Timeshare Construction Company’s Special Service to US Veterans

When the America Resort Development Association (ARDA) handed out awards at this year’s ARDA Conference, Winter Park Construction (WPC) received one of the highest honors, the prestigious ACE Community Service Award. This very special award recognized the work of Winter Park Construction in the Home At Last Project.

Home at Last provides combat-wounded US veterans of military campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan with custom-built, mortgage-free homes. WPC President Jeff Forrest explains, “When the West Orange Habitat for Humanity (from the Orlando, Florida area) saw a need to build ‘disability-friendly’ homes for wounded vets about three years ago, WPC eagerly volunteered to participate in this important project. Our initial intention was to build the homes as a way to say ‘thank you’ for the personal sacrifices the veterans had made while serving our nation.”

Over the past three years, WPC has been involved in the building of homes for three combat-wounded veterans. Unlike other Habitat for Humanity homes, these houses are custom designed and often require specific construction and design skills to address the special needs a handicapped person may have. Winter Park Construction is very quick to remind everyone that it is only a part of Home At Last, and many subcontractors and vendors work together to help make the homes a reality.

WPC President Jeff Forrest and Project Managers John Russo and Paul Caruana were presented the award at the annual Awards Gala of the 2011 ARDA Convention & Exposition, held in Orlando, Florida.

Three Veterans, Three Amazing Stories

In 2008, the first Home At Last residence was completed. Sgt. Joshua Cope and his family moved into a 2300-square foot, four bedroom, custom home, which included an exercise room with rehabilitation equipment and a screen-enclosed pool with therapy jets. Sgt. Cope lost both of his legs above the knee while serving in Iraq.

In December of 2009, Spec. Marcus Griffin and his family moved into a 2600-square foot, three-bedroom custom home, which featured a custom designed shower, and a special bathtub designed for therapy treatments. SPC Griffin was a K-9 specialist in the US Army when injured in Iraq leaving him with third degree burns and severe vision and hearing loss.

Army Sergeant Major Patrick Corcoran, a 23-year US Army veteran with two tours and three deployments to war zones, is the recipient of the third Home At Last residence. In 2009, he was severely injured in an explosion, leaving him with multiple fractures, head and spinal cord injuries, and paralysis.

Expressing Our Thanks

Sell My Timeshare NOW and The Timeshare Authority blog want to extend our most sincere appreciation to these three men, and the many other men and women who now serve, or have served in the US military. Thank you for your courage, your service and your patriotism.

And thank you WPC for helping to make the lives of these and other veterans a little easier.