First lady helping build home for homeless vets

FAYETTEVILLE, North Carolina (AP) - A crew working on a boarding house for homeless women veterans got a hand Thursday from First Lady Michelle Obama...

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FAYETTEVILLE, North Carolina (AP) — A crew working on a boarding house for homeless women veterans got a hand Thursday from First Lady Michelle Obama during filming of an episode of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.”

Wearing a sleeveless blue top, green capris and green sneakers, the first lady was cheered during her visit by hundreds of people after a crowd waited for hours in searing heat for a glimpse of the VIP visitor. But the early afternoon heat and excitement got the best of some and a handful of people fainted, requiring the care of emergency medical crews.

The first lady had traveled to this North Carolina base town to view the construction of a new home for the women veterans of the Steps N Stages Jubilee House. The ABC network has said the episode is scheduled to air in October.

Obama toured the site with Barbara Marshall, the 15-year Navy veteran who runs the project as a shelter for women veterans and allowed her own home to be demolished to make room for the new building. After a tour of areas including a playhouse and greenhouse, Obama gave Marshall a hug.

Reporters were only able to catch a glimpse of Obama as she arrived at the house and later returned for the reveal wearing a different outfit.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.

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