Saturday was a great day to serve those who serve others as a team of volunteers from House of Heroes and Quinnipiac University worked to repair the home of a Navy veteran in Waterbury.
"A lot of our veterans tell us they were never thanked for their service so it is our pleasure, our duty to show them our appreciation," said Executive Director for House of Heroes Carol May.
That’s exactly what the team did. House of Heroes' mission is to help veterans and service men and women with no-cost home repairs.
"Many of our veterans are living on fixed incomes and can’t make the repairs necessary to stay safely in their own homes," said May.
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Dean Tudeme is a Navy veteran who was a culinary specialist on vessels traveling from Australia, Thailand and many places in between for nearly 17 years.
From putting down new floors to building a new wall to laying and scraping over new stone, Tudeme shared just how much he appreciates the help.
"I’m like in awe and I’m just feeling grateful," said Tudeme. "It’s like overwhelming in a good way that people care. You know, that people care. You always see stuff like this on the TV and you're like, 'wow, people are helping out,' but it’s another thing when it happens to you," Tudeme added.
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Students from Quinnipiac University gave back by assisting as volunteers. University senior Riccardo felt a special connection.
"When I heard the House of Heroes has a veterans group outreach program, I was like 'yup I’m all in," said Riccardo.
"I’m actually currently enlisted in the U.S. Army. I’ll be leaving shortly after graduation for basic training and some infiltrate training. I’m going for a combat medic position," Riccardo added.
While volunteers were happy to be able to give back, Tudeme said their help has made a major difference.
"It’s a blessing. I’m just fortunate to have someone come out and help," said Tudeme.
House of Heroes kicked off its 2022 season on Saturday with the projects at Tudeme's house and at the home of a veteran in Hamden. The organization said it expects its biggest year ever this year.
