STATESVILLE, N.C. — A Charlotte area veteran is sharing why he's extra thankful this Thanksgiving. The nonprofit Purple Heart Homes is helping make sure the hero has a safe place to call home.
David Adams served his country in the Navy during the Vietnam War. He served from 1965 to 1971, then again from 1974 to 1975.
David Adams says his service was never about him.
"I'm not doing it for myself, but for my country, for my family, for the people that I know and don't know," David Adams said.
David Adams served on board the USS Canberra. Because of his service, he now suffers from health issues, and he and his wife, Angela, needed some changes to their home.
But David Adams said help for veterans can be really difficult to navigate.
"The system is so big and so large and it's so slow, grinding to help the veterans," David Adams said. "Some veterans probably never get help."
That's where the Purple Heart Homes comes in.
They help fill those gaps and provide veterans with the solutions they need.
"They're doing things that no one else can do for veterans because every veteran has a different story and a different walk," David Adams said.
Purple Heart Homes provided the family with a new roof, a ramp, new hardwood floors, and even a new dishwasher. It's something they say the whole family came together to enjoy.
"That was like his celebration," Angela Adams said. "That was such a joy. We all enjoyed it, family and friends -- and it was really good."
To date, Purple Heart Homes has completed 951 projects and served more than 1,500 veterans.
That's something Angela Adams said she prays for daily.
"I'm praying for them daily to keep reaching out to people to help," Angela Adams said.
David Adams said Purple Heart Homes is following a well-known military slogan.
"No one is left behind, and this is what they are specifying to the veterans," David Adams said.
It's truly making a difference for the entire veteran community.