U.S. Air Force Staff Sergeant Christina Travis marked the occasion of receiving a new home on Sunday by cutting a ribbon in front of it with others.

“We’ve been volunteering a little bit with the other volunteers so we could see how it came together, so it’s really nice to see the finished product,” Travis said.

She received the home free of charge thanks to the Malta Veterans Appreciation Program, a group that helps veterans with everyday needs, such as housing.

“I really didn’t know that there were programs out there like this, so I’m glad that it’s getting exposure and being part of building the next home,” Travis said. “It’s a really nice and amazing thing for people to do for us. I’m just so grateful.”

The house was donated to the veterans appreciation program, and within months, it was completely renovated for Travis and her daughter. 

“We find it that, typically, our veterans will not ask for help. So we go door to door to find them, or we ask other people to please let us know about a veteran,” Malta Veteran Appreciation Program founder Renee Farley said. “That’s how we found out about our veterans, by a neighbor or friend, saying, 'hey, there’s a veteran down the street that needs help.'”

With the help of volunteers and countless sponsors, the Malta group plans to continue to help veterans like Christina and others who are transitioning into their lives post-service.

“It’s just a thing where they kind of join the veteran family and they stay and give back. It just builds and builds and builds,” Farley said.

In addition to the house donated to Travis on Sunday, the Malta Veterans Appreciation Program plans on building two more houses in the same neighborhood in the coming months.