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| NJ Community rallies for Iraq Vet after bomb leaves him crippled |
| 2007-12-16 |
| caught this from a commenter at AOSHQ. This is the America we know and love WHARTON -- For about 18 months, this community has been engaging in a labor of love on behalf of retired Army Sgt. Jim Benoit and his wife, Pamela. Benoit served his country proudly in Iraq until Sept. 7, 2005, when his body was shattered by an improvised explosive device that went off in a roadside bomb attack. The explosion left the Wharton native severely disabled and has forced him to go through some 80 surgeries to get him to the point where he can now walk short distances with the assistance of a cane whenever he is not in his wheelchair. But Benoit needed more than medical help when he returned to the states. He and his wife also needed a wheelchair-accessible home. The Wharton community stepped in to fulfill that need when local leaders decided to build a new house on Eileen Court and donate it to the Benoits. That decision was made about 18 months ago. Since then, plans have for the house were drawn up and the land where the house will sit was sold by the borough to the Benoits for $1. Construction on the 2,400-square-foot, three-bedroom colonial began about a year-ago, with nearly all the materials and labor being provided by volunteers. Today, the house is just days away from about completion. And the Benoits are scheduled to get the keys to their new home at an invitation-only ceremony scheduled for Dec. 27. "I'm absolutely thrilled to death that it's nearly finished" said borough Councilman Scott Hutchins, who spearheaded the drive to donate the home to the Benoits. Hutchins said the progress made on the house can be attributed to the "gracious efforts" of the volunteers who have put in so much time on the project. "I think it's progressed along great," Hutchins said. "It's been quite successful." Pamela Benoit said the pending completion of her new home was "very exciting" and added that the house will be a "major improvement" over the trailer she and her husband have been living in at Picatinny Arsenal. She said the main improvement would be in terms of the additional space the couple will have. She said the cramped quarters in their trailer have forced them to keep many of their possessions, including gifts from their 2006 wedding, packed in boxes inside the trailer. She added that the trailer does not even have enough space for all of her things, many of which are being stored by the Army at Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn until the new house opens. "We'll be able to have all of our stuff in once place," said Pamela Benoit, adding "it will be nice to bring everything out (of the storage boxes)." At the site of the new house, workers have been putting the finishing touches on the structure and the surrounding property. Site manager Matt Febbi said the home's carpeting was installed Wednesday. The driveway was supposed to be paved Thursday, but that work was postponed until this week because of Thursday's snowstorm. Workers also have been touching up some of the walls that were scuffed during the construction process, Febbi said. Landscaping for the property will not be complete until the weather turns warmer in the spring. Otherwise, the Benoits will be presented with a fully completed home on Dec. 27. Febbi, who worked on the project as a volunteer, said he was pleased with how the house has turned out. "It looks great," Febbi said. "But then again, I'm biased." Like Hutchins, Febbi praised the work of the many volunteers of the project. Those volunteers will be honored during the Dec. 27 key handing-over ceremony. "It was pretty neat the way everybody got on board," Febbi said. |
| Posted by:Frank G |
| #1 It is the America that still exists outside of the MSM and Hollywierd. |
| Posted by: Whomong Guelph4611 2007-12-16 17:24 |