We at Homes 4 Families have always known that Major General Peter Gravett has lived enough life to fill a book. And now he has!
In his autobiography, “From East Garrison to the Ranch House,” Peter Gravett recounts how his life took him from birth in the 1940’s segregated South, up the ranks to Major General of the U.S. Army, to the Los Angeles Police Department, to his appointment as the Secretary of the California Department of Veterans Affairs, and the hundreds of things in between.
We particularly love Chapter 82, CalVet Accomplishments, where he talks about the start of the partnership between CalVet and Homes 4 Families to create the Enriched Neighborhood® model! If you’ve ever been to our Santa Clarita neighborhood, you have likely stood on Gravett Place, where 29 affordable homes sit. Major General Gravett’s open-mindedness, pro-activeness, and love for his fellow veterans have immeasurably improved the lives of these 78 families and hundreds more.
While Enriched Neighborhoods had previously been built for low-income families, the first Enriched Neighborhood created specifically for low-income veterans and military families came as a result of a restaurant meeting between Homes 4 Families CEO Donna Deutchman, Peter Gravett, and Bob Kellar who served in the LAPD with Gravett and happened to be Mayor of Santa Clarita at the time. Gravett recounts, “Donna had the vision, Mayor Keller was offering city land at no cost, I possessed the funding ability through the Cal Vet Home Loan Program.” From there, the CalVet REN program was born and to date, 184 affordable homes for low-income veterans have been built or are in the construction/planning stages.
We encourage everyone to get this book, available now on Amazon (use Amazon Smile to donate to Homes 4 Families!); even the table of contents will leave you in awe of the amount of life Peter Gravett has led. Peter and his family truly embody resilience, persistence, and service.
Peter has a special place in our hearts and truly believed in making a positive change in the lives of his fellow veterans and service members. We couldn’t have asked for a better partner in creating the Enriched Neighborhood® model. On behalf of the countless lives you’ve improved, thank you, Major General Gravett!