Our 299th Home (In Honor of our Gold Star Families) – We have been gifting homes to our Gold Star Families since 2018. Most recently, we gifted our 299th home to the Montrond Family, in loving memory of Army Sergeant Alberto Montrond who was killed in action in Afghanistan. We have every intention to gift many more homes to Gold Star Families in the years ahead
Our 300th Home – On the 10th of September 2022, Building Homes for Heroes celebrated its milestone 300thhome alongside our national partners and several hundred supporters within the Dallas/Fort Worth Community. A patriotic procession featured firefighters, police officers, emergency workers, high school band, cheerleaders, Boy Scouts and more as we joined together to honor Army Specialist John Merchant and his new home. From our humble beginnings in the search and rescue of 9/11 until now, we are so grateful to all have joined us along our journey. Together, we’re building better and brighter lives and making our communities and country a better place!
343 Homes – On Sept. 11, 2023, we reached our 343rd home in honor of the 343 FDNY firefighters who lost their lives in 9/11. Every year, the FDNY 343 Ride honors these fallen heroes with a memorial bike ride, and Building Homes for Heroes has been proud to be a longtime partner. Alongside the FDNY, we will continue to honor our heroic firefighters with this home gifting.
500 Homes by 2026-27 – With nearly 5,800 applicants at this time hoping for a home, Building Homes for Heroes hopes to gift as many as 500 mortgage-free homes to our nation’s veterans by 2027. Already suffering from trauma from their years of service plus the difficult adjustment to civilian life, receiving a soundly structured, secure and beautiful home will significantly enhance their mental and physical health and well-being in addition to their day-to-day quality of life and allow them to continue living in their home and pass it down to their children. This program achieves a level of stability that veteran families may never have experienced otherwise and strengthens their position as homeowners for generations to come. A life-changing and amazing gift indeed.
95.5% Program Rating & Our 12th Straight Year of 93% Program Rating or Higher  – The organization reached a program rating of 95.5% in 2021, an eleventh consecutive year in which, at least, 93% of every dollar donated, or more, goes directly to our mission. One of very few of all charities in the nation to accomplish this feat so often and so consistently.
Financial Awareness and Well-Being Programs (More than 1,000 Helped Already) –  Like many Americans, our struggles commonly include our day-to-day finances. We’re finding this to be far more common for those struggling with physical and psychological injuries. While the home is gifted mortgage-free, it still comes with a financial responsibility for our veterans, many of whom will be first-time homeowners. To help alleviate this burden and assist with debt and stress that finances can bring upon their mental health, we partner all our home recipients with certified financial advisors for a period of two to four years. This program has helped our veterans minimize and eliminate debt and plan for the future ahead. It has helped teach them the importance of financial management and well-being and helped them to understand and learn more than many. It has helped many families take family vacations for the first time in their lives. And it has even helped some veterans get their affairs in order so they can pursue job opportunities they never would have been able to achieve successfully otherwise. Overall, the impact has been extremely positive and productive for hundreds of veterans and their families.
Emergency Funding (More than 1,000 Helped Already) – Our emergency funding program that allows veterans to apply when faced with watershed moments in their lives, including the sudden loss of a loved one, illness, weather-related disasters including hurricanes, and any other hardship that life may bring. For veterans who are already struggling with their injuries, both physically and psychologically, this program provides a huge relief during trying times. To date, we have helped more than 1,000 veterans and their family members receive emergency funding. On numerous occasions, we helped those who are homeless, near foreclosure and those who are struggling in so many ways. Once again, the impact herein has been extremely positive and productive.
Supporting Recreational Activities, Sports, Outdoor Rehabilitation, Academics and Entrepreneurial Dreams – We began this program by supporting USMC Sgt Kirstie Ennis and others, the first-ever all-female veteran climb of Mount Denali in 2018, the tallest mountain peak in North America. Since then, we’ve supported her on her goal to reach the top of the world’s Seven Summits, including her quest to climb Mount Everest in 2023. We have also proudly supported our veterans in the grueling training process for the Invictus Games, the Warrior Games and the Paralympics. We’ve helped veterans return to receive their college degrees, and many start new business and pursue dreams they never imagined when injured.
Rekindling Military Bonds Through Family Fun Team Building (More than 1,000 Helped Already) – To further boost veterans’ physical and mental wellness, we host an annual Team Building program in Orlando, Florida designed to strengthen bonds and family spirit among veterans and their families. It is yet another step toward marital success, family happiness, camaraderie and comfort in their everyday lives. The organization has found this program to be tremendously inspirational for veterans and families alike, another step toward being defined by their accomplishments and activities, and not their injuries or their disabilities. We hope to further expand this program in Texas and Arizona ahead as the organization continues to expand.
