Building Homes for Heros just made an Afghanistan veteran’s dream come true when the not-for-profit gifted her a new home.
This morning (September 22nd) retired Army Second Lieutenant Amanda Tallman walked into her brand new home in Peoria, IL. Building Homes for Heros—an organization that gives homes to injured veterans—renovated the house, which was donated by JP Morgan Chase.
“It’s a place where they can call home. Plant their roots. Raise their family and really build their lives together,” Cody Brannon, the organization’s construction manager, told 12 News.
Since returning from Afghanistan, Tallman has been battling health problems that have made her civilian life rocky. While overseas, she was injured in a car crash. As a result, she’s gone through three surgeries. On top of that, she battled thyroid cancer. So she hasn’t had a lot of security. However, her new mortgage-free home is changing that.
“We’ve moved five times in the last year,” she said. “So, this actually gives us a ton of stability.”
Because of her gift, the veteran will be able to start a new chapter in her life. Soon she’ll have a degree in sociology from ASU. And she’s going to use some of the money she’s saving to pay it forward. Since she’s living mortgage-free, Tallman plans on donating more money to her own charity. Tallman heads First Page: A New Chapter for Veterans and Kids, which is a non-profit that helps empower veterans and their children.
“We’ve really had to figure out what our lives were going to look like,” Tallman added. “We just, for so long, it’s been like ‘we don’t know.’ This home and everything Building Homes for Heroes has done for me is truly a blessing and a gift.”
Vietnam Veteran Honored By a Program That Gifted Free Dental Service to Ex-Soldiers
Smiles for America honored Vietnam veteran Larry Brown by giving him free dental work. The non-profit organization teamed up with dentists around the country and selected one vet from every state to receive the award.
Dr. Derek Hoffman represented Smiles for America in Nebraska. And after interviewing veterans all over the state, he donated his services to Larry Brown.
“He is the epitome of what it means to be a Nebraskan,” Hoffman said. “And the sacrifices he gave to our country, he is very well-deserving.”
Brown, who returned from war over 50 years ago, told the Lincoln Journal-Star that he had trouble finding a VA location willing to work on his teeth. And that’s not the only problem he’s faced since leaving the service. Because the Vietnam war was highly politicized, he, like most soldiers, dealt with angry backlash when he came home.
“This is really, since I’ve been out of the service, probably the first nice thing that’s happened to me regarding my service to the country,” Brown said. “So I’m very excited. Very happy.”
