The First Lady of the United States of America took time out of her schedule to travel to Fayetteville, NC to take part in the season opener of ABC’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”.  This episode will follow host Ty Pennington and his crew as they build a new home for Barbara Marshall, a former veteran who started a shelter  “Steps-N-Stage Jubilee House for former female veterans who are homeless.She joined with series host Ty Pennington, a local builder and community  volunteers on the Jubilee House project and was on hand at the unveiling to  surprise Marshall.

The episode focuses on a “powerful story, powerful woman, powerful group of  women who are coming together and helping one another. So we’re pretty excited  about this as a vehicle for telling their story,” Obama said.

Marshall is evidence that many military families who face their own  challenges “still find ways to serve others,” Obama said.

The show should also carry the message that strong, independent veterans  might not ask for help and seek assistance, she said. Obama said she hadn’t seen  the program in its finished version.

“So it’s incumbent upon us to not make them ask for help. And, hopefully, by  watching this show, viewers will get some ideas in their heads of how they can  come together, whether it’s as individuals, or as church groups, or as school  groups, or as teachers or as employers” and find ways to help military families,  she said.

The first lady is also seen on more familiar ground in the show, giving  Pennington a tour of the White House grounds.

She and Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, help lead Joining  Forces, an initiative intended to increase public awareness and support of  families of the men and women serving in the military.

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition‘s two-part season 9 premiere airs Sunday (7 p.m. ET) on ABC.

Check out the trailer of the episode.