QUEEN CREEK — For a wounded veteran, the road to recovery can be long and difficult. There are times when a vet can wonder if anyone appreciates their sacrifice.
"I just thought I'd live out my days adapting and overcoming like I was taught in the Marine Corps," Corporal Yevgenity Shenker said.
In Queen Creek Saturday, Shenker and his family met people who do care. They're giving him a big thank you for his service and sacrifice.
In 2011 Shenker and six other Marines were severely injured in Afghanistan when an improvised explosive device detonated.
It took Shenker, who lost a leg, a year to learn how to walk again.
While Shenker can get around with the aid of a wheelchair, most homes are not built to accommodate wounded veterans. With assistance from Homes for Our Troops, local contractors and their new neighbors, the Shenker family will soon be living in a new specially built home which will provide the wounded veteran the access he lacks today.
"Most people take for granted walking outside. Take for granted walking through a doorway to go to the bathroom, taking a shower, taking a bath. This house will allow me to do those things on my own," Shenker said.
Homes for our Troops says it has raised the money to buy the land and build over 325 homes since 2004. The organization relies primarily on contributions from donors.
The houses are equipped with special adaptations for wounded veterans. For local contractor Charles Waiser, whose company is designing the kitchen, it's a labor of love.
"For us it's a way to give back," Waiser said. "We do see the vets struggle in the kitchen. We've been able to adapt them so they can get in cook their dinners, wash their dishes and get in and out of the bathroom."
Shenker's home is framed and the roof is coming soon. The freedom to live the life he wants is only months away.
