Habitat for Humanity of Effingham County is excited to announce a groundbreaking event for a “Veterans Build” project which will give a veteran and her family in a home of their own.

Who: Cristal Boyles, an honorably discharged Army veteran with combat experience in Desert Storm and three other assignments in Southeast Asia.

What: Groundbreaking for a new home, funded for a veteran by donations from Effingham County residents and businesses

Where: 625 Dewitt Road, Springfield, GA 31329

When: 11 a.m. Saturday, April 26

Contact: Jimmy Rutland, Executive Director, 912-826-6433

Tommy Blewett, President,  912-663-4915

Homelessness, as well as a shortage of decent and affordable housing, is a growing problem for America’s veterans. Habitat for Humanity of Effingham County, like many Habitat chapters, chose to address this problem by designating a home specifically for a veteran and his/her family.

The home will be built for Cristal Boyles, who is the mother of two sons, Levi and Alexander, and wife of long-time Habitat for Humanity volunteer Larry Boyles. Cristal enlisted at the age of 19 in 1987 and was trained as a motor vehicle operator and administrative specialist. She is an expert marksman with the hand grenade and M-16 Rifle.

Her decorations include the Army Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Army Lapel Button, Good Conduct Medal, Driver Badge, Humanitarian Service Medal, Overseas Service Ribbon, Southwest Asia Service Medal with three Bronze Stars, Kuwait Liberation Medal and the Army Achievement Medal.

Habitat for Humanity’s history in Effingham County began back in 1998, and since then has built 16 homes. Its vision now is to build two homes per year for families in Effingham County.

Habitat for Humanity was founded in 1976 by Millard and Linda Fuller joining forces with Clarence Jordan to develop the concept of “partnership housing.”  The concept centers on those in need of adequate shelter working side by side with volunteers to build simple, decent houses. Through the work of Habitat, thousands of low-income families have gained access to home ownership. Today’s total stands at more than 800,000 houses built or repaired internationally.

In Effingham County, people can support the goal of two homes per year by cash donations, volunteer labor, donating building materials to use in construction or sell in Habitat’s ReSotre in Rincon, or by patronizing the ReStore for low-cost  building materials and furniture.