Such as zoning, permitting, contractors plans, etc.
We believe by implementing an assisted living facility (ALF) for our Veterans this would contribute to a greater quality of life. Veterans from our Liberty Manor (independent program) might be more receptive to moving into an ALF that has the same affiliation as Veterans are also very reluctant to change.
If provided the opportunity to implement a program of this magnitude, I believe it would benefit our community and our Veterans greatly.
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