Greensboro veteran and dad of 3 gets fresh start thanks to Craigslist ad | OKC-Craigslist.Blogspot.com
"Lewis was living in a one bedroom hotel room with his daughters and desperate for a house that they could call home."
(OKC-Craigslist.Blogspot.com) GREENSBORO, N.C. — In just one month, one Craigslist ad has helped an Army veteran on the verge of becoming homeless get a new house, new job and a new start for his three girls.
Reegius Lewis was able to use the popular Craigslist website to find a house that needed some fixing. Lewis was living in a one bedroom hotel room with his daughters and desperate for a house that they could call home.
His Craigslist ad brought a response from Dustin Owens, a Lexington realtor who owned a home on the south end of Greensboro that had sat empty for two years.
His Craigslist ad brought a response from Dustin Owens, a Lexington realtor who owned a home on the south end of Greensboro that had sat empty for two years.
“He had texted me one day and he said, ‘Are you still looking for a place?’” Lewis said. “’If you’re willing to fix it up and everything I’ll allow you to stay there in exchange for labor’ and so I said, ‘Of course.’”
The job so far has included replacing all the plumbing in the home, installing major appliances and painting.
Even though it’s a lot of work, Lewis is happy.
“I’m not struggling anymore and I’m just elated,” said Lewis.
Soon, he’ll be able to move his daughters Zakiyya, Melody and Regina into the home.
“My goal tonight to be able to finish that bedroom up so I can be able to work on my room the rest of the week,” Lewis said.
Lewis is doing all this while working a new job. He said his new boss, Brian Perrell, helped him find those new appliances that Lowes was able to deliver to the home.
Lewis was also contacted by Lila Maynard following the FOX8 story on his Craigslist ad.
“She calls me every day. We pray together every day and she’s been a big blessing in my life,” Lewis said. “She’s taken me in as one of her own and I want to thank her for that.”
Lewis also said he’s also grateful to his parents for their help as he’s struggled to find work and a new home. The new job may also lead to a new career helping people in the same position he was in just one month ago.
“We’re working on getting a development team together to find more houses that we can buy and fix and rent out,” Lewis said.
SOURCE: http://myfox8.com/2015/01/12/greensboro-veteran-and-dad-of-3-gets-fresh-start-thanks-to-craigslist-ad/