LEE, Fla. (WTXL) — After more than a year of living in a motel, a Madison County veteran and his wife are finally back home.
- A Madison County veteran and his wife are finally seeing their new home.
- Ed and Sandra Brown have lived in a motel since losing their home a year ago.
- Watch the video below to see how a Veterans Day delivery became a gift of comfort and community.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
When we first met Ed and Sandra Brown in September, they were still living in a motel after losing their home in Hurricane Helene.
Ed is a disabled veteran in his 80s who has spent more than a year away from the land he and his wife love.
That changed Tuesday. With the assistance of Starfish Disaster Recovery, EmergencyRV.org loaned the Browns a park model camper for as long as they need.
Ed says it feels good to finally be back on their property, and having a place to stay means more than he could ask for.
“It’s fantastic. Coming from a hotel where we’ve been last year, this is like heaven compared to that. We’re lucky people to have this,” Ed said.
A local volunteer, Tony Uphold, cleared the driveway and brought out a generator so crews could test the well water before the setup.
That same volunteer also made space for his semi-truck to deliver the camper on Veterans Day.
Now in place, Catholic Charities of Florida will cover the cost of building a wheelchair ramp to make the home safe and accessible again.
Sandra says having this new opportunity to live comfortably again makes Veterans Day feel even more meaningful.
“With him being a veteran, you know, I’m lucky to have him. He went and he served his country, and I’m proud of him for that,” Sandra said.
“Well thank you, baby. You’ve never said that before,” Ed responded.
“I am. You did your part,” Sandra replied.
Starfish co-founder Sher Alloway and lead caseworker Cathy Cooley say the Browns’ journey reflects what many families in Madison County are still facing more than a year after the storm.
“It’s just so rewarding to see a family get back, you know, in their home. You know, you just try to make them whole again and give them their dignity back,” Alloway said.
“This is great, but there’s still so many in Madison County that are homeless. I mean, and my heart breaks every day that I can’t help them,” Cooley said.
Starfish Disaster Recovery is now working with Mustard Seed of Central Florida to help other families who are still without permanent housing after Hurricane Helene.
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