It was an emotional homecoming for a Bay area veteran and his family who were given the keys to their new house on Tuesday.
Army Sergeant Anthony Cala served three tours overseas and was injured in the line of duty. After returning home, Sgt. Cala said he battled PTSD.
"It was hard, I was always in the room, lights off, didn't want to go anywhere," Sgt. Cala said.
Sgt. Cala said he stayed strong for his wife Jennifer and two young boys. The non-profit organization “Building Homes for Heroes” thanked the decorated veteran for his service by giving his family a new home in Polk County.
"I don't have that stress anymore, I don't have that anxiety feeling of where are we going to live next after our year lease is up?" Sgt. Cala said.
"Now my family is safe now my family can be home and make their house the way they want it. It's just incredible," Sgt. Cala said.
With the help of other sponsors, “Building Homes for Heroes” has been building and modifying homes for veterans for nearly 10 years. The organization said it’s strongly committed to rebuilding lives and supporting the brave men and women who were injured serving our country.
The organization hopes to gift 36 homes in 2016.