WINSTON-SALEM—A Winston-Salem veteran who was homeless for more than a year now has a place to call his own. He's the first to move into one of five renovated houses on Cameron Avenue.
A year and a half after the Homes For Our Heroes building project launched on Sept. 11, 2013, Vietnam veteran Soloman Gore received the keys to his brand new house.
"It is lovely, and it's a godsend,” Gore said. “I can't stop saying 'Thank you Jesus!' I can't stop smiling enough."
Gore hasn't had a place to call his own for 18 months.
"My house caught on fire, and that's how I got in this situation,” he said.
"This house took about $137,000 to rehab from the top to the bottom,” said Pastor Barry Washington with Whole Man Ministries. “Between 800 to 1,000 volunteers are who made it possible. The building you see here today is 98 percent donated or through volunteer time."
"A stress has been lifted off my chest,” Gore said. “I can live free."
The next step for Homes For Our Heroes project leaders is to open the house next door. The only thing they need now is a plumber to get things going.
They're hoping to have it open by this summer, along with three other houses on Cameron Avenue.
"We have other agencies that refer veterans here,” said project housing coordinator Gerald Green. “We assess each individual as the calls come in."
It’s a chance to complete the circle of service and duty to one's country and community.
"Thank God for good people,” Gore said.
For more information on how you can help with Homes For Our Heroes, including a 5K coming up in June to raise money for the organization, just visit wholemanministries.com.