Copyright KRDO
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - Pikes Peak Habitat for Humanity went above and beyond to give back to one local veteran and his family on the weekend before Veterans' Day. "I mean, it's just amazing. I walked through that house, and I was like, 'Oh my god,' this is home. I'm home. I finally made it. I am so blessed," Barbara Hamilton could barely contain her excitement. This weekend, Barbara Hamilton and Willie Bell became the sixth military family given a brand new home by Pikes Peak Habitat for Humanity. Each house built by Habitat for Humanity takes about 3,000 hours of volunteer work to build. While this was built for a veteran, it was most likely partially built by veterans, too. The organization tells KRDO13 that they often work with veterans or soldiers getting ready to transition out to civilian life. The goal is to give them opportunities to learn trades like carpentry or electrical, skills they could use to find a job or take care of their own homes. Habitat for Humanity says the area where Willie and Barbara currently live is unsafe—they hear gunshots, cars have been stolen from the parking lot, and Barbara says she’s afraid to even walk to her car at night. Their building also doesn’t have air conditioning, making it a health hazard because Barbara suffers from neuropathy, vertigo, and seizures that can be triggered by heat. Willie is a veteran of the Army and first came to the Pikes Peak Region in 1988 when he was stationed at Ft Carson. Barbara didn't serve in the military herself, but her father fought in the Vietnam War, and her brother spent nearly three decades in the armed forces.
