Salem Army Veteran receives $5,000 at Thrive Mount Vernon

FOX23 News at 9 p.m.

MOUNT VERNON, Ill. (KBSI) — Leonard Newcomb and his wife have four children and three bedrooms. They’re looking to sell their current home and buy one with more room. Now, a $5,000 check could help with the down payment.

Newcomb, a U.S. Army veteran, is the Illinois winner of Thrive Dispensaries’ Help on the Homefront giveaway. Diana Gordon, who manages Thrive’s Mount Vernon dispensary, presented him with the check Wednesday.

Newcomb said an email was his first clue that someone had entered him. He thinks his wife may have submitted his name.

“I didn’t enter myself into any type of giveaway, so it caught me off guard when I got an email saying that I won,” he said.

Newcomb served as an Army specialist at the E-4 pay grade and left the military at the end of 2013. These days, he balances work with taking his children to sports and other activities. His oldest son is a high school senior who’s getting ready to play baseball in college.

At home, Newcomb said, space is tight.

“We have four kids, plus me and my wife, so it’s kind of tight,” he said. “So we’re actually in the process of looking to sell our home to buy a new one. That way we have enough room for everyone.”

Thrive launched Help on the Homefront in 2024 to help veterans cover housing costs and home improvements. Diana Gordon, manager of Thrive’s Mount Vernon dispensary, said the award can help cover a mortgage payment, a roof repair or a replacement washer or dryer.

“The housing costs, especially lately, have been so sky high,” Gordon said.

Illinois entries ran from July through October. Veterans could enter themselves, and others could submit an entry on a veteran’s behalf. The entry asked about the veteran’s military service and how they would use the money. Newcomb said he was one of six winners across six states.

“You can nominate yourself. You can nominate people that you know,” Gordon said.

Gordon said many people have relatives who served and know what it means to spend time away from family. She described the giveaway as a way to pay that service forward.

“Even if you sacrifice something, it may take a little bit, but at some point, that goodness will come back to you,” Gordon said.

Thrive plans to continue the giveaway each year, Gordon said. She said people can find information on Thrive’s website or ask at a store as the next entry period approaches. No purchase is required.