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Corrected: Homes for Our Troops to build new house for disabled Clarksville vet

The Homes for Our Troops Build Brigade for Army SSG Heath Calhoun will begin tomorrow morning at 8:30 AM Friday, April 23rd – Sunday April 25th. Not the 30th as originally reported!

Homes for Our Troops will hold a three-day Build Brigade starting Friday April 23rd – Sunday April 25th to provide Army Sergeant Heath Calhoun with a specially adapted barrier free home. The Build Brigade will take place at 1890 Walter Road in Clarksville, TN

Homes for Our Troops Construction Manager Larry Archer along with General Contractor Jimmy Miller from Jimmy Miller Construction will raise the first wall at 8:30 AM on Friday April 23. Montgomery County  Mayor Caroline Bowers will welcome everyone at that time during the official ceremony.

SSG Heath Calhoun served in Iraq with the 101st Airborne Division. He was severely injured when a rocket-propelled grenade hit his Humvee on November 7, 2003, resulting in the amputation of both his legs above the knee.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qKEkd4RNs8[/youtube]

“I was at the rear corner of the Humvee when the grenade hit the tail light right beside my right leg and exploded,” he said. “I was lying on my side. I could see my legs were really messed up.” Heath yelled to the driver of the vehicle to call the incident in to headquarters. “I laid my head back down and thats all I remember.”

Heath is currently living in a rented house with his wife and 3 children in a rented house. Calhoun is a tenacious US Paralympic sit skier. He took second place in the men’s sit-ski slalom and won gold in the men’s sit-ski super G in the U.S. Adaptive Alpine National Championships.

A Homes for Our Troops Build Brigade is a three-day construction event attended by a brigade of hundreds of volunteers, professional trades to build the home and community volunteers to support the event with food, refreshments and other services. During the Build Brigade the framing and roof is completed, doors, windows and siding are installed to make it weather tight for the interior work.

Homes for Our Troops has completed 57 specially adapted homes since its inception in 2004. It usually has more than 30 homes in various stages of construction throughout the United States each year. It usually takes about six months to complete a home once ground has been broken to the presentation of the Keys to the veteran. The average cost of each home is about $330,000 depending upon location. The homes are presented at no cost to severely injured veterans thanks to generous support from sponsors, professional tradespeople, foundation grants and community.

Heath Calhoun and his wife
Heath Calhoun and his wife

Homes for Our Troops invites anyone interested to stop by the Build Brigade for Army SSG Heath Calhoun to meet his family and thank them for his service. Take some time to learn more about Homes for Our Troops and find out how you can become involved by volunteering of by making a contribution. Sign up to donate labor or materials to complete this home for a hero.

This is the second home that Homes for Our Troops will have built in Clarksville, TN. They previously assisted ABC’s Extreme Makeover Home Edition with the construction of a new house for MSG Luis Rodriguez.

Still Needed

  1. Volunteers to Staff the Registration & Food Tent
  2. Framing Crews

Things to know

  1. Opening Ceremony: 8:30am on the 23rd
  2. Each day will go from 8:30am-5pm
  3. Located at 1890 Walter Rd in Clarksville, TN 37043

If you would like to get involved as a Key Volunteer or to hear about other volunteer opportunities please email ahewes@homesforourtroops.org or call 508-823-3300.

We are still looking for donations of Professional Trades to help us build this home for SSG Calhoun and his family – scroll down to see a full list of what is still needed! Please contact Assistant Construction Manager, Rob O’Neill at roneill@homesforourtroops.org if interested.

Help Fund This Project

Please make a tax deductible contribution today to help support our mission to assist injured service members and their families.

Without your help, our American Heroes have a much harder time transitioning back into the life they face with their new disabilities and injuries.

Regions Bank is the official donation drop off location and is accepting donations at the six Clarksville area branch locations located below:

  • 128 North Second St. Clarksville, TN 37040
  • 1941 Ft. Campbell Blvd. Clarksville, TN 37042
  • 2155 Lowes Dr. Clarksville, TN 37040
  • 649 Providence Blvd. Clarksville, TN 37042
  • 1001 S. Riverside Dr. Clarksville, TN 37040
  • 1957 Madison St. Clarksville, TN 37043

Or donate online by clicking below:

Donate to this project!

About Homes for Our Troops

John Gonsalves
John Gonsalves

Homes for Our Troops is a national non-profit 501(c) 3 organization based in Taunton, MA founded by John Gonsalves in 2004.

Homes for Our Troops mission is to build specially adapted homes for severely injured veterans who have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan. All specially adapted homes are built at no cost to the veteran thanks to donations from thousands of individuals, foundation grants, corporate sponsors, professional tradespeople and generous support from countless volunteers.

Homes for Our Troops projects are made possible with support from generous individuals, foundations and corporate contributors like Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund, Mastic Home Exteriors, DaVinci Roofscapes, Fypon Inc, Hy-Lite/US Glass Block, Phil Mickelson’s Birdies for the Brave, PGA Tour Charities, Singer Billy Joel, the Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin-Robbins Community Foundation and SeeHere.com – Fujifilm’s online photo printing, sharing, storage and gifting website. SeeHere.com generates awareness for the cause and provides a way for its customers to help through its “Home of the Free” campaign. SeeHere.com donates a portion of the proceeds from the sale of all travel mugs, tote bags and hooded sweatshirts, including those designed with the Homes for Our Troops logo, to the organization.

An eligible Veteran or service member may receive a Veterans Administration Specially Adapted Housing Grant up to a maximum amount of $63,780. Homes for Our Troops’ assistance covers all costs over and above this grant and works closely with the VA to ensure that when our resources are combined, the home is provided at no cost to the recipient.

Homes for Our Troops is proud to be listed in the American Institute of Philanthropy’s top rated Veterans & Military Charities where it enjoys an A rating. It has received a Four Star Rating from Charity Navigator. Homes for Our Troops is a member of the National Association of Home Builders and the US Green Building Council.

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