Washington, DC Maritime Community Raises $15,000 for "Homes For Our Troops"
The community of American maritime carriers and operating unions in Washington, DC has raised $15,000 to help build specially adapted homes for American veterans who have selflessly given to our country and have returned home from Iraq or Afghanistan with serious disabilities and injuries.
These funds will be donated to Homes for Our Troops, a non-profit 501©(3) charitable organization based in Taunton, Massachusetts. Half of these contributions are corporate donations from Matson, American Roll-on Roll-off Carriers, Maersk, APL, K&L Gates, Horizon Lines, and the American Waterways Operators. The other half is from individuals who represent maritime interests in the Nation's Capital in various capacities.
Homes for Our Troops was founded in 2004 by John Gonsalves, a construction supervisor in Massachusetts, who saw a news report of a severely injured Service Member who had returned from Iraq. He searched for an organization where he could donate his building expertise for a few weeks to help these individuals. When he found none, he quit his job and started Homes for Our Troops.
Since then, HFOT has built over three dozen homes nationwide and there are now another 30 homes in various stages of construction throughout the United States. Each home provides maximum freedom of movement and the ability to live more independently for injured service members.
HFOT is supported by many prestigious organizations and has received recognition and awards from top levels of government, including the President of the United States and the Department of Defense. The best way to support Homes for Our Troops is to contact them directly at http://www.homesforourtroops.org. For Media Relations, contact Vicki Thomas at thomas34@optonline.net.
These funds will be donated to Homes for Our Troops, a non-profit 501©(3) charitable organization based in Taunton, Massachusetts. Half of these contributions are corporate donations from Matson, American Roll-on Roll-off Carriers, Maersk, APL, K&L Gates, Horizon Lines, and the American Waterways Operators. The other half is from individuals who represent maritime interests in the Nation's Capital in various capacities.
Homes for Our Troops was founded in 2004 by John Gonsalves, a construction supervisor in Massachusetts, who saw a news report of a severely injured Service Member who had returned from Iraq. He searched for an organization where he could donate his building expertise for a few weeks to help these individuals. When he found none, he quit his job and started Homes for Our Troops.
Since then, HFOT has built over three dozen homes nationwide and there are now another 30 homes in various stages of construction throughout the United States. Each home provides maximum freedom of movement and the ability to live more independently for injured service members.
HFOT is supported by many prestigious organizations and has received recognition and awards from top levels of government, including the President of the United States and the Department of Defense. The best way to support Homes for Our Troops is to contact them directly at http://www.homesforourtroops.org. For Media Relations, contact Vicki Thomas at thomas34@optonline.net.