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Colorado Purple Heart veteran’s widow in need of construction help

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Posted at 4:46 PM, Nov 25, 2020
and last updated 2021-05-14 22:08:04-04

AURORA, Colo. — Bonnie Lake refers to her home as a ‘construction site,’ after her Vietnam veteran husband passed away, leaving multiple home improvement projects unfinished.

“He started projects and they are projects he couldn’t finish,” Lake said.

Her husband, Eddie, was a Marine who served in Vietnam. He was injured by mortar fire and received a Purple Heart. Years later, he was diagnosed with cancer. He passed away in 2016.

“Fifty years we would have been married this year,” Bonnie said. “That’s a long time. And when they’re gone you still miss them a lot.”

Bonnie recently decided to join the VFW Auxiliary Chapter 3631. That’s when members realized that she was in need of construction work, and the organization began reaching out to companies and businesses to help, along with doing their own fundraising. The Military Order of the Purple Heart was also brought in by the VFW to assist. Denver7 Gives assisted that chapter of the VFW when they were in jeopardy of closing in May, raising more than $6,500.

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Denver7 | Gives

9:08 AM, Apr 04, 2019

Now that VFW’s member, Bonnie, is the one in need of a helping hand. Her construction projects include assembling a hardwood floor in her kitchen, installing a new countertop, and finishing a first floor basement with carpeting and paint. Her local VFW chapter says there are other issues in her home that need addressing as well, and they have spoken to local trades organizations to try to help.

“Ed and I never asked for help from anybody, we always did everything on our own,” Bonnie said through tears. “One way or another I’d get (the projects) done but I might be 100 years old before that happens.”

Denver7 is accepting donations to Denver7 Gives, as well as help from licensed contractors or tradespeople who are willing to help. If you’d like to help, email contact7@thedenverchannel.com. You can also donate to the fund to help Bonnie by going to the Denver7 Gives page and choosing "Help for Purple Heart Veteran's Widow" under the donation module's drop-down menu.

Denver7 features the stories of people who need help and now you can help them with a cash donation through Denver7 Gives. One hundred percent of contributions to the fund will be used to help people in our local community.