A Nov. 14 fire at Emmanuel House, a nonprofit veterans' residence in Detroit, Michigan, left four former servicemembers without homes. Helpful officials at the state's AmeriCorps chapter, however, helped the men find a rental home.
According to the Detroit News, the four men who had been living in the transitional home had experienced hardships before, as all of them had post-traumatic stress disorder. One of the residents, 63-year-old David Addison, had been homeless before receiving a spot in the home, which helps veterans transition to independent living.
It was Ben Elliott, 46, who noticed flames and smoke upon arriving home. He alerted his roommates, and the residents attempted to stop the fire in order to save the two service dogs living in the house. Fortunately, all of the men were spared, in addition to Cookie, the dog who belonged to Elliott. The other pet, Little Man, was lost in the flames, as were nearly all of the veterans' belongings, reported Detroit News.
Macomb Daily News explained that AmeriCorps veterans resource navigator Bill Mowder heard about the situation and decided to see what he could do to help. As an Air Force veteran who served in both the Vietnam and Gulf wars, he took a strong interest in assisting the men. He located a rental property in the city and contacted the owner, who happened to be a Navy veteran himself. He not only agreed to rent to the group of former soldiers, but offered to install new appliances. The men moved in immediately, gaining a new roommate as well as a new dog.
"It's got some quirks and we're getting used to it. But it's got a backyard for Cookie and that's something we really like," Elliott told the Detroit News.