Physical Health and Mental Wellness Programs (We Hope to Help Thousands in 2024 and Many More Ahead) – With numbers reported as high as 24 veterans committing suicide per day, this program aims to address the growing mental wellness crisis that has now a become an urgent priority throughout this country. We're beginning to further expand and launch a wellness program unlike anything ever seen before within the veteran and first responder community. Including seminars taking place across the country that focus on physical and mental health, we helped hundreds of heroes in 2023 and intend to help thousands in 2024. Hopefully, to help them heal and to live a long and productive life.
Ambassador Program – Our Ambassador Program puts our veterans in growing leadership positions, networking with other veterans and speaking at corporate events, provides them with a mission that helps more veterans. This peer-to-peer program teaches veterans about business, setting and reaching goals, and is another positive step towards helping them and their families along their journey.
Fighting For our Veterans Against COVID-19 – Since the beginning of the pandemic in early 2020, we set out to support thousands of families with emergency funding to help overcome the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. With so many veterans vulnerable with a multitude of health issues and underlying conditions, facing homelessness or nearing the tipping point, and struggling physically and psychologically with TBI and PTSD, and some with suicidal concerns. Thanks to our emergency funding program, we were immediately able to distribute emergency funding checks to more than 500 veterans and their families in need. A bit of hope for many!
Gifting 11 Homes in 11 Weeks in Honor of Veterans Day and 11-11 – In honor of the 20th anniversary of 9/11 and Veterans Day, we gifted 11 homes in 11 weeks in honor of these two meaningful days in 2023, the 6th straight year we have accomplished this remarkable achievement. We plan to achieve this again in 2024.
Patriot Award Recipient – We were proud to receive the highest civilian honor, the Patriot Award,  from SOCOM in a formal ceremony, at MacDill Air Force Base, the HQ of SOCOM. In 2021, we were also honored to be the recipient of the Patriot Award from Fox Nation.
4 Stars from Charity Navigator and Platinum on GuideStar – Building Homes for Heroes was proud to receive the highest possible rating of 4 stars from Charity Navigator, the nation’s largest charity evaluator. This score was re-validated in 2022 for a seventh straight year, a rare accomplishment achieved by less than 10% of all charities nationwide. We were also honored to be awarded a Platinum rating on GuideStar, another independent nonprofit evaluator.
100% Score for Transparency – Building Homes for Heroes also received a perfect 100 percent score for accountability and transparency from Charity Navigator for a 7th consecutive year.
Founder and CEO’s Salary – For an 18th consecutive year, the Founder and CEO of the organization will donate his time and salary to the organization.
More Than 20,000,000 Airings in 2022 – We reached more than 20,000,000 airings across TV and radio in 2022 alone, a new record for our home ceremonies and national events. To date, the organization has not paid for a single television commercial.
Growing Presence on Social Media – With more than 144,000 followers on Facebook, more than 11,000 followers on Instagram, and growing, we are proud to share our achievements with you on a day-to-day basis via social media. Please visit us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn to receive regular updates on our activities!
Economic Advancement – While many contractors are willing to donate their time and service, many do not have the means to do so. Building Homes for Heroes plans to support several hundred contractors and their families in the year ahead. We have especially had a major impact in the Great State of Florida, where we have partnered directly with the State Department of Economic Opportunity for the last several years to gift and modify more than 100 homes for veterans in Florida while boosting communities and having a major economic impact across the state.
Community Inspiration – At many ceremonies, we often see firefighters, police officers, political dignitaries, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts, Brownies, Daisies, school bands, vintage cars, ROTC volunteers, veterans’ groups, family, friends and neighbors alike gather together to celebrate a veteran’s homecoming. The impact produced is clearly making our communities and country a better place, and setting a positive example for all to see.
Marital Success and Family Happiness – Having completed construction on more than 355 homes for veterans and their families, we are proud to announce that more than 95% of our veterans currently in homes are still married. A remarkable phenomenon by itself. The combination of financial freedom and community support appears to be creating a clear and concise path towards marital triumph and family happiness for veterans, who are struggling with severe physical and cerebral injuries, including PTSD and TBI.
Corporate and Organizational Support – Building Homes for Heroes is supported by amazing organizations such as Advance Auto Parts and their supplier partners, Lowe’s, JP Morgan Chase, SAIC, Optum, Johnson Controls, Citibank, Real Truck, the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, the FDNY, FDNY 343 Ride, Legrand North America, Hillwood, Pulte Homes, Highland Homes, DR Horton, Tijuana Flats, BuilderTrend, Volvo, Cantor Fitzgerald, GE Silicone II, Mansfield Plumbing, William Ryan Homes, Randy Wise Homes, PCL Construction, Sikorsky Aircraft, Ebby Halliday Realtors, BAE Systems, Mission BBQ, Chick-Fil-A, plus an ever-growing number of organizations and communities nationwide.
