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Disabled veteran frustrated by craftsmanship of donated home

Posted at 2:28 PM, Oct 25, 2017
and last updated 2017-10-26 10:46:22-04

ANDERSON, Ind. -- A disabled veteran in Anderson, Indiana is frustrated after he said a non-profit organization took on more than they could handle and left him with an unfinished home with lots of projects to complete.

Tim Senkowski lost both of his legs to a buried explosive while serving in Afghanistan.

“I lost both my legs – they cut right above the joints. I lost half my bicep, three-quarters of my triceps,” said Senkowski.

After he returned home to Anderson, he was put in touch with a local non-profit veterans group called “The Path Home.” Organizers there offered to build he and his family a house with donated time and resources.

But the process was slow, Senkowski said it took four years for him to get the keys to his new home – and it was still incomplete. “After the key ceremony, before I moved into the house I asked them to please leave and never come back,” said Senkowski.

The group says a “lack of funding” is the reason for their unfinished work and their chairman, David Mitchell, said the to-do list left for Senkowski’s family was full of minor projects that they both agreed they would finish. Senkowski says he’s grateful to the volunteers and everyone who donated to help build their home -  but he also encourages other veterans to do their homework before accepting similar help.

“They took on such a big project in the beginning that they weren’t ready for,” said Senkowski.