A group of 13 Palm Beach State College veterans including honorary guest speaker and Army veteran Van Williams helped revitalize 10 homes on Nov. 4 as part of Habitat for Humanity of South Palm Beach County and the City of Boynton Beach’s Veterans Build.
The event, presented by Vertical Bridge and sponsored by The Home Depot Foundation and Florida Power & Light, was held Nov. 4 in Sara Sims Park in Boynton Beach. More than 200 volunteers participated.
Williams, provost and dean of student services for the Boca Raton campus, was joined by Ronnie Malave, interim dean of student services; Dr. Germany Dixon, associate dean; Luis Torres, veterans affairs manager; Brian Kulp, veterans financial aid advisor; David Fleisch, veterans TRIO advisor; and the following PBSC students: Kevin Gama, Carlos Padilla, Alton Lane, David Gonzales, John Ferguson, Jason Spafford and Daniel Mass.
“Veterans are important to our nation’s history and future because they are part of the 1% of our country that protects the other 99% of citizens, that put in hard work, dedication, and determination in all that they do to protect our country and our future as proud Americans,” said Williams, who gave a speech at the Veterans Build barbeque luncheon that day and thanked all who participated.
Volunteers helped paint and do repairs to the exterior of the homes, as well as install new landscaping, mailboxes, and American flags on the properties.
“Giving back to my fellow veterans by improving their homes and adding to their quality of life was greatly rewarding to me,” said Torres, an Army veteran who was volunteering at this event for the first time. “It lets them know that their service has not been forgotten by their community and their fellow veterans.”
Veterans Build is an annual event that honors and brings together veterans, businesses and community members to help fellow veterans and seniors living in the communities served by Habitat.