The Pearl River County Ministerial Alliance has worked with Habitat for Humanity and the Home Depot Foundation to come up with a way to repay veterans in Pearl River County for their lifetime of service to this country.
“They’ve been serving us their whole life. It’s only right that we give back to them,” Minister David Lee Hughes, secretary of the Pearl River County Ministerial Alliance, said. “It seems like when they get back to the states, they get thrown to the side. We want them to know that their sacrifices will never go unnoticed.”
On February 11, a community meeting will be held at 9 a.m. at The Lighthouse International Pentecostal Church, located at 1001 South Highway 11 in Picayune. At the meeting, local veterans will receive detailed information about the program and have an opportunity to sign up for repairs to their house.
In order to be eligible for the home improvements, participants must own the home and have served or currently serve in the U.S. Armed Forces. Also, homeowners can’t owe outstanding taxes or be behind on mortgage payments.
Representatives of the Ministerial Alliance and other contributing foundations will evaluate the homes for repair estimates, which cannot exceed $15,000, Hughes said. The homeowner only has to pay five percent of the total repair.
The idea of improving the homes of veterans originated several years ago in Waveland, Hughes said. But as a Picayune resident, Hughes said he saw a need for home repairs in Pearl River County.
“When I drive around Picayune, I see some houses that elderly people live in that look damaged. One time as I was walking around, I asked an older gentleman in one of the houses if he was a veteran, and he told me ‘yes.’ After that, I made a promise that I would help him out and it’s great to see that coming to life now,” Hughes said.
The focus of the effort is to provide roof and floor repairs, which can be done under the budget. However, the program does not fund add-ons or work that requires a permit.
After a veteran signs up, workers and volunteers of Habitat for Humanity Bay-Waveland Area, the Ministerial Alliance and Home Depot Foundation will do the rest.
If veterans are not able to attend the meeting, Hughes said they can call and schedule a meeting to sign up and fill out the proper paperwork at a later date.