On January 7, 2010, during his third combat deployment in Afghanistan, Sgt. Craig Brady was conducting a battle damage assessment with the 2nd Combat Engineering Battalion when he stepped on an improvised explosive device (IED). The blast caused him to lose his right leg below the knee, resulted in severe back injuries, and damaged his left forearm.
Returning home, he underwent a number of lengthy surgeries at Bethesda Naval Hospital, with his wife Catie by his side. Today, Sgt. Brady, Catie, and their two sons Bruce and Luke live in Holden where, in a few months, they’ll be moving into a new, specially adapted custom home, courtesy of Homes For Our Troops, a non-profit organization founded in 2004, and headquartered in Taunton, MA. Its mission is to build and donate specially adapted custom homes for severely injured post 9/11 veterans, this enabling them to rebuild their lives.
Homes for our Troops is a national organization that has thus far built homes for disabled veterans in some 45 states, with close to 400 homes being built, and more in the planning stage. Most of these Veterans have sustained injuries including multiple limb amputations, partial or full paralysis, and/or severe traumatic brain injury (TBI)
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Approximately 90% of the funds donated to HFOT, go directly to support the building projects. Homes For Our Troops receives the highest possible rating of 4 stars from Charity Navigator and has an A rating with Charity Watch. Additionally, HFOT is a platinum-level Guidestar participant, demonstrating its commitment to transparency, and meets all 20 criteria of the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance.
Rebuilding Lives is the most important aspect of HFOT mission. They stay in contact with the veterans after home delivery. Homes For Our Troops provides a pro-bono financial planner for three years to assist in financial planning and household budgeting. They also provide homeownership education and warranty coverage to ensure that the veteran is set up for long-term success as a homeowner. One staff section’s sole focus is following up with the Veterans, and they also have a peer mentoring program consisting of veterans and spouses in the HFOT program. To improve their post home delivery support, they continue to expand their network of nonprofits, corporations, and government entities to provide assistance with employment, education, training, health, and other issues. They strive to provide the linkage between the veteran and the assistance he or she needs. Other differences include building where the veteran wants to live, and a comprehensive selection process.
Currently HFOT has more than 100 severely injured veterans in the application process. As a top-rated military and veterans’ nonprofit organization, Homes For Our Troops relies on the generosity of donors. Homes For Our Troops is a publicly funded nonprofit, with approximately 65 percent of their operational budget generated by individual donors, private and family foundations, and community fundraisers nationwide who step up to help veterans by coordinating everything from lemonade stands to golf tournaments. The remaining 35 percent comes from corporate supporters in the form of cash and donated materials.
Additional information about the organization may be found at htotusa.org.