Veterans house opens on Euclid Avenue in DeLand after $350,000 community fundraising effort

Street view of the DeLand Intermodal Transportation Facility on South Woodland Boulevard near East Euclid Avenue in DeLand, Florida — dated location file photo from October 2019. Photo: DanTD / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). Resized; website wordmark added. Photo source · License

A transitional house for veterans has opened at 115 Euclid Ave. in DeLand, paid for with $350,000 raised in the community. The Gary and Eunice Maris Veterans House took in its first residents the same week as its Sept. 29 ribbon-cutting, and it has room for up to five veterans at a time while they work toward permanent housing.

Savannah-Jane Griffin, CEO of the Neighborhood Center of West Volusia, told Spectrum News 13 that it is the first veterans housing program in western Volusia County. The house sits across from the nonprofit's main campus, which includes its food pantry. "The fact that it's in close proximity to all these services just gives them another resource to be stable," Griffin said.

What the money bought

According to Griffin, the donations covered purchasing the home, renovating it and repairing water damage left by Hurricane Milton. The house is dedicated in memory of Gary and Eunice Maris.

Army veteran David Rodak, one of five people now living there, told Spectrum News he had been living in the woods after experiencing homelessness on and off for several years and is still adjusting to running water, air conditioning and a shower. He described renovated living spaces, working appliances, a common area and a dining room.

The need in west Volusia

The 2026 Point in Time Count identified 48 homeless veterans across Volusia and Flagler counties. Statewide, Florida's Council on Homelessness reported veteran homelessness dropped from about 1,900 people in 2025 to 1,725 in 2026.

The new house adds to a larger operation: the Neighborhood Center's housing department runs 64 units serving more than 200 people on any given day, including veterans, seniors and families, and it maintains 47 transitional housing beds in West Volusia. Its food pantry and Bridge Shelter distributed more than 376,000 meals during 2025.

How to get help or help out

The Neighborhood Center's main campus is at 434 S. Woodland Blvd. in DeLand. Residents seeking housing assistance, or those wanting to ask about referrals, can call 386-734-8120, ext. 502; the food pantry is open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., closed noon to 1 p.m., and Friday from 9 a.m. to noon.