SAN DIEGO - A Marine veteran said a drive through downtown San Diego inspired him to start a business that he hopes will change the lives of others.
Kalani Creutzburg's living room features a lone sewing machine sitting on a kitchen table.
On it is the cammie he wore as a Marine training Jordanian soldiers to fight ISIS a little more than a year ago.
"These cammies have served their purpose out in the Middle East," Creutzburg said.
And while Creutzburg's days overseas are done, his cammies are getting a new beginning as a fluffy dog toy bone. Inside is an empty water bottle that doubles as a chew toy.
For each product he sells, Creutzburg delivers a supply bag to a local homeless veteran. It includes clean socks, a clean shirt, a toothbrush and toothpaste and a meal.
They're the kind of supplies Creutzburg could have used a little less than a year ago when he was homeless.
"I returned from deployment, went through a divorce, my grandparents who raised me just passed away, and so I found myself on the streets," he said.
Creutzburg went to the VA and ultimately met Dominick Mizotti. He helped him start a business called Cammies and Canines.
This week, the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce honored Cammies and Canines as one of its Cinderella small business stories of the year.
They make more than just toys -- they also make collars and leashes representing all branches of the military. It's because Creutzburg wants to help everyone who served their country with more than just supplies for the night.
"I just want to give them a place where they could show up for an hour or two, make a few toys, earn a few dollars for themselves," he said.
Creutzburg said he'd teach them how to sew, as he's no stranger to training.
