Improving the Lives of Veterans Across the Country

In fall 2022, Rebuilding Together and Lockheed Martin, a global defense technology company driving innovation and advancing scientific discovery, announced a national partnership to help veterans in need by making essential repairs and accessibility modifications to homes, non-profit facilities and community centers. The work, being done at no cost to those who served our country, is part of Rebuilding Together’s Veterans at Home program.

Lockheed Martin employs many veterans, and this partnership provides an opportunity for them, alongside their colleagues, to volunteer in their communities. The partnership helps improve the lives of their fellow veterans by removing barriers to independence, fixing health and safety issues in homes, and making it easier to age-in-place.

One of those veterans is John, who lives with his wife and young son in Colorado. After being injured in combat in Afghanistan, causing multiple disabilities, John retired from the Army after nearly eight years of service. Today, he and his wife, Penelope, are first-time homeowners in Colorado Springs. The couple has worked hard to make improvements to their home with the help of family.

In 2023, excessive rain flooded their finished basement. They replaced damaged carpet, only to have it ruined by more flooding. John said it is hard to ask for help, as he has always tried to help others, but he needed a hand, so he turned to Rebuilding Together. With the help of Lockheed Martin volunteers, Rebuilding Together Colorado removed the remaining basement carpet and installed durable, attractive vinyl tile flooring, along with a dehumidifier, so the family could enjoy the space again safely. Outside, they secured window-well covers to help keep water out. 

Other exterior improvements included a new roof and gutters, installed in-kind by a local contractor with donated materials. John was amazed that strangers did “all the work for nothing – just for a simple 'thank you.'” He described it as “nothing short of a miracle.”

You can read more stories about veterans served through this partnership here.