Courage

The unbelievable courage of our servicemen and women amazes me daily and I am not talking about their courage on the battlefield, but instead I am referring to our soldiers who survive devastating injuries defending the world’s freedom.  These men and women return home to their families having lost limbs, suffered traumatic brain or other internal injuries and may be confined to a wheelchair.  Their lives, and the lives of their families are forever changed.

I have been blessed to meet a few of these soldiers through the NWFA’s partnership with the Gary Sinise Foundation.  To a man, these servicemen and women love our country and are proud of the contribution they made during their time in the military.  Their sole focus is to provide for their families and be productive INDEPENDENT members of society.  They are not asking for anything more than for us to provide them with an environment that allows them to not be dependent on others.  The Gary Sinise Foundation builds custom homes for the severely wounded veterans, so that they and their families can live as normal a life as possible given their physical limitations.

One of the most moving experiences of my life was to be a part of the dedication of Captain Luis Avila’s home in Bethesda, MD.  Derr Flooring and Maxwell Hardwood Flooring donated the flooring for the home and we were able to share the family’s joy at their NEW FREEDOM.  {you can see photos of the event on Facebook} Derr Flooring has committed to the Gary Sinise Foundation that we will supply flooring for one home per year, for the next five years.  This is our way of saying thank you to these courageous veterans.