A wounded war veteran in Charlotte, North Carolina will receive a mortgage-free home thanks to the partnership of local builder Classica Homes and non-profit organization Operation Finally Home. Bill Saint, president and CEO of Charlotte’s custom builder Classica Homes, attended the 2013 International Builders Show (IBS) in January to see the latest building products and trends. What was already shaping up to be a great show became even more special for Saint once he was introduced to the Operation Finally Home team. Upon learning about its mission to provide housing for wounded war veterans, Saint committed to partner with Operation Finally Home and build a home in Charlotte this year.
All homes built through Operation Finally Home are custom-designed to accommodate the special needs and disabilities of the soldier recipients. Best of all, the homes are given to each family mortgage-free. The organization partners with corporate sponsors, builder associations, builders, developers, individual contributors and volunteers to help severely wounded war heroes and their families succeed in a challenging new world. For example, Mohawk has donated flooring for Operation Finally Home houses since December of 2011.
It was through Mohawk’s established relationship with Operation Finally Home that Saint first learned about the opportunity to become involved at a benefit concert during IBS. The concert was held at the House of Blues and featured country music artist Kix Brooks. The event kicked off with the non-profit’s founder and president, Dan Wallrath, providing an overview of Operation Finally Home’s mission and profiling those veterans in attendance who received homes in the past. Saint attended the event with his Mohawk sales representative and was moved by what he heard.
“Sometimes things all fall into place for a reason and this was a perfect example. My wife, Terri, had been talking for months about finding a way to help returning veterans. While we didn’t know how we could help, we do know how to build homes. As soon as we heard the story, our team attending the event all looked at each other and nodded our heads in agreement, we had to participate,” said Saint. He was not the only builder who made such a commitment that night. Seven more companies from across the country also pledged to donate a home in their cities that night. “Being only a two year old company, we couldn’t do this without the generosity we’ve seen from so many key players in the building community, and within our own community and homeowners. On behalf of our entire Classica team, I can’t express enough the excitement and gratitude we have in being able to give back to those heroes who have given everything for our country – we can never thank them enough.”
More information about Mohawk’s partnership with Operation Finally Home can be found at http://www.mohawkflooring.com/about-mohawk/default.aspx?pg=5.
