A West Virginia veteran will get the keys to a new home on Wednesday.
It will be the first home given to a Mountain State veteran through the Military Warriors Support Foundation’s “Homes 4 Wounded Heroes” program. As part of it, the home has been completely paid for and renovated to meet the needs of the veteran and his or her family members.
“It’s going to be a complete surprise (for the recipient),” said U.S. Marine Rick Clay, a West Virginia veteran who works with the Military Warriors Support Foundation.
The keys to the home will be presented during a ceremony at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Charleston’s Haddad Riverfront Park.
A number of West Virginia’s elected leaders will be on hand for the presentation along with the parents of Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, the most lethal sniper in U.S. history. A fellow veteran shot and killed Kyle at a gun range in February.
The Military Warriors Support Foundation awards mortgage free homes to wounded men and women who were injured during combat in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The homes are for families who have severe or unique circumstances due to their service injuries. Along with the home, they receive three years of family and financial mentoring assistance.
Since 2010, 300 homes, usually valued between $150,000 and $250,000, have been awarded to wounded veterans in 35 states.
“Even though this is the first West Virginia warrior to receive a home, we will be looking for other West Virginia warriors. This is, by no means, not the last,” Clay said on Tuesday’s MetroNews Talkline.
Ticketmaster is helping raise money for “Homes 4 Wounded Heroes.” Over the next six weeks, people buying tickets through Ticketmaster will be asked to contribute $5 to the cause.
You can read more about the work of the Military Warriors Support Foundation at www.militarywarriors.org.