By: Las Vegas Now Staff
A wounded soldier and his family are getting some much needed help adjusting back to normal life. Thanks to some members of the Las Vegas community, the young family has a roof over their head minus the cost.
That soldier is specialist Enrique Pineda. He and his family are settling into a home in northwest Las Vegas. Pineda was shot in the neck while serving in Iraq one year ago.
At the time, he wasn't sure what the future held. Now he says, with help from the Las Vegas community, the possibilities are endless.
Looking at pictures isn't easy for specialist Enrique Pineda. It's a reminder of the way life used to be, before he was shot by a sniper in Iraq. Now he lives with his left arm in a sling, only able to slightly move his fingers and shoulder.
“I wish I could hold my daughter with two hands and hold my wife and hug her with two hands,” he said.
Shortly after being shot, specialist Pineda and his wife Jessica started worrying about the future, wondering how they were going to support their little girl, Avianna.
“How bad are his injuries? Am I going to have to take care of him and be the bread winner and take care of my daughter? There were a lot of things going through my mind,” said Jessica.
But those worries were soon laid to rest after specialist Pineda won a scholarship from Sentinels of Freedom. Through the program, the wounded soldier gets a rent-free house for four years, a car, furniture, a job and money to go back to school.
“There's no more I can ask for. I need the help. It's making me a better person — thrive for my career,” he said.
The goal is to help wounded servicemen and women assimilate back into civilian life. Sentinels of Freedom provides all the money but then it's left up to people from the community.
Joan Kuptz of REMAX Advantage is the team leader for Sentinels of Freedom here in Las Vegas. She helped find the house for the family.
“I think anybody who makes a sacrifice like that, we owe it to them,” said Kuptz.
Now with their new home, the worries that once hovered overhead are gone. Even with a disability, specialist Pineda has been given a second chance to support his family.
“I'm overwhelmed. I've got so many things going for me right now. Just taking things day by day, step by step.”
This scholarship ends after four years. By then, the wounded soldiers will hopefully be able to support themselves.
Eyewitness News was told recipients are selected on their attitude and on how hard they are willing to work to assimilate back into the community.
Email your comments to Reporter Melissa Duran.
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