Independence Day this week reminds us of the sacrifices made by many of our veterans and their families. And the strong military presence in El Paso County means Pikes Peak Habitat has the opportunity to work with a lot of veterans — as homeowners, as volunteers, as contractors, and as staff.
Veterans Build Home Dedication
This coming Saturday, July 8, we’re celebrating with Army veteran Karmen as she achieves her dream of homeownership. Karmen and her two sons will receive the keys to their home at a dedication ceremony held at 10:30 a.m. at 5303 Beauport Dr., Colorado Springs, CO 80915.
Karmen grew up with a single mom who worked hard to support her four daughters but was never able to afford a home. After graduating from high school, Karmen enlisted in the Army and enrolled in a for-profit college, but the school turned out to be fraudulent — leaving her with student loan debt but no degree. As a single mom herself, she faced obstacles to career advancement. And for Karmen, as for a lot of Colorado Springs workforce employees, affording a house or even a market-rate apartment was impossible. She has relied on relatives, Section 8, and funds through the Violence Against Women Act to keep a roof over her and her sons’ heads.
“When we were house hunting we got a bunch of impossibles, but now with Habitat it’s possible!” says Karmen.
She’s excited about joining the Pikes Peak Habitat community at The Ridge at Sand Creek. She’s already gotten to know her future neighbors through ground blessings, home dedications, maintenance classes, and her sweat equity — which included landscaping her next-door neighbor’s yard, as well as her own.
In April, Karmen’s future home received its roof, thanks to Owens Corning’s Roof Deployment Project for veterans, which donated the materials. A local company, Integrity Roofing and Painting, supplied the labor.
“As a veteran-owned and -operated company,” says Aaron Dunbar, Integrity’s director of commercial roofing, “giving back to someone that has sacrificed and served our nation is heartfelt by everyone.”
Karmen says, “I will always be thankful they came and touched my home.”
Veteran and Family Receive New Roof on Century-Old Home
Karmen isn’t the only veteran to receive a new roof recently. Again thanks to Pikes Peak Habitat’s partnership with Owens Corning, Army veteran Ed and his wife, Jennifer, are loving the brand-new roof on their century-old home just east of downtown Colorado Springs.
In June, Owens Corning’s Roof Deployment Project partnered with local contractor MD Roofing and Solar, who donated the labor to replace the old roof, which consisted of three layers of shingles nailed onto boards. The boards were so widely spaced that when the shingles were removed, the sun shone into the attic between the gaps!
The roofing crew nailed plywood sheets onto the old boards before placing shingles. They also removed two chimneys that no longer connected to anything in the house and could have led to leaks.
When the roofers took a break, Jennifer thanked each of them personally for their work. She says she looks forward to many good memories under the new roof. She serves as caregiver for her mother, who has Alzheimers, and also provides daycare for her grandchildren. Thinking of the family’s future in the house, she says, “Four generations happy in this home.”
Earlier this spring, the family received new windows and an upgrade to their electric, thanks to Habitat for Humanity’s Repair Corps program, funded by The Home Depot Foundation.
Honoring Veterans Who Volunteer
At our annual Volunteer Appreciation Event in April, we recognized our volunteers who are veterans with special t-shirts that read “Serve. Protect. Build.” You might spot volunteers wearing these shirts at the construction site and the ReStores!
“I love the concept of honoring our veterans that are continuing to serve, and in building a home, they’re protecting,” says Dusty Last, ReStore volunteer coordinator and a veteran herself. “A decent place to live is one of the best forms of protection a family can have.”
