Members and patrons of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6602 here are known for their camaraderie and loyalty to one another, and these traits shone through when VFW member Roy Owens and several other volunteers pitched in to renovate the home of Hinesville resident Roger Reed.
Reed suffers from several chronic illnesses—some a result of Agent Orange exposure during his time in the service, Owens said. When he visited Reed’s home in June, Owens saw the house had sustained water damage and was in general need of repairs that Reed was unable to make. That’s when Owens looked to his fellow veterans for help.
“I asked the VFW for assistance and they were gracious enough to give money to fix it,” Owens said.
Earlier this month, the post offered $1,500 to purchase materials for replacing floors, ceilings and walls, and several people stepped up to offer their handyman skills while Reed spent time recovering from surgery on his leg.
Tammy Stacy, manager at the Hinesville post, said Reed is a beloved member and is thankful to the people who came together to help. “They really came together for this guy. Everyone loves him,” she said.
Rick Beckstead, who is not a VFW member but is a patron and friend of members, donated his time and carpentry expertise to the project. “It’s important to volunteer because it’s a bad time for everybody,” he said. “We should always help one another.”
Beckstead said the work, which took nearly two weeks to complete, consisted of tearing out and replacing floors, installing vinyl tiles, replacing joists and leveling the ceilings in the home.
The house was also modified so Reed can better navigate the rooms using either a wheelchair or a walker. As many as eight people at a time worked on the house to get it in shape for Reed’s return from the hospital, Beckstead said.
“Rick did some wonderful work,” Owens said. He also praised the efforts of fellow volunteers Kenny Geackel, Charles Browning, Paul Mangon, Neal Owens and Reed’s son Chip, who is a VFW member, Owens said.
He also noted the assistance of Downs Lumber Company in procuring building materials.
“We just had some great help,” Owens said. “As veterans, that’s what we’re supposed to do, help each other out. And we don’t do that enough.”
Reed suffers from several chronic illnesses—some a result of Agent Orange exposure during his time in the service, Owens said. When he visited Reed’s home in June, Owens saw the house had sustained water damage and was in general need of repairs that Reed was unable to make. That’s when Owens looked to his fellow veterans for help.
“I asked the VFW for assistance and they were gracious enough to give money to fix it,” Owens said.
Earlier this month, the post offered $1,500 to purchase materials for replacing floors, ceilings and walls, and several people stepped up to offer their handyman skills while Reed spent time recovering from surgery on his leg.
Tammy Stacy, manager at the Hinesville post, said Reed is a beloved member and is thankful to the people who came together to help. “They really came together for this guy. Everyone loves him,” she said.
Rick Beckstead, who is not a VFW member but is a patron and friend of members, donated his time and carpentry expertise to the project. “It’s important to volunteer because it’s a bad time for everybody,” he said. “We should always help one another.”
Beckstead said the work, which took nearly two weeks to complete, consisted of tearing out and replacing floors, installing vinyl tiles, replacing joists and leveling the ceilings in the home.
The house was also modified so Reed can better navigate the rooms using either a wheelchair or a walker. As many as eight people at a time worked on the house to get it in shape for Reed’s return from the hospital, Beckstead said.
“Rick did some wonderful work,” Owens said. He also praised the efforts of fellow volunteers Kenny Geackel, Charles Browning, Paul Mangon, Neal Owens and Reed’s son Chip, who is a VFW member, Owens said.
He also noted the assistance of Downs Lumber Company in procuring building materials.
“We just had some great help,” Owens said. “As veterans, that’s what we’re supposed to do, help each other out. And we don’t do that enough.”