Robert Slack LLC, a real estate brokerage in Florida, in collaboration with Support Home Base Southwest Florida, a private sector clinic who helps Veterans to take control of their physical well-being, have combined efforts to change the life of a Navy Veteran, Teresa Ruiz, a single mom raising three children, two of which have special needs. Teresa’s story moved the real estate affiliated agents in Naples who know the value of having a place to call home. Robert Slack LLC has helped thousands of families own a home in Florida in just seven years since the brokerage was established. “Home is where we build memories and our lives with family and friends. Everyone deserves a place that is a loving safe environment to live and raise their kids. We know that Home Base Southwest Florida, who offers mental health services for veterans and military families, helps to make that happen”, said Mark Taylor, Robert Slack Team Leader in Naples. “When we learned about this organization from our REALTOR® Bret Borshell, the vote was unanimous among our agents that we needed to pitch in wherever we could”.
In 2006, Teresa joined the Navy right out of high school and after training departed for Iraq. While in the Haditha Triad defending the Haditha Dam under the program Lioness, Teresa focused on searching for civilian females to ensure they were not smuggling weapons or men dressed as women attempting the same. Her service ended after being medically discharged in 2009. She returned home to begin her married life with her then husband and their child. That marriage ended in divorce and her ex-husband passed earlier this summer. “His passing devastated our son,” said Teresa. Six years after her divorce she remarried and had two more children. When her youngest two were three and four years old, she noticed some strange behaviors, she had them evaluated. Both were diagnosed with autism. This was very stressful for her and her husband and the lack of support from family ultimately led to a second divorce. “Regardless of the lack of support, I’m happy and blessed to say that this past July I was finally able to purchase my kids their forever home,” said Teresa.
Teresa is now a single mom. When the agents of Robert Slack LLC asked Teresa what they could do for her home, she immediately focused on the needs of her children. “She asked if we could create a safe playground environment in her large yard complete with a therapeutic safe swing, splash pad with a water fountain type play area, an inground trampoline, covered pergola area she could watch the kids from and another autistic specific designed play areas. You could see that her whole focus was on the wellbeing of her children, not the beautification of her home.
For that reason, we knew the need was justified and we want to bring her dreams to reality,” said Taylor. Robert Slack Naples Team is coordinating everything needed to transform Teresa’s backyard into a safe play area. There are companies sponsoring Teresa’s cause, such as Elegant Landscape Lighting who’s donating time and materials to install outdoor landscape and playground lighting at no charge. Friga Tyme is also donating time and materials to construct a pergola. There is a GoFundMe account where other organizations, companies, and individuals can donate if they feel in their hearts helping Teresa and her children.
To donate visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/operation-childs-play.
Home Base Southwest Florida (SWFL), a Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital Program, is dedicated to healing the invisible wounds for Veterans, Service Members and their Families through world-class clinical care, wellness, education and research.
As a National Center of Excellence sector clinic in the nation devoted headquartered in Boston’s Charlestown Navy Yard, Home Base operates the largest private clinic to healing invisible wounds such as post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, anxiety, depression, co-occurring substance use disorder, military sexual trauma and family relationship challenges. To date, Home Base and Home Base SWFL has served more than 24,000 Veterans and Family members with care and support, provided over 79,000 on-line and in-person training sessions to clinicians, educators, first responders and community members nationally, and remains at the forefront of discovering new treatments — ensuring a brighter future for the 21st century warrior and military family.
Robert Slack, LLC specializes in assisting families to purchase or sell a property in the sunshine state of Florida. Robert Slack is a Real Estate brokerage founded in 2014 in Ocala, FL by Mr. Robert Slack when he was 67 years old. After going through difficult times, he decided to open his own Brokerage. A few years later, he partnered with Dan Walters, the COO of Robert Slack LLC, and now the company is celebrating its 7th anniversary. The brokerage has become a highly respected company and is the #1 real estate team in FL and the U.S. with over 700 agents. The brokerage is expecting to close Sales of $2.2 B in 2021. Robert Slack has helped over 20,000 families become homeowners. The company has been successful by having a Family Culture environment. The leaders of the company strongly promote values, teamwork, mentoring, training, and caring for each other. After their sudden growth and success, they opened a private non-profit organization called Slack Serves to partner with other organizations and serve the communities in Florida with volunteer work to help those in need. They are on the mission of “Changing Lives, one home at a time”.
Robert Slack LLC and Home Base Southwest Florida will be assisting Teresa Ruiz so that her home is prepared for the great work of raising and developing two children with autism.
Anyone interested in helping out Teresa or other Veterans in the SWFL area please reach out to Home Base SWFL or to donate, please visit www.HomeBase.org/SWFL