LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB)---For Heather Steele, being at home with her children is a typical day.
"You're doing a good job. Make sure you stay in the lines," she tells her youngest daughter.
The mother homeschools her kids, and lately it has just been the four of them.
Husband and father Nate Steele has been away.
"I would say the last 3 or 4 months he's been home, gone, home, gone. We pretty much see him on the weekends, if that," says Heather Steele.
That's because the Tech Sergeant with the Kentucky Air National Guard will soon be deploying to Afghanistan in two months.
What he doesn't know is while he's taking part in pre-deployment training, he's receiving a big surprise back home. It's a surprise that his wife and kids are in on.
Roughly 20 minutes away from the home the family is currently renting in Louisville, there's a lot of work going on in their actual home on Lacona Lane that they moved out of earlier this year.
The home had a lot of repairs to be made, and little by little, Tech Sergeant Steele was trying to get them done.
However, working full-time, attending school, preparing to deploy, and lack of time and money put it last on his priority list.
That's where Home Depot and Active Heroes came in.
With help from the Mayor's office, the two organizations linked up and secured a $4,000 grant from Home Depot to help finish the project. Donations and help from volunteers far exceeded that number.
Although Nate Steele knew his wife had applied for help, he had no idea they were the recipients.
"Thank you. I'm just overwhelmed and he will be too," says Heather Steele.
He got the welcomed surprise on a Saturday morning in early September when he was home for a day.
"All he knows is he's coming here to meet us today and we've done a little bit of yard work," says Troy Yocum with Active Heroes.
"We're gonna hit it home for you and get it ready for your family," Scott Krueger with Home Depot told Tech. Sgt. Steele as he was surprised.
The house project that once came last for the airman has become a priority for the two groups and volunteers.
"It was a sense of failure. I couldn't fix the things I wanted to fix and do the things I wanted to do," says Tech. Sgt. Steele.
"All of our members are stepping in. Floor installers are going to carpet the front. So we're gonna take care of in there. New vanity, faucet, toilet, paint, light fixtures and cover," Scott Krueger said to Tech. Sgt. Steele as he was describing some of the repairs being made.
A big effort this week made sure many of the projects within the home are now finished for the family of five.
So, as this medical technician is preparing to leave for the next year with the Agribusiness Development Team 5, he can now focus on his job at hand…serving our country overseas, and returning safely to his family, and the place he calls home.
"The fact that they would help me speaks a message to anybody who serves overseas or wears the uniform...that there's a community that cares about them," says Tech. Sgt. Nate Steele.
"He loves the military. He loves his job and he's glad to go and serve. I just want to send him off, but he has to come home," says Heather Steele.
This is the second time Tech Sergeant Nate Steele has deployed.
The first was for several months to Germany.
Meanwhile, for more information on Active Heroes, click here.
For more information on the Home Depot grants, click here.
For more information on how you can volunteer in Louisville, click here.
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