Evansville house to be become temporary housing for veterans

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (AP) - Because Steve Perry served 20 years in the armed forces, he knows the challenges that face veterans when they return home -- if they have one.

"Somebody told me once that whoever goes over never comes back the same," Perry said. "You're away from family, often in a third-world country. ... It makes you see things in another light."

Perry, who works for Home Depot in Paducah, Kentucky, is part of the team renovating the James Bethel Gresham Memorial Home on Wedeking Avenue, which will be transformed into temporary housing for veterans in need.

The project is a collaboration between Home Depot and ECHO Housing.

"I love this," Perry said. "I think it's an awesome thing for people to be doing."

He said having a space for veterans to readjust to life is important for any community.

"You don't realize unless you've been away what it takes to protect our freedom," Perry said. "As a veteran, I appreciate veterans."

Cameron Lutz with Home Depot said the project took shape when he went to Mayor Lloyd Winnecke and asked what their company could do for the community.

"I grew up in Evansville," Lutz said. "So I was really looking for ways to give back to the Evansville community."

Winnecke's office partnered Home Depot with ECHO Housing, and with the grants and additional donations, work began on the memorial home last month.

"This will serve as a home for homeless vets or those seeking jobs," Lutz said. "This will help them get back on their feet."

Lutz said Home Depot secured $16,000 for the project, which recruited Home Depot workers from around the area to contribute to the building process.

"Everybody's come together to get this project off the ground," he said. "Our veterans have done a lot for us; they've sacrificed a lot."

The renovations in the house consist of mounting new countertops and cabinets, installing bathroom utilities, constructing the ceiling, flooring and walls in the basement and replacing lighting.

"Through this, we're not just giving back to the Evansville community, but we're providing something people truly need," Lutz said. "We could help people right in this neighborhood."

Stephanie TenBarge, executive director of ECHO Housing, said she's passionate about serving veterans because her father served in two wars.

"I was raised in a military family," she said. "This is near and dear to my heart."

TenBarge said the James Bethel Gresham Memorial Home will be special for veterans because it was the home of the reported first casualty in World War I.

"Veterans are so grateful for everything they get," she said. "With the historic nature of this house, I hope they will identify and have a sense of pride being here."

TenBarge said the finished house, which is set for a ribbon-cutting in November, will serve as an office for ECHO's veteran program during the day and have six beds for veterans at night.

"To see something historic not be town down and instead be turned into this is great," she said. "This is in honor of people who served our country."

___

Source: Evansville Courier and Press, http://bit.ly/2sYDAVC

___

Information from: Evansville Courier & Press, http://www.courierpress.com