Virginia veteran gets new home courtesy of Building Homes for Heroes

RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) - A Marine Corps veteran got the welcome home of his dreams in Chester as he stepped foot into a new home with his wife and two children.

“This is a dream come true,” said Lance Corporal, Nick Ellis. “If you had told me I would be getting this house so close to my family, for free, I would have told you that sounds like a movie.”

Nick Ellis was honored with a four-bedroom, three-bath, 2300 square-foot house built by Building Homes for Heroes and JP Morgan. It was built for free, and is a gift to the Ellis family.

In 2006, Ellis was responding to insurgent activity in Iraq when his unit came under attack. He suffered injuries to his ribs, face, and brain from the shrapnel lodged into his body. Ellis said he didn’t think much would happen when he reached out to Building Homes for Heroes, but couldn’t have been more wrong.

“Right away we started talking, and then talking turned to action, and this started coming together and I could not believe how generous these people were being to me and my family,” said Ellis.

Ellis was welcomed with a police escort to his new home, complete with American flags lining the neighborhood. His family said they were overcome with emotion when they walked inside for the first time.

“I can’t believe this is ours, I can’t believe that this is real,” said Kelly Ellis, Nick’s wife. “After we unpack I think I’ll sit around in shock for a bit more, before I can make any real plans.”

Ellis and his wife say the new house is a place they can call their forever home. It’s something they never could’ve imagined being able to do, and they plan to stay in Chester for years to come.

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