Authored By Chloé Morrison

On his first wedding anniversary with his wife, United States Navy veteran Jeff Howard was low on cash so instead of buying a gift, he made one of her favorite dishes—strawberry cheesecake. His wife, Sarah, and her parents loved Howard's homemade creation. "This led me to continue trying to improve my recipe and the entire technique involved," he said via email. "By Christmas of 2017, I broke down and decided to give this whole cheesecake business a real shot." Now he and Sarah run the growing business, called American Cheesecakes. He's the sole baker and she handles the money. Since the launch, the company's Facebook page has grown from 25 fans—many of whom were family members—to nearly 1,200 people who support the business. Howard recently launched a website to streamline the ordering process. Howard requests 24-hour notice and offers free delivery. And the duo gives back to causes they believe in. After joining the navy in 2007, Howard was sent to Iraq. In 2011, he volunteered to go to Afghanistan, he said. He helped build schools, bridges and trained soldiers in the Afghanistan Army. "After I returned home from war, PTSD took complete control; I was digging my own grave with no regard for myself or others," Howard said. Then he discovered the music of the Newsboys and the song, "God's Not Dead." That changed his life and he wanted to "return the favor to others in need of the same inspiration." Last July, he and Sarah raised more than $900 through cheesecake sales to help the Newsboys' partnership with Baja Christian Ministries, which shares messages from the Bible and builds housing for those in need. Howard also takes 20 percent of each sale and uses it to help Chattanooga, he said. His efforts include helping families buy groceries or helping fellow veterans through Community For Heros, he said. "The biggest thing I want our community to know is that we love this town and we love this country," he said. And with the news that The Cheesecake Factory is coming to town, Howard wants people to consider his small business as an alternative. "I put my heart and soul into our products and I just want to keep spreading the word that we are here and we are ready to bake," he said.