LEE, Fla. (WTXL) \u2014 After more than a year of living in a motel, a Madison County veteran and his wife are finally back home.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Madison County veteran returns home after losing everything in Hurricane Helene<\/p>\n
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:<\/p>\n
When we first met Ed and Sandra Brown in September, they were still living in a motel after losing their home in Hurricane Helene.<\/p>\n
Ed is a disabled veteran in his 80s who has spent more than a year away from the land he and his wife love.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s fantastic. Coming from a hotel where we\u2019ve been last year, this is like heaven compared to that. We\u2019re lucky people to have this,\u201d Ed said.<\/p>\n
A local volunteer, Tony Uphold, cleared the driveway and brought out a generator so crews could test the well water before the setup.<\/p>\n
That same volunteer also made space for his semi-truck to deliver the camper on Veterans Day.<\/p>\n
Now in place, Catholic Charities of Florida will cover the cost of building a wheelchair ramp to make the home safe and accessible again.<\/p>\n
Sandra says having this new opportunity to live comfortably again makes Veterans Day feel even more meaningful.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith him being a veteran, you know, I\u2019m lucky to have him. He went and he served his country, and I\u2019m proud of him for that,\u201d Sandra said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell thank you, baby. You\u2019ve never said that before,\u201d Ed responded.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am. You did your part,\u201d Sandra replied.<\/p>\n
Starfish co-founder Sher Alloway and lead caseworker Cathy Cooley say the Browns\u2019 journey reflects what many families in Madison County are still facing more than a year after the storm.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s 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,\u201d Alloway said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is great, but there\u2019s still so many in Madison County that are homeless. I mean, and my heart breaks every day that I can\u2019t help them,\u201d Cooley said.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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