Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Brad Mincey | Bill Ivey, Executive Director of Homes for Our Troops, welcomes S.C. National...... read more read more
CHAPIN, S.C. – Soldiers, family, friends and members of the community attended a reception at the Chapin Town Hall July 30, 2016 to welcome a wounded South Carolina National Guard member to the community and his new home currently being built.
Sgt. Robert Barber, 133rd Military Police Company, will receive a house being constructed by Homes for Our Troops, which builds residences specifically designed for those with prosthesis or using wheel chairs. There are no steps or ramps to climb. The sinks and counters are built lower, the hallways are wider and the bathrooms are modified to fit the needs of the injured Soldier.
“We are nothing less than ecstatic about getting our home,” said Barber. “We’ve known about it for a while because it is a long process. But we are excited about having been accepted and be one of the recipients of these homes.”
A little more than four years ago, Barber was at a dismounted traffic control point in Khowst, Afghanistan conducting a routine patrol with other members of his squad. A suicide bomber set off an Improvised Explosive Devise (IED), and Barber lost most of both legs.
He was taken to several medical facilities, and eventually ended up at Walter Reid Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland where he completed his recovery. Once he was released, he and his family lived in several homes, but none of them met their needs. This is where the house from Home for Our Troops is beneficial to Barber and his family because of the alterations made to the construction of the home to cater to his requirements.
“This helps to alleviate some of the stress from your spouse and makes it easier to interact with my kids. It allows me to get my independence back,” said Barber. “It is going to make it easier for me to do everyday chores around the home. I won’t have to worry about tripping on carpet because there are wood floors throughout the house. This is going to be a huge burden off my shoulders, and my family’s shoulders.”
The home is being built in a Chapin neighborhood, and the deed to the completed house is expected be in the Barber family’s hands near the end of 2016 or the beginning of 2017.
“We chose this area for several reasons,” said Barber. “We have three children and we wanted a good school district for them to attend. It was the furthest away I could get from a being city and still have a good school district. The community has been very supportive all the way around.”
Homes for Our Troops is a non-profit organization that builds more than 40 homes a year for seriously injured and disabled Soldiers.
“These homes would normally cost about $420 thousand on average,” said Barber. “Homes for Our Troops have built more than 220 homes so far for Soldiers. These guys are really awesome. They really know what the Soldier needs. Homes for Our Troops even provides backup home generators for those guys who have medical devices that need charging. I can’t say enough about them and I can’t thank them enough.”
| Date Taken: | 07.30.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 08.07.2016 14:32 |
| Story ID: | 206349 |
| Location: | CHAPIN, SC, US |
| Web Views: | 172 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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