Veteran Family: Larry Andrews
Every once in a while, we get the opportunity to give back to someone who continues to selflessly give to others. Larry Andrews is one of those people. He is an honored Army veteran, who spent 8 months as a medical corpsman in Korea. During his time in the military, he sustained a back injury, but he was not considered disabled until after he left the service. Larry’s passion for people and his faith found him volunteering as a fire fighter and later as a licensed minister. He loves contributing to his community and spreading the word of God along the way.
Today, we have the chance to give a gift that will directly impact Larry’s life and well-being.
Larry lives in Wildwood with his wife, Barbara, on a large piece of property that he once bought from his father. While he enjoys working with his hands and takes pride in the beautiful lawn, his back problems and lack of income prevent him from keeping up with the property in the way he’d like to. His wife of ten years also suffers from health issues and has had multiple knee surgeries with difficult recoveries; Larry and Barbara are currently living with a leaking roof and a moldy interior, which only adds to their health complications. The mobile home is in poor condition and needs major help. With Habitat for Humanity of Lake-Sumter’s reputation for serving veterans, the local Mission United branch referred Larry as he has been unable to find help anywhere else.
Larry is now part of our Preservation and Repair program, and it has been determined that there will be three steps needed to get the home back to a safe state. While there are many repairs needed, the ones most prioritized are re-leveling the home, repairing the roof, and interior repairs to address safety concerns. Habitat for Humanity of Lake-Sumter has successfully completed the first step of re-leveling the home but needs donor support to underwrite the cost of the roof and interior. Even amongst the repairs needed, Larry finds peace in his home and he enjoys the good atmosphere he has created there. We are currently seeking donations to help Larry and his wife to live not only in a happy home, but a healthy one.
-Lauren Lester, Real Estate Advisor & Volunteer
To learn more about Larry Andrews and supporting Preservation & Repair in your community contact Lacie Himes at Lacie@HabitatLS.org or (352) 483-0434 x 146