Giving Back – Purple Heart Homes

Article Published by: Military Embedded Systems

Each issue, the editorial staff of Military Embedded Systems will highlight a different charitable organization that benefits the military, veterans, and their families. We are honored to cover the technology that protects those who protect us every day. To back that up, our parent company – OpenSystems Media – will make a donation to every group we showcase on this page.

This issue we are highlighting Purple Heart Homes, a 501(c)3 public charity that provides housing solutions for service-connected disabled and aging veterans. The nationwide nonprofit organization was founded in 2008 by John Gallina and the late Dale Beatty, two National Guard veterans who had been wounded during service in Iraq. Following their return to the U.S. – and after their recovery and rehabilitation – the pair embarked on their mission, that of facilitating barrier-free housing for service-connected disabled veterans that are substantial in function, design, and quality. To date, the organization says, more than 700 veterans have been helped by 17 Purple Heart Homes chapters across the U.S.

The organization has two main programs: Veterans Aging in Place (VAIP), which encompasses the Operation Veterans Home Renovation Project (OVHR), a program designed for service-connected disabled veterans who currently own their home but need some assistance with renovations or repairs to make that home safe and accessible. The other main program is the Veterans Home Ownership Program (VHOP) – aimed at service-connected disabled veterans who are willing to take on the responsibility of home ownership – which matches qualified veterans with a home that can be modified to meet his or her mobility needs.

Purple Heart Homes has also endowed a new scholarship for 2021 designed to help pay for housing and food for a child of a veteran with service-connected disabilities during their undergraduate studies at either a community college, college, or university.