Just in Time for Veterans Day — Purple Heart Completes 300th Home
Purple Heart Homes is pleased to announce the recent completion of its 300th Project since the organization was established in 2008. The home was renovated for brothers Michael and Franklin Shoop, both Service Connected Disabled Veterans who served in the Navy in Vietnam. Home renovations include a new bathroom, with new flooring and an accessible vanity and shower. The work was done as part of Purple Heart Homes’ annual campaign, Operation Veterans Home Renovation (OVHR), with the generosity and assistance from the Travis Federal Credit Union of Vacaville, California, and community volunteers.
OVHR is an annual campaign which engages communities to support Purple Heart Homes’ Veterans Aging In Place (VAIP) Program. The campaign takes place each year from Purple Heart Day (August 7) to Veterans Day (November 11), and works in partnership with the National League of Cities, mayors across the United States, and credit unions within each community where projects are completed. This year, seven cities and 14 credit unions participated in OVHR, and the Vacaville project also represents the 300th renovation of a home that has been adapted by Purple Heart Homes and its partners and volunteers to meet the specific needs of the Service Connected Disabled Veteran who lives in the home.
“We are so grateful to Purple Heart Homes and all of the wonderful volunteers who have come to our aid to help make our home safe and accessible,” said Michael Shoop. His brother, Franklin, agrees. “There were tremendous difficulties with our bathroom, including floors that were rotting and a bathtub that was almost impossible to use. Now, we can age in place in this house, where we have lived for such a long time. We thank everyone involved from the bottom of our hearts.” John Gallina, co-founder of Purple Heart Homes, greatly appreciates the financial assistance and time commitment of the credit unions, community volunteers, and others who have partnered with Purple Heart Homes to make OVHR successful. “We are extremely fortunate to join forces across the country with private and public organizations, advocacy groups, and individuals, without whom we could not have accomplished our OVHR projects in the past three months, much less 300 projects during the nine years we have been in existence. We look forward to continuing to grow these partnerships to help many more Service Connected Disabled Veterans in the coming years.”
As we approach Veterans Day 2017, please join Purple Heart Homes and its partners in thinking about the value that a safe and accessible home brings to our Service Connected Disabled Veterans, each of whom has sacrificed so much for each of us. Please consider donating to Purple Heart Homes, volunteering for a project, or starting a chapter in your community. There are so many more of these veterans who need our help.
About Purple Heart Homes
Purple Heart Homes is a 501(c)3 nonprofit founded by Dale Beatty and John Gallina, two Iraq combat wounded Veterans who remain on a mission to provide housing solutions for Service Connected Disabled Veterans of all eras that are substantial in function, design, and quality. Purple Heart Homes has two programs: Veterans Aging In Place (VAIP) and The Veterans Homes Ownership Program (VHOP). From building a ramp for a Veteran of World War II to providing home ownership opportunities to younger Veterans, Purple Heart Homes’ programs are designed out of necessity and fit the specific needs of the veteran population. For more information, visit www.purplehearthomesusa.org. Purple Heart Homes – Improving Veterans Lives One Home at a Time.
SOURCE Purple Heart Homes
