Retired U.S. Army Sgt. Javier Torres and his family have been selected to receive a new mortgage-free home from PulteGroup, through the company’s Built to Honor program, in partnership with the nonprofit Operation Finally Home.
Ground recently was broken for the family’s new home being built in Land O’ Lakes.
Torres was severely injured while deployed in Afghanistan in 2004, according to a news release.
His platoon was ambushed, and his HUMVEE was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade. He was shot three times during the firefight and his fellow soldiers protected him before he was eventually medevacked. He was awarded several honors for his service, including the Purple Heart.
The Torres family currently lives in an apartment in Land O’Lakes.
“We just want to have a place to call our own, where our family can grow without having to move constantly,” Torres said, in the release.
The family’s new single-story home is being built in the Arden Preserve community. The residence, which will exceed 2,100 square feet, will have four bedrooms and three bathrooms.
PulteGroup team members, along with the Torres family, officially broke ground on the home on March 24, and the team expects to welcome the Torres family home this summer.
“It is a privilege for Pulte employees, along with our trade partners and suppliers, to be able to give back to our nation’s veterans in a meaningful way,” Sean Strickler, president of PulteGroup’s West Florida division, said in a news release.
The Torres family worked closely with Operation Finally Home, which partners with builders like PulteGroup to provide homes and home modifications to America’s military heroes and first responders.
“We are extremely grateful to PulteGroup and their Built to Honor program for supporting our veterans, first responders and their families with mortgage-free homes,” said Rusty Carroll, executive director of Operation Finally Home, in the release.
PulteGroup’s Built to Honor program was launched in 2013 to recognize and thank returning military personnel who have been injured during their term of service by providing mortgage-free homes to veterans and their families.
Built to Honor works in partnership with nonprofit organizations to identify veteran candidates. This will be the West Florida division’s fourth home dedicated in the Tampa Bay area.
Published April 14, 2021
