MORRISON, Colo (KDVR) — A Colorado veteran received a new custom home Saturday, thanks to a non-profit called Homes For Our Troops.
Navy Hospital Corpsman Joel Booth had his right leg amputated below the knee after an explosion in Afghanistan in 2011.
Booth says he often uses a wheelchair to relieve stress on his prosthetic leg, a task that’s not so easy in his 1,000 square foot Jefferson County home.
“Being in a wheelchair is great, but if you can’t move around your home, what good does it do?” he said.
Homes For Our Troops heard his story and offered to build him a custom home on a site of his choosing.
Saturday, dozens gathered at the home for a ceremonial ribbon cutting.
“We don’t see what we do as charity,” CEO Tom Landwermeyer said. “We see it as a moral obligation as citizens of our country to repay a small portion of debt that can never completely be repaid.”
Booth said the home will allow him to better care for his daughter and focus on his job without worrying about getting around the house.
“Being afforded a home like this is more than I ever thought,” Booth said.