Members of the Navy Reserve spent Veterans Day volunteering for Habitat for Humanity at a home that will go to an Army veteran and his family. They spent Friday laying sod at the house in Southeast Fort Worth.
"It's a great way to give back to our larger military community," said Navy Cmdr Kris Hooper. "We always look for opportunities to give back to the communities we serve."
The sailors were from Navy Reserve Region Readiness and Mobilization Command Fort Worth, known as REDCOM FW. Hooper says their work with Habitat for Humanity can help prepare a new home but can also give reservists a chance to work together on a project.
"It's great to get out of the office, work together as a team and do different things," he said. "I don't get the opportunity to lay sod very often, so this is an opportunity to do something fun with the crew."
Trinity Habitat is building several homes in the same neighborhood near East Loop 820 and Highway 287 in Southeast Fort Worth.
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"This went from an empty lot, and now it's becoming a tax-generating property," said Trinity Habitat's Liz Jackson. "This is a future homeowner, future board member, future community advocate, all these things."
Jackson said the reservists had recently finished volunteering at a construction site in Arlington. She had called them to ask if they were available Friday.
"They were still on the build site. I could hear them hammering," she says. "I said, 'Hey, we have this Veterans Day build coming up. Can your group show up?'"
People who receive homes from Trinity Habitat are first time homebuyers and will pay a mortgage. They are required to take financial literacy classes and classes on maintenance and repair.
"We have a mock house in our office area," Jackson said. "It has certain areas cut out so they can see what the pipes look like. They can see what the insulation looks like. They learn how to fix the toilet and learn the HVAC system."
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