Shown, from left, at the check presentation are, Sue Ann Mitchell, unit secretary; Andrea Klinger, first vice president; Tracey Sleighter, auxiliary member; Jackie Hazelet, unit second vice president; Julia Moore, BAKFC; Helga Curts, auxiliary member; Jeanne Reimers, project coordinator; and Racheal Bower and Brystal Bower, auxiliary and junior auxiliary members.

NORTH WEBSTER —Recently members of the North Webster American Legion Post 253 Auxiliary presented a $2,000 donation to the Builders Association Kosciusko Fulton Counties for Operation Finally Home.

Operation Finally Home and the BAKFC are in the process of building a home for U.S. Army SSG Justin Raymer and his family. The home is located in Shadow Lake Estates, off old US 30, Warsaw.

The Raymer family was told in November they would be the recipient of a mortgage-free house through Operation Finally Home.

The auxiliary’s involvement began after Jeanne Reimer, past North Webster American Legion Auxiliary Post 253 president heard about the project.

Reimer contacted the builders association to gather information to present to the auxiliary. The executive team of the auxiliary agreed it was a worthy cause.

The auxiliary hosts Poppy Day each year in May where donations are collected and people are presented with poppies. Those funds are then donated to a veteran organization or veteran project. It was a unanimous vote by members that the money raised this year would go for Operation Finally Home.

Raymer served for more than 13 years, including four years with the Warsaw Army National Guard and nine years with the U.S. Army, between 2001 and 2015. He was deployed to Iraq three times and was involved in several attacks including a Scud with two Patriot missiles attack, an IED blast that rolled his truck and a friendly fire incident. Due to the multiple attacks, Justin sustained traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder in addition to other injuries to multiple joints.

As a result of his honorable service, Raymer has received several military awards, medals and commendations including the Combat Infantryman’s Badge, multiple Army Commendation Medals and Army Achievement Medals and many more.

While home between deployments, Raymer met and married his wife, Kaci. They currently live in Georgia and remain busy with their sons and three daughters. While being “softball and baseball parents” keep them busy, the Raymers have a desire and need to be closer to family in Warsaw, where he was born.

Raymer’s dad is the assistant fire chief for the Winona Lake Fire Department so they want to get back to the Warsaw area to raise their children.