LONG BEACH, Miss. (WLOX) – Wednesday marks a new beginning for the Long Beach Veterans Home.
Equal Steps Veterans Home is now under new leadership.
Before the facility is reopened, new business owners, Robbie and Lisa Dillon, are working to clean out the building. They also plan to rebrand the business to ‘The Valor House.’
“We’re going to do only 180 on this place, and you’re not even going to be able to recognize it inside or out,” said Dillon. ”We want it to be a place where, if you are related to a veteran, and you’re down on the Gulf Coast area, that you’re going to want to stop by.”
The previous owner, Velma Perdium-Morris, was evicted after being arrested for bad checks. She did not get her things out of the building within 30 days. As the stuff piled up, the conditions of the rest of the building were subpar, according to Dillon.
“It was a mediocre facility. It was very outdated, lack of care and upkeep,” said Dillon.
The Dillons spent the day clearing out the building, filling multiple garbage trailers, and giving away a trailer of adult diapers to the American Legion.
As the reputation of Equal Steps Veterans Home has diminished, Dillon knows it will be an uphill battle to gain trust in the community, but he looks forward to changing the narrative.
“They’re excited to see what we’re going to do. They all know there’s a black eye on the community, but we’re here to take care of that,” Dillon said. ”A lot of things have been uncovered lately, and not in a good sense, but we’re here to make it all better, the best we can.”
The Dillon family plans to have the veterans home reopened by the end of April.
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