Volunteer Army Builds Home For Chicago Veteran

An Iraq War veteran who lost his legs in an explosion is getting a custom-built, wheelchair accessible house for free, thanks to the Taunton, Mass. charity Homes for Our Troops.

Chicagoland resident Frank Pierson hasn't been able to fully outfit his family home for his new needs and faces immense inconveniences every day, the Chicago Tribune reports. In order to reach his basement bedroom, Pierson must leave his wheelchair at the top of the stairs and scoot down to another one at the bottom.

That's about to change: In a month or so, a building contractor and brigades of volunteers will begin construction on a place in Plainfield designed to accommodate his needs -- a single-story, 2,600-square-foot home with roll-in shower, accessible kitchen, electronically activated doors, and numerous other features intended to simplify his daily life.

Homes for Our Troops has built 51 houses since 2004 for disabled veterans and has 32 others in various stages of construction around the country, at an average cost of $250,000 to $300,000, plus the cost of land. More than 548 individuals and companies responded to the organizations original radio plea for construction help, and as of last week, the group had 23 volunteer commitments from professionals in the building trades.

To find out more about how volunteers will build the house and how the organization helps veterans in need, visit the Chicago Tribune. To learn more Homes for Our Troops and how to involved, visit their site.