An Army veteran dedicated to helping other veterans in a crisis center received the surprise of a lifetime when she received a mortgage-free home donated by the Veterans Association of Real Estate Professionals and Bank of America.
Retired staff Sgt. Nikita Wilson, who served in the U.S. Army between 2004 and 2014, spent the last half of her military career as a victim’s advocate with the Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention division, WKMG reported.
“This is something I don’t have to think about again, no notices on the door, no question about if I’ll be able to pay it this month or do I have to be concerned about those types of things,” Wilson said.
Before she received the house, Wilson had been living in a one-bedroom apartment in Tampa and had dreams of becoming a homeowner.
Thanks to the donation, Wilson will be able to live in her three-bedroom Pine Hills home mortgage-free while she still works to help other veterans in crisis.
“The greatest gift of all from this opportunity is a new level of freedom to do what I was created to do. Show people that they can overcome tragedy, see their true worth, rebuild their lives, and pay it forward,” Wilson said.
Wilson is not the first veteran to receive a mortgage-free home. A wounded Marine veteran recently received a mortgage-free home in Savannah thanks to the nonprofit Building Homes for Heroes.