Honoring Veterans Where They Call Home
As conflicts flare up across our globe, we are reminded all the more of the sacrifices made by those who have served our country. For us in HomeFront, it is unacceptable to allow any local hero to inhabit a home that lacks warm water, heat, decent plumbing, and other basics. Those who risked it all for us should not find themselves at risk in their homes. Together, we have assisted 11 veterans and counting so far this year. You will see some of their faces below. As we celebrate this Veterans Day, we re-commit ourselves to doing all that we can to serve those who served our country.
"Heaven Sent" for A Veteran
Our program was honored to receive a request from Frank, an Oxford resident who served in the U.S. Army from 1955–’57 during the Korean War. He and his wife built up a life for themselves and raised three children in the only home they have known for 60 years. Over the years, the wear and tear of their home got away from them. Frank was told he was in the early stages of dementia and his wife had great difficulty walking. Eventually, their home presented many hazards to them. The deck where they liked to enjoy the fresh air was rotting. Their sliding and entry doors were drafty and unmanageable. Their front stairs were shaky. They had damaged siding. And, like so many of our applicants, they lacked the financial and physical ability to remedy these issues.
After reaching out for help, HomeFront enlisted volunteers from the mighty St. Thomas the Apostle Church. Support from the Disabled National Veterans Foundation bolstered their hard work, eliminating all the things that kept Frank and his wife up at night. Before they were through, Frank’s helpers also cleared out overwhelming amounts of accumulated, unwanted items, tamed wildly overgrown shrubs, installed a new tub surround, and applied fresh coats of paint to their beloved home. We estimate that it would have cost this deserving couple more than $30,000 if they had to pay contractors for these improvements. Frank was moved to the point of writing a thank you note, telling all who made it happen, “You are truly heaven sent.” Here are a few images from this incredibly gratifying transformation.
Proud Volunteer Leaders
Frank, a very happy beneficiary
Nearly 59,000 CT & NY veterans live in poverty.
184,972 CT & NY veterans live in homes with one or more major problems of quality, crowding or cost.
Source: Veterans Data Central
We Honor, We Remember, We Give Back
For all of us in HomeFront, as long as there are local heroes living in unsafe and unhealthy homes, it is Veterans Day every day! You can keep up with the many ways we help veterans year-round on our Facebook and Instagram accounts. Based on the stats above, it should not surprise is that, right now, we have 80 low-income veterans awaiting our help. There are a few ways you can help us put an end to their wait:
Form A Volunteer Group
If you know of a group who would like to band together to fix up a veteran's home for us next Spring, please contact us to learn more about forming a HomeFront volunteer team.
Calling All Skilled Volunteers
Thankfully, we also have an initiative so that low-income veterans do not have to wait for help. This Fall & Winter, HomeFront's small, but mighty construction-skilled staff will be tackling pressing repair needs for veterans, such as heating issues, accessibility repairs and worrying safety items. It's all part of our Critical Pro Repair (CPR) service. If you are a pro or skilled volunteer interested in donating one-half of a day to help a veteran this Fall and Winter, contact us for more information.
Donate
Finally, we want to make sure that the stubbornly high costs of materials do not reduce the amount of repair relief we can bring to our local veterans. We have an abundance of donated materials in our warehouse ready to go, but there are often custom items we need among other expenses. We thank you for considering a gift of any amount. There is a wide range of repairs that can mean all the difference in the world. Less costly needs, such as grab bars, locksets, smoke detectors and minor electrical or plumbing fixes can bring peace of mind. We also want to tackle as many drafty windows and doors as we can, along with wheel chair ramp installations, roofing replacements and heating system repairs. We thank you for anything you can do to help us make our community one where we do right by our veterans.
