Building Homes for Heroes gives Gulfport veteran a new home

A veteran in Gulfport received a new home free of charge.

James and Tammy have been nomads for the last two and a half years. Now, they get to call Gulfport their home.

They are receiving the keys to their mortgage free home from Building Homes for Heroes. Project Manager Rusty Smallwood said, “Andy Pujol, our CEO and founder is a New York business man, a native New Yorker. He went to the 9/11 Rescue and so forth and provided support. While he was there, he just tried to think of what he could do to give back to his country.”

Army Specialist James Dyson joined the military in 1996 and served for 18 years in both Iraq and Afghanistan. He was honorably discharged after being injured and returned him to his wife. “We had been living in an RV and traveling just trying to find ourselves and a sense of place in wherever we had been, but it just hadn’t been working out.”

His injuries made van life difficult, so Tammy applied for a home. “We’re very grateful for this house. It’s beautiful. More than I could ever expect. It’s home.”

Now, they’ve found their home base. The two still plan to travel. “We’ll go somewhere a week or two, we’ll come back. So, we have that freedom now, but we also have this place to come home to and have our space.”

If you have an injured vet in your life, they can apply at buildinghomesforheroes.org.