The Traveling Wheelchair

Homes For Our Troops             
6 Main Street
Taunton, MA 02780
Phone: 508-823-3300
http://www.homesforourtroops.org/site/PageServer?pagename=AboutHFOT



Before working out at Healthrax Fitness & Wellness Center, my mom, Ric, Josh and I stopped by a home in Middleboro being built by  Homes For Our Troops for Army Staff Sergeant Michael Downing. Michael Downing, a Middleboro resident was on his second deployment when he was left a double amputee after an IED explosion in Afghanistan in September 2008. Michael, his wife Dawnalee and their four children will live in this new home.

Home For Our Troops is a national non-profit organization founded in 2004. Home For Our Troops is strongly committed to helping those who have selflessly given to our country and have returned home with serious disabilities and injuries. They assist severely injured veterans and their immediate families by “raising donations of money, building materials and professional labor and to coordinate the process of building a home that provides maximum freedom of movement and the ability to live more independently”. The homes provided by Homes for Our Troops are given at NO COST to the heroic Veterans they serve.

My mom, friends and I arrived at the home and were really impressed with the magnificent job the volunteers are doing building this beautiful wheelchair accessible home. The home is set back on a beautiful peaceful sight.  Home For Our Troops started building this home late last week and the structure is already up!

At the time of our visit, Volunteer workers from  R.W. Stanley Asphalt Paving  of Raynham were ready to pave the long driveway leading to the home. The workers kindly greeted us and let me wheel up the driveway to see the home before they began.

Halfway up the driveway, I was warmly greeted by Dominic Falconeiri, Volunteer General Contractor for this Home For Troops project. Dominic and his son Mathew own Falconeiri Construction a local construction company who has had two generations of building impressive homes in our area. They built my parents home and my home and I consider them friends!

Ten years ago, when I lived in the nursing home, I used to bring Dominic and Mathew coffee while they were building my parents wheelchair accessible home in Lakeville. Dominic, Mathew and their crew were always very kind and sensitive to me; they always took the time to show me the progress of the building of my parents home. More recently Dominic and Mathew built my wheelchair accessible home in Middleboro. They were equally kind and sensitive and let me come inside to check it out even when they were working. Dominic and Mathew are extremely knowledgeable on building a perfect wheelchair accessible home. They pay close attention to every detail and all their homes are skillfully crafted and magnificent. If you are in the process of looking to have a home built, I highly recommend Falconeiri Construction. For more details please visit their website @ http://www.falconeiriconstructioninc.com/.

I then approached the garage of the home and saw Volunteer workers from  Young Electrical Services of Taunton. Wow! Young Electrical did great electrical work and installed a generator in my accessible home. All the workers are very kind, courteous and helpful! If you ever need electrical work done, I highly recommend Young Electrical; a family owned and operated business since 1986. For more information please visit their website @ http://www.youngelectrical.com/.

I didn’t venture too far inside of the home because a lot of construction was going on and I didn’t want to interfere. The floor plans were laid out and look marvelous. All the studs are up and the rooms look spacious with plenty of room to maneuver a wheelchair. More construction was being done outside as well. With the top class Volunteers this home has, I have no doubt it will be magnificent and fully wheelchair accessible in every way possible!!

Please help SUPPORT OUR HEROES by making a donation or volunteering supplies or labor!! To make a donation or volunteer supplies or labor to Home For Our Troops click on: Donate.  For more information about Army Staff Sergeant Michael Downing of Middleboro and this home being built click on: SSG Michael Downing.

I wish Army Staff Sergeant Michael Downing and his entire family all the peace, happiness and joy they so well deserve in their new home!

Home for Our Troops, Falconeiri Construction, Young Electrical, R.W. Stanley Asphalt Paving and ALL the other Volunteers deserve FIVE STARS PLUS for helping to make the world more sensitive, respectful, safer and accessible for our American Heroes.

Army Staff Sergeant Michael Downing deserves FIVE PLUS STARS for his Heroism, Courage, Strength, Human Spirit and Inspiration. Thank You Michael!!