Georgia Magazine - November 2024 - 20

House
of Heroes
Organization repairs, spruces up homes for veterans
By Borden Black
" W
e took an oath to defend this country, and we
did it out of heart. It's good to see people still
doing that, " Sgt. 1st Class (retired) Ralph
Matthews says as he watches a team of House of Heroes (HOH)
volunteers paint and replace rotten wood on his Columbus
home in May.
Matthews, a decorated 20-year U.S. Army veteran, is just
one of the 2,500 veterans whose living conditions have been
improved by the Columbus-based nonprofit organization.
The HOH mission is to honor military veterans, public
safety officers and/or their spouses by repairing and making
improvements to their homes.
Wayne Anthony of Columbus was serving as a pastor in a
neighborhood of predominantly active-duty and retired military
personnel when he developed the idea for House of Heroes in
November 1999. He saw firsthand the need for home repairs
that the Veterans Administration and other federal programs
were not meeting.
" Many of [the service members and veterans] had needs
but were too proud to say so, " Anthony says.
Anthony and church volunteers repaired one house in
2000, the first year of providing services to veterans. That grew to
12 homes in the second year and then 54 in year three.
One of those early beneficiaries, Anthony remembers,
was a veteran who hadn't had hot water for two years. Another
had developed emphysema from exposure to Agent Orange in
Vietnam and was not able to use the living room of his home
because there was a hole in the front door.
Anthony recalls talking with one veteran who had earned
Purple Hearts for his injuries in World War II, Korea and
Vietnam and another with three Silver Stars.
" Many didn't come back to cheering crowds. They got their
medals in the mail with a form letter from the Department of
Defense, " Anthony says.
He designed a thank-you ceremony that is incorporated
into every project. The veteran homeowner is presented with
A group of volunteers from Columbus-based Synovus did
repairs at the home of Sgt. 1st Class (retired) Ralph Matthews
in Columbus in May.
20 Georgia Magazine November 2024
BORDEN BLACK
ISTOCK.COM / SMARTBOY10

Georgia Magazine - November 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Georgia Magazine - November 2024

Contents
Georgia Magazine - November 2024 - Intro
Georgia Magazine - November 2024 - Cover1
Georgia Magazine - November 2024 - Cover2
Georgia Magazine - November 2024 - Contents
Georgia Magazine - November 2024 - 4
Georgia Magazine - November 2024 - 5
Georgia Magazine - November 2024 - 6
Georgia Magazine - November 2024 - 7
Georgia Magazine - November 2024 - 8
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Georgia Magazine - November 2024 - 42
Georgia Magazine - November 2024 - Cover3
Georgia Magazine - November 2024 - Cover4
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