Thanks to a few non-profit organizations in Florida, a young veteran of the War on Terror will have a brand new energy-efficient home.
Sunstone Construction in St. Petersburg, Florida, will begin building a house in conjunction with GE Ecomagination for local resident Stephen Peterson, who was injured by an improvised explosive device (IED) in Afghanistan in 2010.
According to local news source Bay News 9, this initiative is an effort by Community Partners in Revitalization, a coalition of groups that serve to better the community around them.
Operation Finally Home is one of the main organizations involved. According to its website, the program was established in 2005 by Bay Area Builders Association Support Our Troops. The mission is to design, build and donate custom-made homes for wounded veterans and their widows. The organization has been featured on "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" and "CNN Heroes" in recognition for its efforts to help these veterans and their loved ones enjoy a rewarding life.
Peterson's net-zero energy home is expected to be finished sometime in the spring. Peterson told the source that he is "very grateful and blessed."
"Those veterans have gone, put their lives on the line," said Watson Haines, president of the Pinellas County Urban League, another local non-profit organization. "And this is one way our community can say, 'Thanks for what you've done, we'll do this for you,' and this is something we need to do for our veterans."
It's great to see wonderful humanitarian efforts like this one being made across the country, and it's also heartening that organizations like Operation Finally Home recognize the value of sustainable technology. If you're interested in upgrading to an energy-efficient home, contact a home inspection contractor. They'll perform an energy audit and help you determine where to get started.