Tennessee Nonprofit Helps Cookeville Veteran Who Lost Home In March Tornado

A Cookeville veteran received major help from a Tennessee nonprofit organization that aims to help military members in need on Sunday.

Dozens of volunteers from A Soldier's Journey helped with roof repairs at the home of Luke and Amy Carty, who were forced to buy a new home after their Putnam County neighborhood was damaged by the March 3 tornadoes, FOX 17 News' Nikki Junewicz reports.

A Soldier's Journey is a group of volunteers primarily comprised of current and retired firefighters and veterans from over 14 states that has worked on a variety of disaster relief construction projects and focuses on charitable efforts toward severely injured veterans, according to the organization's website.

The nonprofit works to build cost-free homes for wounded veterans such as Carty, who is also a member of the organization.

"He, unfortunately, lost his home in the tornado, purchased this home, and it needed a new roof," Salvador Cetrone with A Soldier's Journey told FOX 17 News. "He wasn't financially able to do that so a group of us from the foundation got together and volunteered."

Cetrone said the organization took time to help Luke and Amy Carty because they "both are quite amazing human beings."

Putnam County was one of the areas hit hardest by the EF-4 March 3 tornadoes, with at least 19 reported deaths. Five Putnam County children were killed during the storm, including Hattie Collins, who Carty, took in his arms during her final breaths.

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