LOVELAND, Ohio (WKRC) – This Memorial Day, a local woman is showing her gratitude and respect for fallen soldiers and those who have fallen by the wayside by opening her heart and loosening her purse strings.
A real estate agent from Loveland stepped in to rescue an 80-year-old veteran who had lost his home of 27 years and was now homeless because of a real estate deal.
Though they’re 50 years apart in age and in some ways very different, real estate agent Jamie Cain and formerly homeless Fred Meisberger are alike in other ways.
“Hey Fred, I’d like to introduce you to Jamie,” we said, introducing them outside the hotel in Sharonville.
“Hello, Fred,” Jamie said, holding out his hand.
“Hello, Jamie,” Fred replied.
“How are you?” she asked. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“Thanks,” Fred said.
Both Jamie and Fred care deeply about others, especially those who stand up to serve their country.
“We should all be grateful for giving us our freedom,” Jamie told Fred. “Thank you for your service.”
“you’re welcome.”
“This is the least I can do,” she said, “and we as a community can give back.”
Jamie’s actions are extraordinary. She saw a Local 12 story last week about Fred. He sold his home to a company on a leaseback, but when the contract was up, the company raised the rent and eventually evicted him. When we caught up with Fred, he was living in his car with his two adult children and two dogs. We reported in another story that a Local 12 viewer opened his home to Fred and his family, but things didn’t go well. This weekend, they were living in their car behind a laundromat.
“I was watching the news and I saw your article,” Jamie told Local 12 reporter David Winter. “It just made me feel really sick.”
Jamie contacted us after the first article we wrote about Fred, so when he got back to his car we contacted her.
“I was just disgusted that a man who had a home, who had a family, who dedicated 27 years of his life to this house, would be thrown out onto the street,” she said.
Not only has Jamie put Fred and his family up in an extended-stay hotel, but he and fellow military veteran and real estate agent Meg Perez have also started a GoFundMe page to raise enough money to help Fred rent a home for a year.
“I’ve been so blessed throughout my life to have the resources to help others,” Jamie explained. “We have soldiers who have protected our country and given us the opportunity to live in a place like America, and I feel like that’s the least I can do.”
We questioned Fred about the fact that he has never used his VA benefits.
“I always thought there were other people out there who needed it more,” Fred explained.
We connected Fred with a veterans organization that has pledged to help, so with Jamie and friends, Fred will never be homeless again.
“People fall by the wayside,” Fred said. “The locals pass them by and don’t pay them any attention. [Jamie and Local 12]that you care, that makes a difference.”
Jamie asks, “Can I hug you?”
“Yes,” Fred said, hugging him back.
Jamie and her real estate agent friend Meg are planning a fundraiser for Fred, and Jamie plans to start a new real estate firm that will donate commission proceeds to veterans.
Here is a link to a GoFundMe page the women have set up.
