Building Homes for Heroes®

U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant Kirstie Ennis nearly died when the helicopter she was flying and crash landed in the Helmand Province of Afghanistan in June of 2012. Ennis began her long road to recovery, enduring more than 40 surgeries including the amputation of her left leg. As she learned how to walk and talk again, her drive and spirit never wavered.  She has earned three masters degrees, is a celebrated "disabled athlete" and Paralympian, a revered speaker, and has graced the pages of ESPN and Cosmopolitan magazines all in an effort to raise awareness for wounded veterans and their families. In this video Ennis explains how her loss of limb affects her ability to regulate body temperature. As a partner of Building Homes for Heroes®, YORK® provided a variable capacity HVAC system to provide precise comfort. 

Army Staff Sergeant Mark De Alencar enlisted in the military in August 2008 and served until he was tragically killed in action in Afghanistan on April 8, 2017. While his unit was performing counter-ISIS operations in Nangarhar Province, Staff Sergeant De Alencar died from injuries caused by enemy small arms fire. Staff Sergeant de Alencar is survived by his wife, Natasha, and their five children.  In this video, Natasha shares how she and Mark were planning on buying their first home together as soon as he returned from Afghanistan.  YORK® was proud to partner with Building Homes for Heroes® to provide this Gold Star Family a home. A special Welcome Home ceremony for the De Alancar family was featured on the nationally acclaimed Lifetime network show, Live Life Forward.

Army Specialist Ricardo Arreola served nine years in the military, including time in Afghanistan. In 2009, he sustained a career-ending injury that ultimately led to a series of events that put Ricardo down a challenging path. After the death of his son, he found himself living in trying conditions with few options. But thanks to Building Homes for Heroes® and new veterans housing, Ricardo went from homeless to hopeful. Now he has a free, furnished home for his family with a YORK® home comfort system. Watch Ricardo’s story and see how Building Homes for Heroes® and YORK® helped recognize his service.

In this powerful video, Master Sergeant George Vera describes the harrowing events that led to the life-changing injuries he sustained while serving his country in 2015. Defending a base in Afghanistan, Vera was struck by gunfire four times, which damaged his spine and caused him to lose the use of his legs. His wife Angela explains how Building Homes for Heroes® called her and made sure their family was provided with a custom home to help George live an independent life. YORK®, as a partner of Building Homes for Heroes®, proudly provided a home comfort system to keep the whole family comfortable all year long. See how the Vera family is now able to live a happy, full life at home thanks to Building Homes for Heroes®.

After eight years of service, U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant Erick Hoefakker was medically retired due to several injuries that caused debilitating pain. Throughout his tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan, he was exposed to several explosions and was thrown from a truck, severely injuring his hip and back. He suffers from a traumatic brain injury, frequent migraines and severe PTSD. In October 2019, Sergeant Hoefakker and his family received a mortgage-free home from Building Homes for Heroes®. This was an especially meaningful occasion for YORK® as it marked our 100th home comfort system donation.

Army Staff Sergeant Marcos Jimenez joined the military to serve his country and make his family proud. On the morning of March 19, 2011, Jimenez was severely injured when the armored truck he was in struck an improvised explosive device. Dragged out of the wreckage, Jimenez was evacuated by helicopter. He suffered a spinal cord injury, a fractured right tibia, a fractured left arm and facial fractures. He also suffered a traumatic brain injury and PTSD. Staff Sergeant Jimenez was awarded the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Army Commendation Medals, Army Good Conduct Medals and many other commendations. YORK® was proud to partner with Building Homes for Heroes® to give Jimenez and his family a home comfort system.