Purple Heart Homes to Hold “Mission Complete” Ceremony to Mark the Completion of Home Repairs on Army/Coast Guard Veteran Flora Lee’s Home

JACKSON, MS – On Monday, February 11, at 11:00 AM, Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba will speak at the completion of Purple Heart Homes’ Operation Veteran Home Renovation highlighting home repairs provided to Jackson resident Flora Lee. The ceremony will take place at Ms. Lee’s home at 321 Fredrica Avenue.

Flora Lee served our country in two different branches of the military. She served our nation in the field of radio communications with the US Coast Guard and in medical surgery with the US Army. After her military service she returned home to start a family. Ms. Lee has a son and a daughter and is the proud grandmother of two. Ms. Lee continued to work in her specialty in a civilian teaching hospital in Jackson. Ms Lee says, “my military training taught me to have pride in my job and in civilian life I continued to learn.” Ms. Lee suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress, a ruptured disk, and is a cancer survivor.

Purple Heart Homes program, Operation Veteran Home Renovation was created to raise awareness about the housing challenges faced by older service connected disabled veterans and their caregivers. Many older veterans live in homes that are often not suited for service connected disabilities. As a result of those disabilities, they can no longer make needed home safety repairs.

Flora Lee’s home needed repairs that were of concern for her safety. Through a collaboration with the City of Jackson, the National League of Cities, Purple Heart Homes, the Voice of Calvary Ministries and Renasant Bank her roof was replaced, her bathroom and kitchen floors were reinforced to make her home safe and accessible.

“Renasant Bank considers it a privilege to be able to give back to residents of our community, who have sacrificed so much of themselves in service to our county. We are honored to join with other local agencies in delivering assistance that will provide safer and more comfortable living conditions for them,” said Pamela Hadley, First VP, Community Outreach and Mortgage Resources.

“Nearly 50 percent of the 7,801 veterans that live in Jackson are age 65 and older. Many veterans have service connected disabilities that make it difficult to make needed home repairs on their own,’ said Lumumba. “To have a collaboration of community and national partners come together to provide not only Flora Lee, but other veterans with needed home repairs to enable them to live safely and with dignity in their homes is what we need to do in Jackson for the service and sacrifice they made on our behalf.”

The collaboration of community and national partners in the city of Jackson has completed year one and will be doing additional home repairs in 2019 that address safety issues such as needed ramps, railings, grab bars, paint and minor repairs.

To sustain the national and citywide efforts to help older veterans live safely in their homes Purple Heart Homes Vice President of chapters will also launch an organizational community meeting on Tuesday, February 12 at 9:00 AM at the Voice of Calvary Ministries to help form a Jackson Purple Heart Homes chapter.

“We are grateful to the community of Jackson, our financial partner Renasant Bank and to the Voice of Calvary of Ministries for their commitment to provide needed safe and accessible home repairs,” said John Gallina, Executive Director and Co-founder of Purple Heart Homes. “We look forward to maintaining this work to help make sure the housing needs of veterans in Jackson are met in a continued way.”

To learn more about how you can get involved visit www.phhusa.,org

NOTE: Community meeting details: Purple Heart Homes Chapter informational meeting – (local contact name and number – 9:00 AM February 12 531 W. Capitol Street Jackson, MS)

About Purple Heart Homes

Purple Heart Homes is a 501(c)3 national nonprofit organization founded by Dale Beatty and John Gallina, two Iraq combat wounded veterans on a mission to provide housing solutions for Service Connected Disabled and Aging Veterans that are substantial in function, design and quality. Purple Heart Homes has two programs: Veterans Aging in Place (VAIP), which encompasses Operation Veteran Home Renovation Project (OVHR), and the Veterans Home Ownership Program (VHOP). From building a ramp for wheelchair-bound veterans to providing home ownership opportunities to veterans with physical as well as invisible injuries, Purple Heart Homes’ programs are designed out of necessity and fit the specific needs of veterans of all ages and from all eras, helping them to live and age in place, in their own safe, accessible and sustainable homes. For more information visit www.phhusa.org. Purple Heart Homes – Improving Veterans’ Lives One Home as a Time.

About Purple Heart Homes

Purple Heart Homes is a 501(c)3 national nonprofit organization founded by Dale Beatty and John Gallina, two Iraq combat wounded veterans on a mission to provide housing solutions for Service Connected Disabled and Aging Veterans that are substantial in function, design and quality. Purple Heart Homes has two programs: Veterans Aging in Place (VAIP), which encompasses Operation Veteran Home Renovation Project (OVHR), and the Veterans Home Ownership Program (VHOP). From building a ramp for wheelchair-bound veterans to providing home ownership opportunities to veterans with physical as well as invisible injuries, Purple Heart Homes’ programs are designed out of necessity and fit the specific needs of veterans of all ages and from all eras, helping them to live and age in place, in their own safe, accessible and sustainable homes. For more information visit www.phhusa.org. Purple Heart Homes – Improving Veterans’ Lives One Home as a Time.