ESCONDIDO (KGTV) — A typical Halloween-decorated home in Escondido tells a deeper story of resilience and hope for one military family finding their footing through a groundbreaking program for women veterans.
Emely Coleman's house looks like any other this time of year, complete with ghosts, skeletons and pumpkins adorning the front yard. Her children are buzzing with excitement about their upcoming anime character costumes for trick-or-treating.
But what visitors don't immediately see is that this home has been Coleman's sanctuary for the past month and a half as part of the Wounded Warrior Homes Women's Veteran Center pilot project.
"We were going through a hard time and I have to, I just wanted to move forward and make sure that my kids were OK, and I just need an environment to be able to feel safe and also feel relaxed," Coleman said.
The mother of two is working toward becoming a registered nurse while living in what she calls her family's "little sanctuary." Her children have made the space their own, decorating with anime and Marvel characters that reflect their personalities.
"That's my daughter's bed, that's my son's bed," Coleman said, showing off their personalized spaces.
Leaders with Wounded Warrior Homes say the program addresses a critical need for women veterans who risk having nowhere to turn. The organization estimates it costs about $50,000 to house a family like Coleman's.
"We just are lightening up that load and we're clearing the path, as I say, we're clearing the path for the women veteran to progress in her career of her dreams," Rick Espitia, the president of Wounded Warrior Homes said.
For Coleman, the program provides more than just housing – it offers stability that allows her to focus on her studies and build a better future for her children.
"My kids, yeah, they give me the motivation to continue. Sometimes I don't wanna study," Coleman said.
Her daughter has become her study partner, bringing textbooks to her room and encouraging her mother to prepare for exams.
"And my daughter would take the book and take it to the room and she's like, let's go. You have to study. You have an exam. So yeah, they're my motivations," Coleman said.
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