The United States Army website describes a soldier as "the embodiment of physical strength, emotional strength and strength of purpose." After 20 years of service, including two tours in Viet Nam and one in Germany, Ron Ream has all three of these qualities. But the last one – strength of purpose -- has been an especially strong force in his life since he retired from the U.S. Army in 1987. Ream was an Army Aviation-instructor Pilot, rising to the rank of Chief Warrant Officer-W4. Now he is a regional vice president for Primerica Financial Services by day, and after hours and weekends, he is a cherished volunteer, mentor and teacher for families in Nashville Area Habitat for Humanity's HomeWORKS program. The gifts of time and talent he shares are immeasurably valuable to the agency, and he leaves his students eager to hear more.

Ream's role as an instructor for the Army alone would prepare him well for this rewarding work. But he is quick to point out that the unique perspective on different people, places and situations has also been tremendously valuable in helping him connect with his culturally diverse group of adult students pursuing first-time homeownership. Ron first became associated with Habitat for Humanity in Dothan, Alabama 12 years ago. When he moved to Nashville, he was certain he wanted to continue service to families through Habitat. For four years and counting, he has worked closely with Nashville Habitat partner families as:

• Family Support Committee Member
• Family Selection Committee Member
• HomeWorks Class Instructor in financial management, life insurance, retirement planning, investment basics and home safety
• Developer of the curriculum for Safety 101, now a required course for partner families
• Individual Budget Coach for Habitat partner families
• Supervisor On Site leading construction of Nashville Habitat houses

What's his magic? Ream says a key part of his teaching is to help his students visualize themselves hammering the first nail into the walls of their home, moving in, and living there in peace and security, exhilarated by the challenges they've overcome. It's not unlike the visualization tools and simulations the military uses to prepare for its work.

"One of the things about 'school' is that students are preparing for the day they will put this information to use in a tangible way," said Ream. "Class work is all hypothetical. I have to first get families to visualize what they're going to have – to see themselves that first construction day, in the corner between two walls that are held up by hands of volunteers, and hammering the first nail into the home they will own. It's those mental pictures that keep these folks going for the six to 18 months or more they're working to earn their first home."

Especially dear to Ream's heart is the opportunity to work with a Vietnamese Habitat partner family as a budget coach for more than a year and then to help build that family's home alongside them. The home was for David and Hong Vo, a young couple from South Viet Nam. Working at the site, as every Habitat family is required to do in order to earn their "sweat equity," Ream beamed as David and Hong drove the first nails into their own house, which would soon become a home for them and their daughter. "I have a very vivid memory of standing in a grass hut in Viet Nam," said Ream. "How thankful I was for the tent I lived in, with seven other guys, that had two functioning electric light bulbs. Habitat families show me that pure, powerful sense of gratitude every day, and it challenges me to do the same. They are so grateful for the chance to own a home, and they are willing to work very hard for months – some even years – to reach their goal."

"We know people are very busy, but they take time to come and build our house and they're so happy for us," said David Vo. "We feel a lot of love, and we feel America is great because people from different churches and different companies will come to help build houses. We try to do as much as we can to extend the love that we receive from you all to share the love to other people. We are a small family, but now we are a part of a very big family".

Achieving home ownership for many is extremely difficult, but "the Habitat partner families separate themselves from the average and ordinary by their willingness to work hard, no matter what, and in spite of obstacles because they recognize that the Habitat opportunity may be the only way to make their dream of home ownership come true," said Ream. "Who would not want to be around people like that?"