Army National Guard Command Sgt. Maj. Lee Stringer did not know the surprise awaiting him outside his Pearl office building.
When Stringer stepped outside the 5th Squad office on a humid July morning, he was met with confetti canons, a cheering crowd and an oversized $200,000 check.
The money is a part of Lowe’s Hometown community impact grant – a five-year program centered around renovating and revitalizing community spaces. The money will be used to purchase and renovate a new space in Pearl for the nonprofit, which Stringer said could extend its reach to thousands of additional veterans and their families across the state.
Presenting the check was Tenesha Wells, a Lowe’s military recruiter and longtime 5th Squad volunteer. Stringer immediately cried when he saw her – embracing her as she stepped within arms reach.
“All of that hit me at one time,” Stringer later said. “It was just such a sense of gratitude that we were noticed and appreciated.”
Lowe’s Employees alongside 5th Squad members hold a check for $200,000 at 5th Squad Headquarters in Pearl on July 23, 2026. Credit: Courtesy: Lowe's Business TelevisionStringer is a 26-year military veteran who oversees the Army National Guard’s largest battalion and serves as 5th Squad’s president. He started the group alongside three friends in 2016. The four initial members were a part of the 184th Sustainment Command, and wanted a way to stay connected as they began moving into different facets of the Army.
It was around this same time that a fellow guardsman was struggling to pay his light bill of around $200, Stringer recalled. The guardsman had reached out to several other veteran organizations and was met with denial or extended wait times. He couldn’t afford to wait that long.
Members of the unit gathered and paid the man’s bill the same day. The initial bill payment would become the blueprint for 5th Squad’s quick reaction funding – which allows struggling veterans to reach out and receive same day bill payments.
5th Squad would continue to provide financial assistance and garner more active volunteers as word spread of their mission – so much so that a space was leased in 2021 to keep up.
The 1,200-square-foot building just south of downtown Jackson was mainly used for the group’s monthly meetings and for storage. 5th Squad would eventually move to a smaller space in Pearl two years later to host events for veterans and their families. The events served as a way to help veterans create a community – something Stringer struggled with when he left active duty.
“Those guys that I went downrange with, I created that connection with them,” Stringer said. “When I came off active duty and was just working a civilian job I missed that. It’s like a part of you was missing.”
5th Squad began seeing upwards of 100 people at its weekly events and quickly outgrew the 1,000-square-foot building in Pearl.
Stringer applied for Lowe’s Hometown grant program in March with a request for $100,000 to help find a larger space. In June he was informed 5th Squad was a top 100 finalist out of 6,000 applicants nationwide.
Lowe’s scheduled a consultation meeting with Stringer for its business cleaning and basic repair subscription the following month – an ordinary meeting in Stringer’s mind. It was only when Flowood Lowe’s store manager Cesare Della Valentina led Stringer outside and the cheers started that he realized what was happening.
The amount presented was double Stringer’s request, a surprise demonstrating the strength of his application, according to Lowe’s spokesperson Laurel Waller.
“Instead of making an investment that wouldn’t get the project across the finish line, Lowe’s decided to provide the needed investment to complete the project and allow the doors to open to veterans as soon as possible,” Lowe’s senior analyst Brett Baldeck stated.
5th Squad is one of what Lowe’s hopes will be 100 large scale projects funded this year.
“The opportunities are just endless at this point and it’s all because of Lowe’s selecting us out of all those people to do it,” Stringer said.
The organization plans to move out by November once its current lease ends. Stringer hopes the new venue will allow 5th Squad to begin professional counseling and collaboration projects with other nonprofits.
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