CAES is proud to be a Mission Partner for Homes For Our Troops, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that builds and donates specially adapted custom homes nationwide for severely injured post-9/11 Veterans, to enable them to rebuild their lives. As a Mission Partner, CAES encourages employees to volunteer at home builds in communities near CAES facilities across the country. The CAES San Diego team recently attended two Homes For Our Troops Volunteer Day events where they landscaped recently built homes for two local Veterans, Navy MH3 Ret. Max Rohn and Navy HM3 (FMF) Ret. Redmond Ramos.
Corporate partners, neighbors, and students from the school where Max coaches turned out for the Rohn Volunteer Day, held on July 13 in Fallbrook, CA. The event saw more than two times the number of attendees who participated in the HFOT Community Kick-Off, the first event of the home-build project, including several first-time volunteers. The more than 150 volunteers at the event completed the landscaping work in under one hour, the fastest time the general contractor had seen a group landscape one of the nearly 40 homes he completed.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to give back to a Veteran and their family who have sacrificed so much,” said CAES Senior Manager Payroll Yanira Woods, who attended the event as a volunteer.
At the Ramos Volunteer Day, held on July 20 in Fallbrook, CA, there was strong community participation. The volunteers were eager to get their hands dirty and determined to finish the landscaping projects. During the event, the volunteers finished laying sod, planting flowers and trees, and spreading mulch, accomplishing the work in just over an hour.
During the Ramos Volunteer Day, Red had the opportunity to share remarks with the group. He held up Sharpies and asked the volunteers to sign one of the rocks around the property, saying he and his wife wanted to be reminded of the people who supported them on the volunteer day. Red and his wife, Krista, expressed that their home is “absolutely perfect” and are excited to see it complete.
CAES looks forward to continuing to participate in volunteer events with Homes For Our Troops. To learn about Homes For Our Troops and find a Volunteer Day near you, visit their website here.