Family Feeling the Warmth of the Holidays in Their New Home

Family Feeling the Warmth of the Holidays in Their New Home


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Shelley Osterloh Reporting Many of you are probably getting ready for Christmas, but for one Sandy family, Christmas came in October.

The Smeltzer Family got a brand new home that was built and donated entirely by volunteers from the Utah organization, "Heart to Home."

Last October, crews knocked down their old house, and in just over two weeks, built a new one.

Today the Smeltzer Family is feeling the warmth of the holidays in a new home.

Yes it is large and beautiful, but what makes it so special is that now David is not confined to the basement. He and several of his children have a neurological disease.

Family Feeling the Warmth of the Holidays in Their New Home

The new house is handicap accessible. And with his new motorized wheelchair, he has the run of the house, a home office for his business and room for his large family to gather for the holidays.

For his wife, Vicki, it has brought peace of mind. The old house was not accessible or safe. It was dilapidated and had problems with wiring, mold and asbestos.

David Smeltzer: "Being able to be mobile and go places and do things. I'm not stuck in the room, I can get all around. It's just been incredible. It's like life has started over again."

Vicki Smeltzer: "The most important thing to me this Christmas is that with help from a lot of friends and a thousand or more hands I got what I really wanted for Christmas, I got a difference for my family."

Family Feeling the Warmth of the Holidays in Their New Home

Vicki has a new job as a vocational counselor for the deaf and David is planning to help with the next home make-over project.

Heart to Home is accepting applications for their next project, this time in Utah County.

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