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It's a Home for a Hero July 4, 2012 SCOTT TWP. - It was a hero’s welcome to Scott Twp. on June 29 for Army Staff Sergeant Earl Granville. With fire trucks on both sides of the road and a huge American flag draped between them, lining the entrance way to the building site. Members of the Wilkes-Barre recruitment company, Friends of the Forgotten and the Lakeland Jr./Sr. High School marching band led Granville, 28, to his new home. The veteran, who was severely wounded in Afghanistan, will have an easier time in the next few months thanks to a non-profit organization, Homes for Our Troops, and the hard work from volunteers, many from the community. The Lackawanna Homebuilders Association and General Contractor Ken Kurtz Builders are currently working with Homes for Our Troops to build a specially adapted home for Granville, who suffered severe leg injuries in June 2008. Kurtz took on the project for a simple reason. “One thing that I love and enjoy is my freedom, and we could never have freedom without these guys,” Kurtz said. I’m working on this project for all veterans, past and future.” The “Build Brigade” began with a ceremony at the construction site, Lot 2 Schoolside Dr., Scott Township, PA 18433. Following the ceremony, Granville, along with volunteers and several community leaders, raised the home’s first wall. The goal of the three-day Build Brigade was to frame, side, and roof the house and install windows and doors. Interior and finishing work is expected to be finished in the following months. Granville was overwhelmed by the outpouring of support at the opening ceremony. “I can’t thank the community enough,” he said. “Four years ago this month, I lost my limb. In these past four years, I couldn’t be this positive without the help of the community. I’m very blessed with everyone here in Lackawanna County and the Army’s 55th Brigade.” The Carbondale native is extremely grateful to be been chosen for a new home that will allow him to navigate easier. “I was just ecstatic,” Granville said of when he heard the news. “I was so happy and very grateful for being selected to have a house built for my injuries. I signed up at Walter Reed, got approved and it’s been an amazing ride ever since.” Granville, who currently lives in Old Forge, is excited to be moving closer to his 10-year old daughter, Alexandria, who lives in Carbondale. He also has nieces and nephews who live in Greenfield Twp. “The location of being closer to my family is a big thing,” he said. “I’m very excited for that.” The new ranch style house will make everyday tasks much easier for the wounded veteran. “I will be able to be in a wheelchair more when I’m in the house,” he said. “Where I live now, there are stairs. I will be able to access everything in my wheelchair. I will have independence inside my house and won’t have to worry about wearing my leg and crutching up stairs or down stairs if I’m having a sore day.” Granville has stayed active in sports, despite his injuries. “While I was at Walter Reed Army Medical Center , I was introduced to a lot of adaptive and disabled sports,” he said. “I started playing hockey for the USA Warriors, a team of Wounded Warriors and I loved it. I still do a lot of volunteer work with them trying to help them out, even though I live here. I want to show them how much hockey has helped me with my recovery and hopefully it will help them. I also play hockey for the Philadelphia Flyers sled team. It keeps expanding and getting better.” Granville graduated from Lackawanna College in Scranton with a Liberal Arts degree and a Business certificate, and is currently studying Counseling and Human Services at The University of Scranton. Larry Gill, Veterans Liaison for Homes for Our Troops, said building the homes is bittersweet. “I hate that there is the need for them, but it’s sweet that we can pull the community and volunteers together to get it done.” According the Gill, the organization has completed 112 homes in 37 states since it was founded in 2004. Homes for Our Troops is a national non-profit, non-partisan 501(c)(3) organization. They are strongly committed to helping those who have selflessly given to the country and have returned home with serious disabilities and injuries since September 11, 2001. It is their duty and honor to assist severely injured Veterans and their immediate families by raising donations of money, building materials and professional labor and to coordinate the process of building a home that provides maximum freedom of movement and the ability to live more independently. The homes provided by Homes for Our Troops are given at no cost to the Veterans. “It’s not a small undertaking,” Gill said. “We couldn’t do what we do without the help of the men and women gathered here today. “People just love our men and women in uniform and want to say thank you,” Gill added. “Whether their way of saying thank you is by swinging a hammer, serving food at the volunteer tents or playing in a band, they just want to say thank you.” Bart Sacco, President of the Lackawanna Homebuilders Association, is proud to be a part of the project. “I think it’s an absolutely wonderful thing for the community,” Sacco said. “It’s a wonderful group gathering bringing a whole bunch of different industry professionals together. It’s wonderful to be a part of it and be instrumental in any minor or major way to bring this thing to life for Sgt. Granville.” Lackawanna County Commissioner Patrick O’Malley, one of the guest speakers, presented Granville with a plaque honoring the veteran for his service and issued a proclamation making June 29 Earl Granville Day in Lackawanna County. “It’s a great day,” O’Malley said. “I hope they build 1,000 more houses for wounded veterans.” Todd Zimmerman, of Clarks Summit, one of the many volunteers working on the project, shared his reasoning for getting involved. “It’s a worthy cause,” Zimmerman said. “The gentleman got wounded protecting our freedom. I’m absolutely excited to get started.” The grunt work of volunteers like Zimmerman, will lead to an easier life for a deserving man. Read More http://theabingtonjournal.com/stories/Its-a-home-for-a-HERO,171296?category_id=29&town_id=2&sub_type=stories#ixzz20ntew0Pu |
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