When a soldier is wounded, their life is instantly changed forever. It also has a profound impact on their family, their friends and the community they call home.
This is what drives Building Homes for Heroes, an organization that has been making a huge difference in the lives of injured American servicemembers over the past twenty years.
By the numbers, Building Homes for Heroes has constructed, gifted and beautified more than 250 mortgage-free homes to these veterans, enabling them to lead a more independent and productive civilian life. This includes nearly 50 homes over the past year through Lowe’s support on the national and local level.
“In honor of Military Appreciation Month, we’re proud to partner with one of the nation’s most patriotic companies in Lowe’s to not only gift homes, but to help our veterans pursue their life dreams in athletics, education and business,” said Building Homes for Heroes Founder & CEO, Andy Pujol. “These heroes sacrificed so much to protect our freedom and we couldn’t be happier to support them with a gift that will leave an impact for generations to come. Together, we are truly building better and brighter lives and making our communities and country a better place.”
Building Homes for Heroes’ impact comes to life through veterans like Hugo Gonzalez. As an Army Specialist, he lost his vision in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) explosion in Iraq. When he returned home, he had to not only adapt to his loss of sight but adjust to civilian life and manage his family duties as a husband and father of three.
Since receiving a mortgage-free home six years ago, Hugo is now debt-free and thriving. Thanks to local Lowe’s associates in Port St. Lucie, Florida, the Gonzalez family recently received exterior home modifications, landscaping work, closet solutions and interior Smart Home features to help with Hugo’s disabilities.
“These are not just home improvements. Lowe’s Heroes went above and beyond to make sure our forever home stays eternal,” said Gonzalez.
In Fayetteville, North Carolina, Army Sergeant First Class George Stultz is an injured veteran who served for more than 20 years before being medically discharged. Stultz saw multiple deployments to both Iraq and Afghanistan and suffered a spinal fracture in a parachuting accident while preparing for combat. For his service, Sergeant First Class Stultz has received multiple awards including the Iraq Campaign Medal and Army Commendation Medal.
When Building Homes for Heroes heard Stultz’s story, they stepped up. Through Lowe’s partnership, his family received a mortgage-free home along with landscaping, fencing and patio work from local Lowe’s associates.
“The opportunity to work for these families means a lot to me and my team,” said Lowe’s Store Manager Leann Maloney. “These projects are just a small way we’re giving back and saying ‘thank you’ every day to our military community.”
Lowe’s supports military families year-round through partnerships with Building Homes for Heroes, USO, AMVETS, Operation FINALLY HOME, and Purple Heart Homes focused on safe, affordable housing and workforce development, as well as its trademark 10 percent discount – every day, guaranteed – to active-duty military personnel, veterans, and their spouses, saving them more than $1 billion annually.
