It's easy to feel passionate about providing safe, affordable housing when residents share stories about the positive impact it has had on their lives. Samuel Conner, a resident of Mingo Village Apartments, definitely has a story worth sharing.

Samuel grew up in Glen Cove, NY, in the 1950's. After graduating high school, he enlisted in the Army and was deployed to Vietnam; he was proud to be fighting for his country. After serving his time - 2 years, 2 months, and 25 days, to be exact - Samuel was looking forward to returning home to his family. He beamed with pride as he described how he felt the day he was discharged in 1972. "I was ready to get back to my family. I wore my uniform home and I remember my boots were shined. I had a big duffle bag in one hand and my discharge papers in the other." Soon after, Samuel got married, started a family, and opened his own floor covering business. He moved to North Carolina in 2006.

In 2012, Samuel was invited to be part of a cross-country motorcycle ride with a large group of veterans and vet supporters. They would begin their journey in California and end up at the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C., to pay their respects to the fallen soldiers. Samuel documented his journey daily for his family so they could later read about his cross-country experiences. It was so well written that they encouraged him to turn his journal into a book, which was later published.