Building a Home for a Veteran

Client: Army SGT McCants
Date: Saturday, November 9, 2013

Home Depot Foundation donates $9,000 toward VETERAN BUILD materials.

Habitat for Humanity Sarasota VETERAN BUILD program was only a vision in 2011. The goal was to build homes for deserving military veterans – those individuals who have given so much to our country. Habitat Sarasota asked for donations to build the home, they asked for Veterans to apply to live there, and the community responded.

Three years later, construction is complete on the first VETERAN BUILD home. This 1,250 square-foot home with attached garage follows Energy Star efficiency guidelines. This dream was made possible with funds from the State of Florida Mortgage Settlement Funds, Bank of America, and many generous donors. Impact resistant windows and sliding glass doors were generously donated by PGT. Generous gifts from the community poured in and home furnishings were purchased from ReStore donations. As Ms. McCants opened her front door for the first time, she was greeted with a turn-key furnished home.

At the ground breaking in November 2013, guests had the opportunity to see the house plans and meet the soon-to-be homeowner, U.S. Army Sergeant (Ret.) McCants. While serving, McCants was assigned to the Army’s language school where she became fluent in Farsi and later served in Iraq and Afghanistan. She is a graduate of the University of South Florida with a degree in social work and joined the Army in 2008.

“I am humbled by the overwhelming support and generosity of the Habitat program,” says Ms. McCants.

A Saturday morning in February, the VFW Post 3233 participated in a paid TEAM BUILD at the job site. In addition to the paid sponsorship for the day’s build  which was raised by their Ladies and Men’s Auxillaries, additional funds were donated to add to the building fund for Ms. McCants.
The Alums have generously teamed with a few local members of the American Society of Interior Designers from Robb & Stucky to decorate the interior of the home with furnishings found at the Habitat for Humanity Sarasota ReStores.Bank of America TEAM BUILD volunteers spent a chilly Saturday morning in January 2014 raising the first walls at Ms McCants future Habitat for Humanity Sarasota home.