Members of a Baptist church in Hampton, Virginia, unveiled a remodeled home for women veterans on Saturday after spending three years renovating the formerly neglected space.
The West End Baptist Church in Hampton saved $25,000 to go towards renovations to transform the space into what is now the Victory House, a transitional space for women veterans, 13News Now reported.
“We wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for your love and your giving, cause it was your giving that made this happen,” said Pastor Paul Thomas during the ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday.
The Victory House will not only provide women recently transitioning out of the military into civilian life an affordable place to live, it will also provide them with job training and access to medical care with the Hampton VA Medical Center three miles away.
The women will only have to pay $500 a month to access the home and its services. WAVY reported that the house hopes to start accepting residents on December 1.
“A lot of times, once [veteran women] they’re released from the military, they don’t even know where to get resources…they don’t know where to start,” said Vernissa Thomas, the church’s first lady and the person behind the idea of Victory House.
Vice Mayor of Hampton Jimmy Gray thanked the congregation for their work in lifting these women veterans out of poverty.
“Many [veteran women] fall on hard times and need a hand to lift them up and put them in a better position so that they can continue living a productive life, and I think that’s what this home is gonna do by providing a place to live and helping veterans make a transition and get the services they need,” said Gray.