This U.S. Navy Veteran is Going from Homeless to Habitat Homeowner!
Kenneth Dean (pictured left, with Lovejoy Councilwoman Mary Ann Carp) is a senior veteran who grew up in Macon, Georgia. He served in the Navy for 10 years as a Hospital Corpsman, providing life-saving medical care to Naval personnel and their families, working in orthopedics. He also spent 4 years working in the Marines, and served in four campaigns, including Desert Storm.
After getting out of the military, Kenneth suffered from medical issues of his own. He had both a heart attack and a stroke that put him out of work. He spent a month in the hospital and lost the ability of speech for 3 years. Thanks to disability benefits, he was able to finance these expensive medical costs, but the mortgage payments on his former home were too much.
“Unfortunately, I lost my house when I was hospitalized, but thanks to Habitat I got a second chance to own a house. I’m really glad,” Kenneth says.
Before being accepted to our program, Kenneth was even homeless for a brief time. Thankfully, his brother took him in and helped him complete the paperwork to become a SCHFH homeowner, and we just broke ground on his new home this October with The Home Depot Foundation.
“I can confess they’ve breathed new life in me. I’m honored that they chose me for the veteran program to build and I like to always thank them for that,” Kenneth says.
We really want to bring this veteran home, but we are still trying to raise the funds to complete Kenneth’s home.
His home will be one of five homes specifically marked for veterans in the 28 new home development of Hannah Springs in Lovejoy, Georgia. Like Kenneth tells us, “It’s always good to give back. I know that because I’m receiving what they are giving so I could say thank you so much, and please give.”
