ORLANDO, Fla. — Veterans helping veterans is the focus of this week’s Everyday Hero.

There is a veteran in West Orange County who’s known for helping veterans rebuild their lives. Through his own nonprofit, he focuses on suicide prevention and raises funds for financial support to meet the treatment needs of Central Florida veterans.

What You Need To Know

Contractor and Navy veteran Kurt Gies volunteers his time with Habitat For Humanity, helping other veterans and their families get resources that they need

Gies also has his own nonprofit that provides veterans with a number of different resources, including helping guide them to proper channels for mental health resources

Helping others is part of Kurt Gies’ central makeup. He plans to be there with potential or prospective homeowners, ensuring they stay the course and are getting the ride resources to achieve success

Navy veteran Kurt Gies knows his way around a construction site. An engineer and home builder, Gies is on the board for the West Orange Habitat for Humanity.

He volunteers his time with construction projects and woth helping other veterans find a new forever home. 

“As a veteran, we hope that you have the ability to adapt into the civilian world, but a lot of them don’t — especially if they are struggling with post-traumatic stress,” Gies said.

In addition to volunteering with Habitat for Humanity, Gies helps veterans get mental health and other resources by way of his own nonprofit, Challenge 22.

 “As a veteran, I didn’t know about these nonprofits out there doing great work for veterans. I didn’t realize how many veterans were struggling,” Gies said.

He connects them to the most appropriate resources to get the help they need. For Tony and Koko — a married couple who both served in the U.S. Air Force, the husband, a Desert Storm veteran, and his wife, who met him while stationed in Guam — the need is a getting new permanent home. They are grateful that they will soon own an affordable home.

“It means the world to us because we never thought that we would have this opportunity again and to see everything that has happened,” Tony said.

Gies said, “So once we found this location, we called them back up, had his name there, and we called and they came in and they have just been super. They love the process, so they are embracing the process.”

A process and journey, Gies is happy to have a lasting impact helping veterans across Brevard County and Central Florida.

“He is really an incredible leader,” said Austin Arthur, who is president of West Orange Habitat for Humanity. “He is out there in the community every day fighting for our veterans, honoring those who served us, serving those who served us,” Arthur said.

Gies said he plans to be there at every turn, encouraging volunteers to stand with him in helping veterans like Tony and Koko get a new home. He said it’s a privilege they rightfully deserve.

“Most of these volunteers have no construction experience,” Gies said. “This is about just coming out and giving back, and we teach you what to do.”