ABC7 Salutes Heroes Warehouse, organization that furnishes homes for veterans

FONTANA, Calif. (KABC) -- Iraq War veteran Ted Telemaque and his son slept on the floor of their Riverside apartment when they first moved in because they didn't have enough money to furnish their new home.

"I moved in there and I was scratching my head, ok, as a single father, what do I do? I reached out, tried to exert all options and then came across the Heroes Warehouse. Now I have my whole apartment furnished, from bed, to couch, to even kitchen," Telemaque said.

Since 2012, the Heroes Warehouse in Fontana - founded by Mary Kelly-Mohr - has helped 3,000 families adjust to life after the service. Their 7,000 square foot warehouse isn't just full of donated household furniture, but washers and dryers, food and clothes.

The warehouse looks full right now, but just last week, they were down to one sofa. The Heroes Warehouse services 10 to 14 families per week.

"They place them in permanent housing, which is wonderful and get them off the streets, but there's no furniture. Just imagine yourself going on vacation and you have an empty hotel room," Kelly-Mohr said.

Vietnam veteran Ted Alford was homeless for two years until the Veterans Affairs provided him with an apartment, but he didn't have furniture.

"I've got such nice stuff in my apartment. It's not early-morning junkyard, or anything like that, it all matches, it looks great. I can actually cook now because she gave me utensils, pans - everything a guy would need. So now, I'm standing proud again," he said.

It's an organization dedicated to making a house a home.