Serving those who served: Ex-Marine helps veterans make their houses homes

Diane Ahrens spent 15 years shipping goodie boxes to troops overseas while running her East Dundee bakery.

When she closed the Piece-A-Cake Bakery in 2019 after 25 years, Ahrens found another way to give back to those who have given of themselves to the country.

Ahrens, 67, is a veteran herself, having served in the U.S. Marine Corps. Her father served in Korea, and her late husband, Roger Ahrens, served in Vietnam. As she was closing her business, she decided to shift her focus to veterans by helping them furnish their homes. She wants to help veterans at every stage of life.

In 2021, the West Dundee resident started the nonprofit Operation Sweet Life. Her mission now is to help make veterans’ living spaces a “home sweet home,” according to her website. She also provides assistance with organizing baby showers for veterans who are young parents, ensuring they have the essentials for their growing families, according to the website.

Ahrens collects any gently used household items from virtually anyone, anywhere, and she helps veterans throughout the state, including in McHenry County, make their houses homes. The idea stems from calls she received while running the bakery and sending troops monthly, 10-pound goodie boxes.

“A lot of people would contact us with furniture, cookware, household items to give to the vets,” she said, adding donated items often were taken to the Jesse Brown Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Chicago. “When we had the bakery, everyone knew we were vets and very involved.”

The nonprofit is a continuation of that serving. At one time, she had 10 storage units full of furniture, appliances and other household items. Today, with the help of her brother-in-law, Peter Ahrens of Algonquin, she stores donated items at a warehouse in Elgin. She has had the warehouse since 2022. She works with veterans organizations and homeless shelters to connect with those who need the items. When possible, she tries to accommodate special requests rather than just giving people random items, she said.

Peter Ahrens, the warehouse manager, said he did not serve in the military, but his four brothers did. The work he is doing now with Operation Sweet Life, he said, is his way of providing a service to veterans who need help.

“I have a special place in my heart for helping veterans and serving people who are in need because of the way my family served,” he said. “I feel it is important to serve those that serve the country. They are getting short-changed by the government. There are not enough programs for them.”

He added it’s important to him to be “part of a program that gives vets hope, lets them feel they are seen.”

Diane Ahrens said she provides household items to veterans of all ages, including single men and women and families. She said homelessness is a growing problem among veterans, so when a homeless person does secure housing, they still need the things that make it a home. On average, Ahrens provides items to the homes of at least 10 veterans each month, although recently she placed items in the homes of seven vets in one week. Operation Sweet Life works with several organizations serving veterans, including Veterans Path to Hope in Crystal Lake.

Laura Franz, executive director of Veterans Path to Hope – which, among many services, helps veterans find affordable housing – said Ahrens’ program is “an extension of our program.”

“We do similar” work, Franz said. “We have a program where we hire veterans to deliver furniture and food and household items to reestablish housing. Sometimes Diane calls with an overflow of furniture. It’s just another example of how the agencies in McHenry County are very collaborative, and we really focus on helping meet people’s needs. As much as people give it to us, we turn around and give it back out. There is always a need.”

Franz said that even though agencies such as VPH can help find housing for homeless veterans, the need does not stop there. These veterans are starting from scratch.

“They are back in housing again, but they don’t have anything,” Franz said.

VPH is always collecting food at its food pantry, and when they move someone into a new home, they provide two weeks of food and anything else they can to help “give them a place to start.”

“They are most appreciative of the food. When their cupboards are full, I have seen people cry,” Franz said. “It is harder out there than most people think. Many are homeless so long they learn how to survive homeless. For some, it was brief and they are terrified. It is a big deal.”

Franz said that not only is there an uptick in homelessness in general, but in veteran homelessness, including women and elderly veterans. Of VPH and Operation Sweet Life, Franz said: “These programs are so essential.”

Nikki Pals of Crystal Lake and Dawn Jakic of Woodstock routinely pick up household items and take them to Ahrens’ warehouse.

Their efforts began about a year ago, when Pals said she saw someone asking on Facebook where they could get rid of a mattress. Someone mentioned Operation Sweet Life and, after looking it up, she texted Jakic and said: “We’ve got to go to this place.”

Additionally, the warehouse is open to anyone who wants to “shop” there. If someone does pay money for items, that money goes back into the nonprofit, the women said.

People “can go into [the warehouse] and get whatever they want – dishes and kitchen utensils, pots, pans lamps, sometimes bedding … pretty much anything,” Jakic said.

“And if you can’t find something you are looking for [at the warehouse], something is wrong,” Pals said.

The pair have a truck and will collect any household items from anywhere and take them to Ahrens’ warehouse.

“We have since taken a few truckloads of stuff to Diane,” Pals said.

The women learn who is giving away items through friends, word of mouth and, often, phone calls.

“I think its [Ahrens] passion,” Pals said. “It is a great organization. She is a sweetheart. They both work like crazy over there. It is a great way to support veterans.”

Why do this?

“I’ve been there … and I know that for some of us, we can be homeless [within one day] and be without,” Diane Ahrens said, adding that it is especially hard for women with children to be without a home or the items that make a home. “You could risk losing your children. … The struggle is real.”

She said there are “lots of household items people are just throwing away, and it is going to waste, especially when there is a need, especially when there are veterans in need.”

“I believe Father God put me here to help to make the connection, and I’m just the middle man,” Diane Ahrens said.

Operation Sweet Life’s warehouse is located at 1600A Todd Farm Drive in Elgin. Information on donating or accessing donated items is available by calling 224-805-1220 or at Operation Sweet Life’s website, operationsweetlife.org.