Our Story

Our organization’s story began after the tragedy of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, when our Founder, Andy Pujol, volunteered in the search and rescue side-by-side with our heroic first responders. Witnessing the horrors around him, Pujol made a pledge that day to serve the country he loved, and to help the brave men and women who fought to defend our freedom in the aftermath of those attacks to present day.

Soon after, Building Homes for Heroes was born with the hope of gifting a single home to a single veteran. Thirteen years later, thanks to the help of tireless volunteers, supporters and generous corporations, the dream has grown to 225 homes gifted to our nation’s injured veterans by the end of 2019, and nearly one home gifted every 11 days, on average.

Together, Building Homes for Heroes has grown to become a nationwide partnership of communities and corporations working together to make our country a better place by serving our nation’s heroes. With continued support, Building Homes for Heroes hopes to reach its 300th home gift by 2021, and its milestone 500th home by 2025.

Thank you to all those who have supported our mission, and to those who are considering doing so. Please continue to browse through our website to learn more, including our 20 Reasons to Support Us in 2019-2020.

Building Homes for Heroes® is a national non-profit, non-partisan 501(c)(3) organization founded in 2006.

Building Homes for Heroes® is strongly committed to rebuilding lives and supporting the brave men and women who were injured while serving the country during the time of the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan. The organization builds or modifies homes, and gifts them, mortgage-free, to veterans and their families. It’s our honor to support the men and women who have loyally and courageously served our country.

Organizational Statement

Since 2006, Building Homes for Heroes® has been at the forefront of making a significant difference in the lives of wounded American service members and their families. The organization gifts mortgage-free homes that meet the needs of the men and women who have selflessly served our country. These homes not only help to remove the family’s financial burden, they help to restore the individual’s freedom, and enable the veteran to lead a more independent and productive civilian life.

Organizational efficiency and sound fiscal responsibility are of utmost importance at Building Homes for Heroes®; neither the CEO nor its board members are compensated for their duties. The organization strives to keep fundraising and administrative costs at a minimum, thus only a small percentage of funds are allocated to overhead costs.  The organization aims to gift between 30 and 40 homes in 2020, equal to one home every 11 days.

Each home recipient is provided a Certified Financial Planner® through a partnership with the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA). This benefit is designed to provide the new, and sometimes first-time, homeowners with a NAPFA financial planner who provides pro-bono financial advice and guidance necessary to maintain home expenses, pay property taxes and to plan for a successful future.

Building Homes for Heroes® encourages the wounded veterans we have assisted, or are currently assisting, to travel to our events and take part in other organizational endeavors to support other men and women who have been severely injured. The organization believes that this enables our recipients to build camaraderie with other wounded veterans who may later become recipients, but also to take another step toward being defined by their accomplishments and activities, and not their injuries or disabilities.