Four Purple Heart Medal Recipients Gifted Mortgage-Free Homes

VALLEY STREAM, N.Y., Oct. 15, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Building Homes for Heroes® will honor America's veterans nationwide the week leading up to Veterans Day by gifting mortgage-free homes to four Purple Heart Medal recipients. These injured heroes sacrificed for their country in combat and will receive a special homecoming celebration along with the keys to houses for their families in New York, Arizona, Florida and Nevada.

Building Homes for Heroes is a nonprofit, public charity committed to constructing and renovating homes in support of military men and women injured in the line of duty. The organization gifted more than 20 homes in 2014 and expects to gift more than 30 homes nationwide this year with the help of corporate partnerships, volunteers and donations. Starting Nov. 7, four homes will be gifted during the week leading up to Veterans Day to honor decorated servicemen who suffered traumatic physical and mental injuries and were later awarded Purple Heart Medals. 

"Our mission is to make sure wounded men and women who bravely served and sacrificed for the United States receive the highest level of appreciation we can provide," said Andy Pujol, president and founder of Building Homes for Heroes. "We gift homes and other assistance to veterans in order to provide them a better tomorrow and some financial freedom that lets them focus on rehabilitation and their families."          

In addition to providing homes, Building Homes for Heroes offers financial planning services, family funding and emergency support for veterans. Each home recipient is paired with a financial planning representative. This program is designed to provide new, and sometimes first-time homeowners with advice and guidance needed to maintain home expenses and to plan for a successful future.

Purple Heart heroes and homecoming locations include:

• Marine Corps Corporal Kevin Vaughan: Saturday, Nov. 7, Merrick, New York
• Army Private First Class Mason Steill: Saturday, Nov. 7, Gilbert, Arizona
• Army Specialist Justin Gulde: Monday, Nov. 9, Las Vegas, Nevada
• Marine Corps Sergeant Brandon Stevenson: Tuesday, Nov. 10, Palm Bay, Florida

Marine Corps Corporal Kevin Vaughan served with the 3rd Battalion, 6th Regiment, in the southern province of Helmand when the vehicle he traveled in for a combat mission struck an 80-pound improvised explosive device (IED). The blast severely injured six marines including Vaughan who required a left-leg amputation and 15 months of rehabilitation at Walter Reed Medical Center. Vaughan's other injuries required a reconstructed right leg and caused degenerative-joint disease to his lower back.  Corporal Vaughan's home ceremony will be Saturday, Nov. 7, in Merrick, New York.

Private First Class Mason Steill joined the U.S. Army in 2009 to benefit from the GI Bill that could help him continue his college education. He dedicated himself to four years as a combat medic. During a routine foot patrol, Steill's unit attempted to move a suspicious object he spotted about a thousand meters from their base. The device detonated and caused critical injuries to Steill's face and legs. He battled through life-threatening injuries to reach others who needed medical attention. The explosion caused blindness in his right eye, chronic facial nerve pain and persisting memory and cognitive impairment. On Saturday, Nov. 7, in Gilbert, Arizona, PFC Steill will be welcomed into his new home.

Army Specialist Justin Gulde turned 18 years old in 2009 and maintained a family tradition of military service by enlisting in the U.S. Army. One year later, on Thanksgiving Day, an enemy fired rocket launch in Afghanistan exploded through the ceiling of his housing unit. Shrapnel shredded his left arm and penetrated his scalp and body. He suffered permanent nerve damage in his left arm and PTSD from a traumatic brain injury. He will be joined by his parents and son. Their home ceremony will be Monday, Nov. 9, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Marine Corps Sergeant Brandon Stevenson enlisted in the summer of 2005 to serve his country. Five years later in Afghanistan, Stevenson road on a military vehicle that struck an IED. The explosion caused a serious concussion, lower back and neck injuries, and a traumatic brain injury that led to PTSD and acute stress disorder. Stevenson went on to complete his required active service until an honorable discharge from the Marines in 2013. Sergeant Stevenson will be accompanied by his wife Kelley on Tuesday, Nov. 10, in Palm Bay, Florida.

Building Homes for Heroes, Inc. is a non-profit, public charity exempt from federal income tax under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

For more information on Building Homes For Heroes visit buildinghomesforheroes.org. 

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SOURCE Building Homes for Heroes

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