Andy had just finished volunteering with a group of guys to build a home for the show, ABC’s Extreme Makeover Home Edition. He had been working with groups like Habitat for Humanity and Extreme Makeover when he asked himself the question:
“Why aren’t we doing this for our own military families?”
He and his buddies decided to try and build one house to see how it would go. The outpouring of support from the community was an unbelievable moment for them. The feeling you get from doing something big, the pride in seeing it come together, but mostly the enthusiasm from everyone involved in the project made Andy Ladner realize, that this was just the start…
“When we finished that first house, and delivered the keys, we were watching helicopters fly away and two of us were sitting on the back of a truck,” when Andy realized “There has to be more than this, we’ve been doing disaster relief for years, along with food and toys, we need to make this into a legal organization, because it’s more than just one home.”
Andy Ladner is one of those guys who sees a problem and he wants to fix it.
He has volunteers from every US Military Branch, Military Spouses, Military BRATS, ROTC, Patriotic Citizens, Foreign Allied Military, and a Parachute and Rappel Team involved in the multitude of activities they’re involved in.
To give you a glimpse at some of the incredible areas they’re making a difference:
Operation Coming Home provides custom Hero Homes for troops that have been injured in combat operations. Toys For Lil’ Troops provides toys to the children of deployed or low income troops. Rescue Ruck provides food for US Military & First Responder Veteran families in need. Rescue Me Across America provides aid to US Military & First Responder Veteran families.
The Next Leap Forward
The sacrifice and commitment of the men and women who serve and who give so much of themselves and their families should be honored. Homelessness and suicide among our Veterans is the shame of the nation.
Resources are always needed, donations are vital, and the support and enthusiasm from all Americans is key.
Listen to the full story on podcast of how Andy Ladner and Company are making a huge difference in the lives of so many…
For Further Insight:
Website: http://myusvc.com/
Email: aladner@myusvc.com
