Pulling up in a vehicle with his wife and two daughters, Marine veteran Kevin Raposo is about to experience a life changing moment Wednesday.
“Thank you everybody, wow,” said Kevin, waving to more than two dozen folks gathered outside a Mesa home.
Those gathered with him serves as a reminder of the sacrifices he and his family have made and that they don't go overlooked. Raposo had a fourteen-year career where he served three tours of combat, missed the birth of a child and returned home with severe PTSD.
“PTSD is a very real thing our soldiers experience and for them to have to battle that along with other daily life things it can be debilitating,” said Cody Brannon with Building Homes for Heroes.
To ease the burdens of our troops, the nonprofit makes miracles happen. The Raposo's getting their first looking inside their new home, one that comes completely mortgage-free. An incredible gift as part of military appreciation month.
“The last fifteen years we’ve probably lived in eight different homes, just here in Arizona we’ve moved four times in five years,” said Kevin.
Like so many of our soldiers, Kevin’s journey back into civilian life has had its challenges.
“There was a lot of things I dealt with while I was there, physical and mental, that kind of carried over into my civilian world,” said Kevin.
His wife Christina has worked hard to help him heal while they struggled to make ends meet.
“I mean my wife was the background hero, she deals with my shenanigans, she dealt with the military shenanigans, she was a huge part in me getting the VA rating I deserved,” said Kevin.
This special moment also shared alongside Christina’s parents.
“For my family who I love and adore, who deserve this more than anything, I’m so thankful and feel so blessed,” said her mother, Carol Coury.
The home comes thanks to a partnership with JP Morgan Chase which provided more than a thousand mortgage-free homes to veterans since 2011.
“Tore up all the old floors, put brand new flooring in, put new cabinets in, new facets, new countertops,” said Brannon.
All of it to give our bravest a fresh start and best chance to enjoy the freedoms they helped provide.
“This is amazing, I’m blown away,” said Christina.
“Get ready Mesa the Raposo family is here,” said Kevin with a laugh.