For months, I’ve been writing using words like devastating fire, catastrophic loss, heart-breaking situation. But, not today. Today I am writing about a new beginning and hope for the future of veterans in our community.

We will soon be welcoming veterans back to Manchester Apartments, offering the opportunity to end their homelessness and return to a life of self-sufficiency. And, we couldn’t be more excited or more grateful to be in this position.

Manchester Apartments on the night of the fire.

This week, with our community that has been faithfully by our side since the October 26 fire, we celebrate the open house of the Manchester North Tower. As we wrap up reconstruction, I want to reflect briefly on the last 7 months.

On Saturday, October 26, I drove to work after being alerted to the fire by a friend of mine who lives near HVAF. Driving through downtown on I-65N, I could see the flames and smoke rising high above Manchester Apartments. Driving the rest of the way with a sinking feeling, I knew this was going to be a catastrophic event. The fire, a 3-alarm fire, spread quickly through the building, despite the efforts of firefighters and thousands of gallons of water raining down on the building. Our staff immediately jumped into action. All veterans were evacuated safely and rehoused that night in emergency hotels.

I remember standing in the street, engulfed by smoke, wet, and cold, wondering how we would ever come back from this loss.

HAVF Employee tours of the renovated units

Despite the overwhelming emotions of that night, with great credit to the HVAF team, our community, and our partners, we started within days to move toward reconstruction. First, we focused on securing the site. Then, the enormous task of clearing the charred and waterlogged debris began. Bucket by bucket, our construction company made progress. Before long, we were putting things back together. New drywall, new flooring, new paint. I receive daily progress reports and every day, I am amazed at how quickly we worked through such an enormous challenge.

We led staff on tours of the construction progress recently. It was incredible to watch as the reality of the fire and the beauty of new beginnings combined in front of our eyes. Some of my teammates had tears streaming down their faces.

“We had a fire. And, now this is beautiful. We will be able to serve more, do more, be more for veterans in our community,” said Katie Zackery, one of our Community Center Specialists.

The day after the fire, I was standing on Pennsylvania Street when a neighbor walked from a nearby apartment building. He shared that he was a veteran, and he got a fresh start at Manchester Apartments. He was heartbroken, because he knew the special work that happened there. I hope he’s been watching us rebuild, and I hope he is as excited as we are to officially reopen this building. Manchester Apartments is more than just a building. It’s a pathway out of homelessness for vulnerable veterans. It’s a place where hope is renewed. It’s a place where men and women who served our country have the opportunity to live the lives they deserve.

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