SWFL veteran is living the American Dream thanks to Habitat

Reporter: Haley Zarcone
Published: Updated:

The dream of owning a home for a local veteran came true this week thanks to Habitat for Humanity.

Greg served as a combat medic in the U.S. Army. He said being a veteran and having a home isn’t always easy without the help from others.

habitat for humanity
Members of the community congratulate Greg on his new home in the Habitat Humanity neighborhood, Journey Together.

“Veterans need help, and sometimes veterans tend not to ask for help, so Habitat was very, very helpful, and to get me into this program, and then all the sponsors that came out, I didn’t realize this many people. So veterans are in need, and I’m one of them, and I’m very thankful,” he said.

Habitat for Humanity’s Veterans Build Initiative built their first home of the program for Lee and Hendry counties for Greg. Vice President of Strategic Partnership Team for Habitat for Humanity, Elisha Baird, said the goal of the initiative is to bring awareness to the need for affordable housing for veterans.

This past fall is when Baird was first introduced to Greg, as they put up the framework for his home. She said, since then, she knew how much this project meant to him.

Baird said, “He was just beaming with so much excitement to be able to finally have a solution to affordable housing, and so his partnership has meant a lot to so many supporters here in Lee County that have come alongside of him to help build this home to raise funds to help pay for the home to make his mortgage affordable.”

A Vet’s “Dream” Key

Wednesday, with the help of Habitat for Humanity volunteers, community leaders with the City of Fort Myers and friends of Greg, he was handed a symbolic key to his home. Greg signed the closing paperwork to his home in the coming days, but Wednesday his new place was celebrated.

“Each one of our homeowners received a symbolic key and has a word imprinted on it,” said Baird, “and his work was a dream because he’s achieved the American dream of homeownership, and so when he goes to the closing table as soon as possibly tomorrow, he can have that key cut into his home key, his first front door.”

praying over Gregs home
People at the dedication for Greg’s home pray over his new asset and the memories to be made there.

Working towards this dream has a process. It’s a process that comes with owning property, but Greg has found beauty in the journey, knowing he is one step closer to his forever home.

He said, “When I started this journey, I didn’t know that it would be, you know, so hard to go through, but it’s worth [it]. I had the opportunity to pay into myself and help build my credit and pay into building my own home. That’s the most important thing and a place to stay for my kids when they do return. That’s important to me.”

From One Veteran to Another

City of Fort Myers Mayor Kevin Anderson has seen Greg’s home come together from start to finish. As a veteran himself, he knew when he heard Habitat for Humanity was helping Greg build his dream home he wanted to have a hand in the hard work.

During the dedication of Greg’s home, Anderson gave the following speech saying, “Your house is built with construction materials, wood, screws, nails and all the different materials. But the home is built with love, and right from the very first day when those walls went up, you could tell this house was being built with love, and I know that Greg and his family are just going to have years of making great memories and happiness over the years, for years and years.”

Anderson said he knows that buying a home in this market in Fort Myers is no easy feat, furthermore for a veteran. The “Journey Together” community where Greg’s home is, is also home to dozens of other new homeowners who were helped at the hands of Habitat for Humanity.

flag and emblem
Along with his home, Greg received a number of goodies including an American flag and metal Habitat for Humanity emblem.

This newly built community is something the Mayor of Fort Myers is happy to see come to fruition. “While this project is only 29 homes, that’s 29 more homes that we didn’t have yesterday that may come in handy now,” said Anderson, “so it’s just very, it touches the heart to see someone like Greg especially is then able get their first home.”

Greg will soon be handed the official keys to his home once the closing papers are finalized. He is the first veteran of this initiative with the Lee and Hendry counties’ Habitat for Humanity to become a homeowner.

Another veteran will be moved into their home thanks to this initiative by this summer.

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