Purple Heart Homes

By: Daniel Nardini

A growing number of our soldiers who are returning from Iraq and Afghanistan have sustained serious injuries that have affected the quality of their lives. These physical injuries can be the loss of a foot, a leg, an arm or an eye. The Veterans Administration does its best to help those surviving veterans with the injuries they have sustained. However, simple things such as going to the bathroom, being able to go up and down stairs, having enough lighting to see, and going in and out the door of one’s own house can be a challenge for these wounded former soldiers.

This is where the non-profit organization Purple Heart Homes, Inc., comes in. Founded by former Iraq War veterans Dale I. Beatty and John D. Gallina in 2008, Purple Heart Homes helps to construct, remodel and refurbish homes for returning veterans. The work done is to help veterans be able to get around in their own homes. This renovation work to help wounded veterans is done by volunteers from the local community, neighbors, and even other former veterans.

This work is done to help wounded veterans be able to get around and do the things they wish and like to do in their own homes so they can live better quality lives. This also helps to bring these veterans closer to their families and communities, and helps to provide emotional support for the veterans as they try to reintegrate into the communities they came from. The key is support. If the veterans feel they are receiving support from their families and the communities they live in, this will help in not only reintegrating them but also help in the emotional healing process.

The Purple Heart Homes, Inc., provides these services free of charge to the families of those who served in war through contributions, fundraisers and volunteer work. To learn more about Purple Heart Homes, go to the website www.phhnc.org.

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