2025: A Year of Momentum, Milestones, and Meaning at Dave’s House
Dave’s House at Celery Community: A Vision Comes to Life
One of the most exciting developments of 2025 was the continued advancement of Dave’s House at Celery Community, our first multi-unit permanent supportive housing campus in Seminole County. Located on a five-acre parcel generously donated by Family of Friends, Inc., this future community will include:
Eight duplex homes serving up to 20 residents
A 3,500-square-foot community center for connection, education, and services
Green space designed to support wellness and community life
On-site case management, peer support, healthcare partnerships, and job readiness programs
2025 was a year of vision-building for Dave’s House at Celery Community. Planning, preparation, and community conversations took center stage as we worked alongside partners, neighbors, and supporters to shape what this new campus will become. Together, we laid the groundwork for a community that will more than double our housing capacity and stand as a model for supportive housing across Florida.
Building Excitement Through Binocular Tours
To keep the momentum going and bring our vision to life, Dave’s House launched Binocular Tours in 2025 — an engaging way to share our future plans with neighbors, donors, and community leaders. These guided site visits offer a firsthand look at the location of Dave’s House at Celery Community while inviting participants to literally and figuratively “see what’s coming.”
The response has been inspiring. These tours have strengthened local relationships, sparked meaningful conversations, and built excitement around what permanent supportive housing can look like when community comes together. Join us on a tour!
Thank you to our generous community partners for believing in us.
AdventHealth
Charles Schwab
Florida Blue
Kelly Price Realty
Mader Southeast
Morgan & Morgan
Universal Foundation
Thank you to private donors, for those who have been with us since the beginning and to all of our new supporters. Help us make a difference.
Honoring Leadership
A highlight of the year for Dave’s House residents and supporters is the annual Dave’s House Party—an opportunity to come together in celebration of community, progress, and purpose. A meaningful tradition of the evening is the presentation of the Dr. Joel C. Hunter Legacy Award, honoring leaders who advance compassion, mental health, and housing stability in Central Florida. This year, the award was presented to Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings in recognition of his steadfast leadership in expanding mental health resources and championing affordable and supportive housing. Speaking on his behalf were AdventHealth, Senior Vice President of Public Affairs, Shannon Gravitte and community leader Terry Prather, who reflected on the Mayor’s continued commitment to building a stronger, more inclusive community.
The Launchpad: Laying the Groundwork in Sanford
In 2025, Dave’s House identified the ideal location for our future Seminole County operations — The Launchpad, situated inside the Sanford Neighborhood Co-Op and just down the street from our future Celery Community site. This space will serve as a home base for community engagement, partner coordination, and planning as we prepare to expand permanent supportive housing in the region.
As the year comes to a close, we extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who helped bring this space to readiness. From generous partners to dedicated board members and volunteers, this effort reflects what’s possible when a community comes together with shared purpose. We are excited to officially celebrate this milestone with a Ribbon Cutting on January 28, marking an important step forward as we plant roots in Sanford and continue building toward what’s next.
It Truly takes a Village
The transformation of The Launchpad is a perfect example of what happens when a community shows up with heart and generosity. We are deeply grateful to:
Mader Southeast for rolling up their sleeves
Stinson Flooring for donating their expertise
Builders FirstSource for donating doors
Sherwin Williams donating pain
Board member Nancy Wheeler for lending her design talent, materials and furniture.
Board member Bradley Wightman for making the construction connection that brought it all together
For more than 16 years, Dave’s House has stood beside adults living with serious mental illness. In 2025, that support expanded — not just in square footage, but in shared commitment.
Powered by Partnerships
Dave’s House and Aspire Health Partners have collaborated on homes in Orange County to provide housing solutions for adults managing serious mental illness. Aspire provides a full continuum of behavioral health services for the individuals who are provided permanent supportive housing and owns/manages six of the houses deeded to them by Dave’s House, Inc. The success of the established operations model will be further enhanced through Dave’s House’s broader development plans to address the need for permanent supportive housing.
And with plans to expand to Seminole County, progress like this doesn’t happen alone. In 2025, Dave’s House formally announced our construction and development partners for Celery Community:
Community Assisted & Supported Living (CASL) as co-developer and operational partner
HomeAid Orlando as design and building partner
This collaboration combines decades of expertise in affordable housing, supportive services, and construction — creating a strong foundation for long-term impact. A $1 million grant from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta, the largest in Dave’s House history, continues to fuel this work and inspire donor engagement.
Welcoming New Board Leadership Team
Strong leadership fuels sustainable growth, and this year we were thrilled to welcome four new members to the Dave’s House Board of Directors:
Ray Dorman, Vice Chair and Returning Founding Member, Ray brings decades of leadership in community advocacy and a wealth of experience to support Dave’s House in its mission to provide permanent supportive housing for individuals with serious mental illness.
Brian Thomas, Senior Business Operations & Planning Manager for Central Florida at Florida Blue, brings deep healthcare and operational expertise paired with a collaborative, mission-driven spirit.
Bradley Wightman, a seasoned construction industry leader with more than 35 years of experience, offers invaluable insight as we move toward building our first multi-unit community in Seminole County.
Erin Kronenberg, who joins as Treasurer, brings more than 20 years of financial services experience as a Financial Advisor with Edward Jones, along with a background in nonprofit mental health counseling, education, and case management. Her blend of financial stewardship and compassion strengthens our foundation for the future.
In The News – View our 2025 Media Coverage
Orlando Sentinel Growth Spotter
Sanford Herald - Dave’s House Celebrates New Multi-Unit Housing Plans in Seminole County
Orlando Business Journal
Orlando Partners In Philanthropy
Looking Ahead
2025 was a year of bold steps forward — grounded in partnerships, energized by community, and guided by a shared belief in dignity, stability, and hope. As we look toward groundbreaking, new residents, and expanded impact, we are reminded that permanent supportive housing works — and together, we are proving what’s possible.
At Dave’s House, we’re building more than homes.
We’re building futures.