ow do you begin to say “thank you” to the men and women who have sustained some of the most severe injuries imaginable to protect and defend our way of life? These courageous warriors have sacrificed so much for the United States, and it is time that we show our appreciation by doing our part to help them rebuild their lives. That is what Homes For Our Troops (HFOT), now celebrating 20 years of service in 2024, is all about.

In 2023, several community leaders and Home For Our Troops supporters, including StorageGives, attended multiple HFOT events to support veteran Marine GySgt. Nicholas Beberniss. On July 21, 2004, then Lance Cpl. Nicholas Beberniss was serving in Al Anbar Province, Iraq, when a double-stacked anti-tank mine hit the vehicle he was riding in. Lance Cpl. Beberniss sustained broken ribs, a broken back, fractured pelvis, punctured lung, and severe damage to both legs in the blast.

Once transported back to the United States, Beberniss endured numerous surgeries to save his legs. Doctors eventually amputated his right leg below the knee. Once he recovered enough, Beberniss switched his specialty to small arms repairer to remain in the Marines. He became the first Marine to reenlist on Permanent Limited Duty and later finished his career on Expanded Limited Duty. Toward the end of his career, he noticed some physical changes, including difficulty walking, fatigue, paralysis, and double vision, and was diagnosed with Service-Connected Multiple Sclerosis, forcing him to medically retire in 2019 at the rank of Gunnery Sergeant.

His priority in life is the well-being of his children, and supporting their academics and interests is of utmost importance. Without the stress of a non-accessible home, Beberniss will be able to put his family first. “In the new home, we plan on having a lot of fun times and happy kids,” he says.

The first event was the Community Kickoff, in which supporters and community leaders welcomed Beberniss and his family to the Casa Grande Community. The second event in 2023 was the volunteer day, where volunteers helped with the landscaping of Beberniss’ new home. Vendors, StorageGives, board members from the Arizona Self-Storage Association (AZSA), as well as their families, volunteered to help this effort. On her time volunteering, Amy Amideo, executive director of AZSA, says, “My experience with HFOT has been a wonderful experience from the top down. It’s a wonderful cause, and the organization does an incredible job executing these volunteer days. It is great to see such passion in people.”

Finally, the third event in 2023 that StorageGives attended was the Key Ceremony. Local politicians and corporate supporters spoke and welcomed Beberniss and his family to their newly completed home. A flag was raised with Beberniss and his family outside, and the ribbon was finally cut on their new home. The completed home has been adapted for Beberniss and his family, with wide hallways for when he is in his wheelchair, lower counters, and other features to accommodate him and give him his freedom and independence back to help not only himself but his children.

You can support Home For Our Troops year-round by volunteering in upcoming builds in your area. This year the StorageGives team hopes to participate in a future build with the current dates pending. Ray McRae of Storage Solutions said this on volunteering and getting involved in 2024, “I would want people to know that one kind act leads to another; no matter how big or small, you have an opportunity to make a difference. Volunteering gives ordinary people extraordinary opportunities to make a difference. If you want to volunteer, find something you are passionate about and get behind it. Anyone can make a difference; all they have to do is apply themselves.”

Amideo also reflects on the work AZSA and its board members have done with HFOT over the year, saying, “Volunteerism is good for the soul! It was a great experience to bring my oldest son to one of these events. It’s helped him to put things into perspective. He still talks about how he was able to help.”

StorageGives knows that veterans have a special place in the hearts of Americans. We wanted to be sure that veterans were a big part of the StorageGives mission to give back and support. After careful consideration, HFOT was added to the StorageGives list of causes we support and uplift because of the enormous positive impact they have on the lives of injured veterans and their families. At Homes For Our Troops, 90 cents out of every dollar donated goes directly to the veterans’ programs.

Home For Our Troops’ core values reaffirm their commitment to the veterans as well as donors, volunteers, and supporters. The Home For Our Troops staff is dedicated to these values: commitment, accountability, respect, excellence, and service. HFOT has a goal of building a specially adapted home for every veteran who qualifies for one of these homes.

Homes For Our Troops is a publicly funded 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that builds and donates adapted custom homes for severely injured post-9/11 veterans. Many of these veterans have sustained unimaginable injuries, including traumatic brain injury (TBI), limb amputations, and partial or full paralysis. These homes are built in locations that veterans choose, and HFOT continues its relationship with veterans to help them rebuild their lives. Since 2004, Home For Our Troops has built over 371 specially adapted homes nationwide.

Because of the generosity of donors, HFOT enables injured veterans, as well as their caregivers, to rest and recover without the added stress of financial concerns. These custom homes are equipped with over 40 special adaptations that exceed ADA compliance standards. Wider halls and doorways and automatic door openers enable complete wheelchair access and hands-free accessibility when entering or exiting the home. A therapy tub eases the pain of severe injuries, and a safe room provides a place for the family to shelter from severe weather and natural disasters.

For two decades, HFOT has been building adapted homes for injured veterans, continually updating building materials and methods to ensure high quality. Roll under sinks, pull-down stovetops and counters, generators, and safe rooms are designed to help veterans live fulfilling, independent lives. The 2,800-square-foot homes are the perfect size for a veteran to comfortably raise a family, and energy efficiency reins in the utility costs while keeping the homes safe and cozy.

Once they receive their home, over 95 percent of veterans see a reduction in household stress. They now have the time to pursue their long-overdue education or career plans. HFOT builds homes as a pivotal point for these veterans to rebuild their lives and once again become highly productive members of society. Despite their life-altering injuries, many of the veterans with Home For Our Troops have embarked on new careers, completed their college degrees, or started families. Empowered by the freedom a donated specially adapted custom home brings, these veterans can now focus on their recovery and returning to their life’s work of serving others. Many have embraced their roles as motivational speakers, sharing their messages of persevering through tragedy with groups and classrooms around the country; others take to a national platform to promote awareness of veteran suicide, homelessness, and PTSD. These incredible stories are the driving force for the work done at HFOT.

Moving into a donated home enables veterans and their families to plan and save for the future. To ensure long-term success, HFOT provides three years of pro-bono financial planning to all home recipients. After receiving their homes, 57 percent of recipients increased family income and 55 percent decreased family debt. Family savings were increased by 76 percent. Not only do they attend school and obtain employment, but they launch businesses, expand their families, and accomplish life goals and dreams that they never could have imagined without HFOT.

Originally, StorageGives was set to take only a percentage of every unit we hosted on StorageAuctions.com, donating to the eight charities we support. One of the things StorageGives does is feed five kids for every auction unit that ends on StorageAuctions.com. In 2023, we fed over 500,000 children. Facilities can give anything from 10 to 100 percent, but by giving a bit from a lot of units, we can have a larger impact on those charities. After our launch party in November, owners and operators were looking for another way to donate to StorageGives. This prompted us to make direct donations to StorageGives. Upon opening for direct donations, we were enabled to impact our charities now more than ever.