Leisure World News

Leisure World News • Community • November 2018 A11 CAR BUYER’S ADVOCATE “It’s like having a trusted Realtor and Financial Advisor ... for Car Buying!” ENJOY BUYING YOUR NEXT CAR! • Save time, money and aggravation • Remove the pressure, hassle, and stress • Get your ideal vehicle at the best possible price • Maximize the value of your trade-in vehicle • Concierge Service at your home or office available • Any Make, Any Model—New or Used BUY WITH CONFIDENCE “Brian Newman has made car buying a pleasant experience. He gave me one price several thousand dollars less than any Lexus dealer in Arizona. He gave me options for my trade-in, which resulted in another $1000 savings. This experience is the only way to purchase either a new or used car. Completely hassle-free!” - By Howard K. Scottsdale, AZ Consulting with an expert on a large purchase makes good sense. People hire realtors, financial planners and travel agents. Now there is an equivalent for car buyers! The Car Buyer’s Advocate does all the work, instills confidence and protects car buyers from making expensive and long-lasting car-buying mistakes. Brian Newman 480.330.8185 brian@idealcarbuying.com WWW.IDEALCARBUYING.COM Leisure World News www.hov.org www.hov.org/volunteer volunteeropportunities@hov.org VETERANS SPOTLIGHT Building Homes and a Future for our Troops It started with an offer to build a home. In 2004, John Gonsalves, a Massachusetts general contractor, wanted to build an injured Iraq veteran a home. But not just any home would do. John wanted to build homes for severely injured post-September 11 veterans to help them rebuild their lives and focus on the future. These veterans cannot remain in their current homes because most homes are designed for able-bodied individuals—not amputees or those suffering from paralysis and traumatic brain injuries. John decided to put his plan in motion. And shortly thereafter, Homes for our Troops (HFOT), a privately-funded 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization was born. Since then, HFOT has built over 250 specially-adapted homes. But this need only increases. Currently, more than 100 severely injured veterans are waiting to get accepted into the program. The Homes To give the veteran full accessibility, HFOT designs their homes with over 40 major adaptions that exceed Americans with Disability Act (ADA) compliance standards. For example, the homes include pull-down shelving, wide halls and doorways for wheelchair mobility, automatic door openers and roll-under stoves tops, sinks and countertops. Everything is designed with the injured veteran in mind. These are spacious four-bedroom, two-bath homes of 2,650 square feet with enough space and flexibility to enable the veteran and his or her family to live comfortably. Locations HFOT builds homes across the nation, with 274 completed and 93 active projects. So far, veterans in 44 states have taken advantage of this program, including four veterans who qualified in Arizona during 2013 to 2015. Meet some of the Arizona recipients: Marine Sgt. Robert Bruce Marine Sgt. Robert Bruce of Mesa lost both legs in Afghanistan while providing security for the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines squad. While clearing a hillside for future operations, an IED (Improvised Explosive Device) exploded. As Robert responded to administer aid to his injured squad members, a second IED went off, leaving Robert with bilateral below-the-knee amputation. Thanks to HFOT, Robert, along with his wife, Megan, enjoy their new home and are secure in knowing Robert’s physical needs are met. “Thank you for all you do to support our injured Veterans…addressing each of their individual needs in the features of the homes you provide,” Robert says. “Your support really means a lot to me.” Army Sgt. Brian Roberts Now living in Prescott Valley, Army Sgt. Brian Roberts sustained extensive pelvic, spinal cord and internal injuries in 2010 when his vehicle struck an IED while deployed in Afghanistan. Seven days later, Brian awoke at Walter Reed Medical Center; he then transferred to Brook Army Medical Center, where he underwent several surgeries and the amputation of his left leg below the knee. Brian’s new, specially-adapted home allows him and his wife, Sharon, to enjoy their lives in a mortgage-free home while pursuing certification in Scuba diving. Army First Sgt. William “Mike” Leonard A resident of Peoria, Army First Sgt. Mike Leonard and his wife Cheryl understood the dangers of Mike’s deployments. But nothing could have prepared them for March 22, 2010. It was on Mike’s fourth deployment while escorting an Afghan Army squad back to base that his vehicle ran over an IED. After being transported to Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Mike learned that the explosion left him a double amputate. He also suffered vision and hearing loss. Despite his challenges, Mike embraces an active life, which includes swimming, walking, running and kayaking around the Phoenix area. “Homes for Our Troops found us a perfect location that allows us to ‘just live’ and enjoy our new home to the fullest,” Mike says. How to Qualify Veterans must meet the following requirements for consideration in the HFOT program: 1. Injured in the theater of Iraq-Afghanistan War, post-September 11, 2001 2. Retired or in the process of retiring from military service 3. Received letter of eligibility for the VA Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) program 4. Agree for the home as your primary residence and provide ongoing maintenance, upkeep and pay all costs associated with home ownership, including property taxes, home insurance and utilities Assistance To request assistance, veterans (or spouse or caregiver) must complete a short inquiry form located at http:// www.hfotusa.org/inquiry/. Applicants will be contacted within three to seven business days with instructions on how to proceed to the next step. How to Get Involved Since HFOT is a privately-funded organization, they depend on the goodwill and generosity of others. They accept tribute gifts, stocks, matching gifts, vehicles and donor-advised funds. Help rebuild a veteran’s life and restore a dream! For more information, visit Home for Our Troops at https://www.hfotusa.org or call them at 866-7-TROOPS. Please take advantage of the many businesses and services that are advertised in the Leisure World News. Thanks to these generous patrons, we are able to keep you informed and up-to-date on what’s happening around Leisure World. You also get the added benefit of receiving the newspaper free of charge. So let’s go local and encourage our advertisers as we give back to the community! Go Local and Support Our Advertisers!