Nick recognizes that through DFFV he is serving those who “did something [he] could never do.” Before the foundation opened, the Drakes had the privilege of assisting the family of a serviceman who had recently purchased their dream home in the Mountain Home area. While the husband was serving oversees, the family closed on the home only to realize that “they didn’t have any water that they could get to their house,” explains Rebecca. Before the Drake family became involved, they were close to giving up, selling their home, and trying to find someplace else to live. The Mountain Home family heard about the Drake family’s heart for serving veterans through the military discounts offered at Drake Mechanical. Nick and Rebecca were thrilled to be able to step in where help was needed.

Attaining 501(c)(3) status for their foundation took almost 2 years. “Every step of the way, it was definitely worth it because we know that we had an amazing end goal of what we were trying to do. Yeah, definitely all of the paperwork that the government wants is crazy to get through, but we’re very, very excited that we’re there,” says Rebecca.

The biggest challenge for DFFV is “Getting the word out to everybody here locally,” says Rebecca. The foundation needs the support of the community in order for the Drake’s vision of helping “every veteran in the valley that needs assistance” to become a reality.