NEFBA members — builders and associates — have a reputation for extending a helping hand to those in need.
Whether it’s building a handicap access ramp or building a custom home to sell for a particular charity, members step up to the plate. More often than not, these acts of kindness go pretty much unnoticed.
Partnering with other nonprofits seems to create more public awareness, such as when NEFBA Builders Care partners with HabiJax, the local affiliate of Habitat for Humanity.
Another recent example is the partnership between PulteGroup and Operation Finally Home, a nonprofit effort established in 2005 to provide custom-built, mortgage-free homes to America’s military heroes and the widows of the fallen who have sacrificed so much to defend our freedom and values.
Operation Finally Home partners with corporate sponsors, builder associations, builders, developers, individual contributors and volunteers to help America’s military heroes and their families transition to the home front by addressing one of their most pressing needs — a home to call their own.
As a result of the PulteGroup’s Built to Honor and Operation Finally Home programs working together, a wounded Air Force veteran and his family were surprised in front of an enthusiastic crowd of 88,000 fans at a University of Florida football game with the announcement that they will receive a new mortgage-free home from Pulte Homes.
Staff Sgt. David R. Veros Jr., his wife, Carolyn, and children Natalie and Trip,were honored at one of the biggest rivalry games in the SEC — the University of Georgia vs. the University of Florida football game.
During a game timeout, Veros and his family were escorted onto the field for the surprise announcement. Unaware of the pending award, Veros was told he was at the game as part of a general salute to veterans.
The new home in Pulte Homes’ Las Calinas neighborhood in St. Augustine will be customized for the Veros family and completed early next year. It will be built by Pulte Homes in collaboration with dozens of local trade contractors and building partners.
Veros joined the U.S. Air Force in January 2004, and was deployed to Iraq a total of six times, each deployment lasting six months. During his sixth deployment, Veros was struck by an improvised explosive device. As a result of the incident, he was diagnosed with a series of combat-related injuries.
Over his eight years of military service, Veros earned a Purple Heart and numerous other commendation and achievement awards and medals. Additionally, Veros is employed with the Wounded Warrior Project as a Warrior Coordinator helping other service men and women transition into civilian life.