"Two Wounded Veterans from Connecticut to Receive a Helping Hand from Homes for Our Troops.
Friday, June 2, 2006
By: HFOT Staff Writers

Massachusetts based charity heads to Central Connecticut to promote community volunteerism and build handicap accessible homes for two severely wounded Marines.

Coventry, CT - May 2006 Homes for Our Troops, a Massachusetts based 501 (c)(3) organization that builds and adapts homes for handicap accessibility for our most severely wounded veterans will be reaching out to the local community members to help provide new homes for Sgt. Jared Luce and Cpl. Brian Johnston.

In Massachusetts, Homes for Our Troops built a brand new barrier-free home for Sgt. Peter Damon and his young family at no cost to Sgt. Damon. With the help of 59 businesses and hundreds of volunteers, Homes for Our Troops was proud to turn over the keys to the Damon’s new home in October 2005.

Now Homes for Our Troops is hoping to duplicate the local business involvement and the community volunteerism in Coventry, CT for two severely wounded Marines.

Sgt. Jared Luce USMCR, was severely injured while driving a maintenance contact vehicle in a convoy en route to Hit, Iraq. The vehicle Jared was driving was blown up by a double-stacked land mine as he was trying to recover a broken down vehicle in the convoy. Jared lost both of his legs and suffered severe damage to his left hand and left eye.

Jared, his wife Melanie and their 3 young boys will be settling in Coventry, CT. The Luces have purchased land for their new home, the land clearing has begun by a group of Vietnam Vets from the Hartford Vet Center and Homes for Our Troops will begin building their home in July.

Cpl. Brian Johnston USMC, was wounded in Fallujah, Iraq, when the Amphibious Assault Vehicle he was riding in was hit by an IED. Brian lost his right leg and right arm in that attack. 

Homes for Our Troops is in need of land to build a new handicap accessible home to suit Brian’s needs.

About Homes for Our Troops

Homes for Our Troops was founded in 2004 by contractor John Gonsalves when he wanted to find an organization to volunteer his 20 years experience as a contractor to help our wounded veterans with their home modification needs. He found that no organization existed to help our severely disabled veterans in that way, so he founded Homes for Our Troops. “Our motto is, essentially, “Homes for our troops”, John Gonsalves says. “It’s not a (politically) left thing, it’s not a right thing, it’s the right thing. As Americans, we have a responsibility to these soldiers and their families.”

*The services provided by Homes for Our Troops is done at no cost to the veterans we serve.

Media Contact Information:

John Gonsalves, Founder Homes for Our Troops

508-331-2266

john@homesforourtroops.org

1 Taunton Green

Taunton, MA 02780

Website: www.homesforourtroops.org