Veteran Home Project

The project was started under the leadership of Mayor Jeff Lamarand. The election resulted in a change of the guard, and the new Mayor continued on with the project.

Union Photographer Ron Maracle caught this image during a visit by Mayor Rick Sollars (second from left) and his son Carson, along with Eric Waidelich (far right) of the city’s Community Development office. Union workers include Dave Pehrson, Mark Styles and Tim Zamecki. Tom Gibbons from major sponsor Home Depot was also on hand”.

Veteran Home Project

The first home was presented to the Hicks Family on October 30th, 2013. The Hicks family members are the first beneficiaries of the program helping area veterans with their housing needs. Hicks, a 1968 Kennedy High School graduate who served in the Navy in Vietnam as a radioman on the USS Kitty Hawk.

Hicks entered the service shortly after graduation and served until 1972. He was awarded the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, the Vietnam Campaign Medal with Bronze Star and the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Korea).

Two of the foster children with special needs were adopted by Hicks and his wife, giving them a daughter and a son. Since then, both have grown up and now have families and children of their own.

The couple also are raising a 14-year-old grandson they have cared for since he was 5.

This is a great photo because it shows what the inside of the house looked like while being completely renovated. The video’s below show what it looked like when we were all done.

Interested In Contributing?

I recently attended a Fallen & Wounded Soldiers Fund fundraising event. I have to say this is an amazing organization. They have a 97% contribution rate. That means for every $100 dollars collected – $97 of those dollars make it to the veterans in need. For any person, looking to donate to a group of volunteers who work tirelessly to make a difference in the lives of our fellow veterans in need, you may wish to keep these folks in mind.