COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (KRDO) — Members of the Navy’s Seabees joined Pikes Peak Habitat for Humanity on Friday to build public housing in the Ridge at Sand Creek development.
“Finding affordable housing is becoming increasingly difficult in our country, and Habitat for Humanity has been working to provide affordable housing for decades,” said Eric Wells, construction manager for Pikes Peak Habitat for Humanity.
When asked about the Navy’s help, he replied: “They’re fantastic. I’d love to have them back next week, or the week after, or even next year.”
The Seabees rarely board ships. Instead, they are battle-hardened construction workers, building military structures along the coast and around the world. This week, they were building in Colorado Springs.
“Boats don’t really go up or near mountains, so it’s good to show the community that the Navy is here. They have a presence,” said Seabee Builder Third Class Kymberly Vecellio.
Vecellio has more than a basic knowledge of Colorado geography, having grown up in Colorado Springs before moving here to graduate from Pueblo West High School.
Her Lead Chief Petty Officer Taylor Reed, who also comes from Springs, accompanies her. Both are looking forward to making a difference in their home community.
“We can come back and show it to our kids and everyone else and say, ‘Oh, Mom helped build this house when she was in the Navy,'” Vecellio said.
“In the 20 years I have been in the Navy, this was probably one of the most enjoyable events I have ever experienced at a Navy event,” Reed said.
This is a good time for Reed, who is retiring from the Navy this February.
“It’s like the icing on the cake.”
The Seabees worked on three different homes at the Ridge at Sand Creek home build on Thursday and Friday. They also volunteered at Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore, which accepts donated vanities and building materials from construction projects. Before that, the SeaBees helped build a cat shelter in Teller County.
