Veteran gets new home, welcome parade in Goodyear

By Delarita Ford
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Veterans are used to marching, no matter what military branch of service. But few can relate to the full marching band with a fanfare greeting that retired U.S. Navy Logistics Specialist Second Class Cassandra Johnson and her family got when they arrived at their new Goodyear home.

The beloved veteran, who is a veterans’ advocate and business owner, received a mortgage-free, fully-furnished new home on West Papago Street on the morning of Sept. 15.

After a patriotic gifting ceremony, hosted by Building Homes for Heroes and KB Home, Johnson and her family received keys to their new home.

The hours-long occasion was marked with the Estrella Mountain Spiritline Band, parachutists, speeches by elected officials and others, Patriot Riders on their motorcycles, pictures, a ribbon-cutting and tours of the new home.

“That is the best key release I have ever seen,” said Ryan Bashaw, division president of KB Home in Phoenix, welcoming the crowd and noting how much of an honor it was to present the home with such pomp and circumstance to Johnson and her family.

He and the rest of the speakers stated how proud they were to support veterans programs since veterans leave their homes to train, to serve and protect the country.

Goodyear City Council member Vicki Gillis said she was honored to represent the city in welcoming Johnson and her family to Goodyear.

“This key you are about to receive is more than just a key to open a door,” said Gillis, noting the key represents a new chapter in Johnson and her family’s lives, filled with peace, joy and “most of all, love.”

“Welcome to the city of Goodyear,” Gillis added.

“This is the first time I have ever been to one of these events. This is absolutely fantastic,” said Debbie Lesko, a longtime legislator who serves as the vice chair on the Maricopa County Board of Surpervisors. “What more can you really ask for?”

Lesko said Johnson deserved the mortgage-free home for her many years of military service and her advocacy. Johnson began her military career in June 2000 when she entered active duty service with the Navy for over 14 years, followed by three years in the U.S. Navy Reserve. She received an honorable discharge in June 2017.

Throughout her Naval career, she completed multiple tours aboard aircraft carriers in domestic and foreign waters. She served in one of the Navy’s most hazardous operational environments, supporting critical flight deck and logistics operations.

According to a media release, she was “nearly blown off the flight deck of an aircraft carrier, narrowly escaping fatal accidents” on two separate occasions, seriously injuring her left ankle, elbow, arm, and shoulder, permanently impacting her physical health.

Speakers commended her for her resilience in transitioning to civilian life, supportng veterans by organizing community events, leading advocacy campaigns, and volunteering her time to help veterans.

The founder of “Treat Yourself” ladies health and wellness events, a support network to uplift women across industries, Johnson is the recipient of numerous military awards and decorations.

Meanwhile, the mother was joined by her daughter, Zaria, 12, who sang the National Anthem at the ceremony, and son, Ra, 8. Her oldest son, Fj recently finished Army Basic Training in Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and is attending school in Monterey, Calif. Her husband, Moses, was hospitalized and face-timed during the event.

“There’s probably no words to how I feel. I want my number one beside me and he’s not here,” Johnson said, thanking KB Home and all those responsible for the event.

“Thank God for this opportunity to be blessed and know that I am worthy for what he has purposed in my life,” she added.

Appreciating seeing some of her brothers and sisters in arms who served in the military, Johnson encouraged all attendees to continue the same spirit of showing up for others just as they did for her that day.

“The home given to me is a representation of a heart. Keep marching and moving on and showing up...Don’t be left behind. Keep showing up...You showing up is healing for someone else. You showing up is a success story in itself,” Johnson said, likening the act of showing up to marching to a cadence, “a rhythm that keeps going when you don’t have the strength.”

“When I don’t see myself as worthy, I’m going to keep showing up. Thank you for showing up for me,” Johnson added.

Veteran Amanda Tomlin nominated Johnson since she was a past recipient of a mortgage-free home gifted to her in Peoria. She shared about the privilege of receiving the home, and that when she asked Johnson for permission to nominate her, Johnson “actually said ‘No,’ because she is a humble person who thought someone else was more deserving,” Tomlin said.

“You are worthy of this love,” added Tomlin.

“Cassandra Johnson embodies what it means to serve our country, and we are honored to partner with KB Home to give back to her and her family,” said Andy Pujol, BHH founder and CEO, in a prepared statement. “She has given so much support to fellow veterans experiencing hardship, and we are here to help her remain rooted in the community she loves and continue her work as a local level veteran advocate.”

Building Homes for Heroes was founded after Pujol volunteered in search and rescue efforts at Ground Zero in New York. He wanted to honor military service members and first responders for their sacrifice.

Johnson’s home is the 484th home built, modified and gifted by BHH. The national nonprofit organization BHH will gift its 500th home by the end of this year through its partnership with KB Home to present the keys to mortgage-free homes to select recipients benefiting from the outreach efforts.

KB Home and over 40 of their partners donated labor, time and materials, including furnishings and landscaping to help build Johnson and her family with their home.

BHH builds and gifts mortgage-free homes, and completes home modifications for veterans, emergency first responders and their families, and provides other services during their road to recovery to benefit recipients.

Since inception, BHH has constructed, modified, and gifted more than 475 homes, with support from corporations and groups including Lowe’s, Chase, SAIC and more.

Learn more at buildinghomesforheroes.org.

Delarita Ford can be reached at dford@iniusa.org. Submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.

Delarita Ford
Lead Reporter | Surprise

dford@iniusa.org

Meet Delarita
Delarita Ford originally joined Independent Newspapers Incorporated, now Independent Newsmedia, Inc. USA in 1997, as a general assignment reporter for the Delaware State News daily paper after starting her journalism career in Maryland in 1994, where she honed her skills by writing obituaries, covering community news from births to deaths, education to legislation and more. As a reporter, she has had the opportunity to cover sitting and former U.S. presidential visits in Baltimore, Delaware, and Arizona.

Community: One of the few seasoned journalists who still enjoys covering community events, she can be found with a reporter’s pad taking notes, her phone taking pictures while capturing life’s moments to memorialize them in print for the local newspapers and for the active-adult community where she lives. She maintains a presence with the Black media and the National Association of Black Journalists to encourage peers, socialize, and mentor younger writers.

Education: Life learner who learns from life. Aside from the collegiate education received, she got the best training from on-the-job experience with former editors who went through copy with a red pen and demanded the best writing for hard news and feature stories. 

Random Fact: While a Delaware State News reporter, she could call then Sen. Joe Biden and his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, usually late at night if a quote or input was needed for varying topics, including legislation and education.

Hobbies: Adopt rescue dogs and give them a nice home. Continuously read and critique news stories from various platforms.