WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — A Vietnam veteran struggling with housing security recently received a house from a Triad organization. 

What You Need To Know

  • A Vietnam veteran struggling with housing security recently received a house from a Triad organization

  • The giveaway was a part of the Whole Man Ministries’ Housing 4 Our Heroes program

  • They spent five months renovating a home in the Boston Thurmond neighborhood

Rudolph Coles got the keys to the house days before Christmas. Before that, he said he had been living in his sister’s basement for a little over a year.

“I really wanted my own house, doesn't have to be a big house, just a place to call my own,” Coles said. 

The giveaway was a part of the Whole Man Ministries’ Housing 4 Our Heroes program. The church partnered with the city of Winston-Salem, local electrician companies and other faith-based organizations for the initiative. They spent five months renovating a home in the Boston Thurmond neighborhood. 

Pastor Barry Washington, who started the initiative 12 years ago, said it is just a small way to thank military members for their service.

“Our veterans stood for us, and now it’s our turn to stand for them,” Washington said.

Coles said the Home Depot also donated a Christmas tree. He plans to celebrate the holidays in his new home with his family.