Homes for Our Troops Will Turn Over the Keys to Marine CPL Visnu Gonzalez's Energy-Efficient, High-Performance Barrier-Free Home Tuesday, November 10 on the Marine Corps' Birthday

November 6, 2009

HILLSDALE, N.J., Nov. 6 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Homes for Our Troops founder John Gonsalves will turn over the keys to Marine Corporal Visnu Gonzalez, a paralyzed veteran, on Tuesday, November 10 at 11:00 at 28 Cross Street in Hillsdale, NJ.

This home will be presented to CPL Visnu Gonzalez at no cost thanks to a generous grant from the Sierra Club Foundation and countless professional tradespeople that donated time and materials.

Homes for Our Troops achieved the US Green Building Council's LEED-H Platinum Certification. This program focuses on the complete environmental impact of residential building. The home achieved 95 points - 14 more than were needed to achieve a platinum rating.

It is also the first New Jersey Climate Choice residential home constructed in the state that is administered through the New Jersey Clean Energy Program. New Jersey's Climate Choice Home program incorporates New Jersey Energy Star Home standards and renewable energy technologies that result in nearly zero energy use.

Corporal Visnu Gonzalez was shot by a sniper, severing his spinal cord in the C-6, C-7 level on April 21st, 2004, while serving in Iraq. He also received a shot to his left subclavian artery that caused severe bleeding and near death. Despite surgery to stabilize his vertebra, today CPL Gonzalez remains paralyzed from the upper chest down.

"We have so many people to thank and acknowledge for the work they did on this house for CPL Visnu Gonzalez," said John Gonsalves, founder of Homes for Our Troops. "One of our goals is to bring community together to help build barrier-free specially adapted homes for our severely injured veterans, and the community of Hillsdale and surrounding areas showed up in spades to make this proud day happen."

Homes for Our Troops sponsors for Corporal Visnu Gonzales include:

    --  Harvey Windows that designs all of its superior quality windows
    --  Plygem Mastic provided the advanced locking system siding
    --  Davinci Roofscapes provided the slate roof titles with a sustainable
        advantage and 50-year warranty
    --  Fypon - molded millwork and columns for the house
    --  Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund, providing financial assistance and
        quality-of-life solutions for marines

    --  Dunkin' Donuts and Baskin Robbins Community Foundation - the Build
        Brigade sponsor

It is fitting that the keys are presented to Marine CPL Visnu Gonzalez on the Marine Corps' birthday, which was officially founded in 1775, and it is also the day before Veteran's Day when Homes for Our Troops recognizes and thanks all the men and women who proudly serve and have served in the US military.

Features in CPL Visnu Gonzalez's home include:

    --  The home is completely handicap accessible and includes an elevator and
        a lift care system.
    --  About 70% of the home's electricity will come from solar panels.
    --  The flooring is made of bamboo.
    --  A 1,500-gallon underground tank collects rainwater for irrigation.
    --  Heating and cooling costs will be reduced by 75 percent thanks to a
        geo-thermal heat pump.
    --  It has an Energy Star Indoor air package - meeting criteria for healthy
        indoor air quality.
    --  The windows are triple glazed and filed with Krypton gas to avoid heat
        transfer through the glass.
    --  The project was built on an infill lot with access to dozens of services
        and public transportation to decrease the need for automotive travel.

    --  Building materials to construct the home were ordered to exact
        specification to decrease waste.

Homes for Our Troops will receive a check at the key ceremony for CPL Visnu Gonzalez as it begins a year-long sponsorship relationship with the FujiFilm SeeHere.com program.

About Homes for Our Troops

Homes for Our Troops is a national non-profit 501(c)3 organization based in Taunton, MA founded by John Gonsalves in 2004. Homes for Our Troops' mission is to build specially adapted homes for severely injured veterans who have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan. All specially adapted homes are built at no cost to the veteran thanks to donations from thousands of individuals, foundation grants, corporate sponsors, professional tradespeople and generous support from countless volunteers.

Homes for Our Troops is proud to be listed in the American Institute of Philanthropy's top-rated Veterans & Military Charities, where it enjoys an A rating. It has received a Four Star Rating from Charity Navigator. Homes for Our Troops is a member of the Green Building Council. For more information about Homes for Our Troops, please visit http://www.homesforourtroops.org

    Contacts:

    John Gonsalves, Founder
    Homes for Our Troops
    508-331-2266

    Vicki Thomas, Media Relations
    203-984-2138

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SOURCE Homes for Our Troops