Vietnam veteran gets new home after Hurricane Helene damage
By Nate Stanley
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OLD FORT, North Carolina (WYFF) — A Vietnam War veteran is finally getting a home one year after Hurricane Helene destroyed his property.
David Hostettor was smiling from ear to ear Tuesday as he was surprised with a brand new temporary tiny home. A year ago, Hurricane Helene made his hand-built home uninhabitable.
“Everything is just totally soaked and black mold up to here, and it’s just not livable,” he says.
His story reached the ears of Isaac Guffey, a member of the Pay It Forward Network in Old Fort.
“There’s still houses being built. Some of us were getting ready. We got some decks that we got to build for other veterans. Then also we’re getting ready to start a bridge project, too, so they can actually have access to their home. They haven’t been to their house in over a year,” Guffey says.
He joined groups like Bat Cave Disaster Relief, Helene Rising, and Appalachian United Initiative to help David. Crews visited his house earlier this month to rebuild his washed-away driveway.
The home was built by Amish volunteers in partnership with Just For Him Ministries.
“I didn’t know what I was looking at at first. And then it rang, the bell hit, and I said, home, it’s gonna be home,” Hostettor says.
David wants his story to motivate others facing hard times.
“Everything goes in a cycle. As soon as it gets bad as it can get, it gets as good as it can get. So when it’s bad, just wait. It’s going to get better. If you end it, you’ll never know how it’s going to turn out. So keep breathing, keep praying,” he says.
If you want to help or donate to the groups, you’re encouraged to visit the organizations’ websites.
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