Turner Construction, Other Contractors, Businesses and Volunteers Help World War II and Korean War Veterans as Part of First-Ever National Operation Opening Doors Event
Contractors from Central Florida and across the country volunteered time, money and supplies to renovate the homes of two Orlando-area disabled veterans today to make them wheelchair accessible. The volunteer effort, called Operation Opening Doors, was organized by AGC Charities, Inc, the construction community's philanthropic organization.
"Given all these two men have given to their country, the least we can do is build a better life for them," said Tom Brown, the charitable group's chairman. "The support we've seen is a reminder that even though we wear hard hats, contractors have pretty soft hearts."
The first veteran, Army Sergeant Major Nestor Ortiz, spent nine months in a coma after being hit by a mortar shell during the Korean War and is now confined to a wheel chair. He had been unable to descend the steps to his back yard, had to squeeze his wheelchair through narrow doors to his bedroom and bathroom, and had fallen while getting into and out of his shower.
The second veteran is Corporal Harding Cox, who served in an all-African American construction battalion in the Pacific theater during World War II building military supply roads and air bases. Mr. Cox, who uses a wheel chair, had difficulty using his very small bathroom, and needed a handicap accessible toilet and grab bars for his house.
Brown said that dozens of construction firms, contractors and construction students volunteered time, supplies and money to help renovate both homes. Thanks to their help, and the leadership of Turner Construction, the group expanded Mr. Ortiz's shower, widened his doorways, added new grab bars, installed new lights and repaired water damages.
They also poured a new concrete back deck for Mr. Ortiz with a ramp so he could again enjoy his back yard. And they were able to install a new handicap toilet, grab bars, light fixtures and flooring for Mr. Cox, and repainted most of his interior walls.
Brown said that the charitable group selected Orlando as the first site for its Operation Opening Doors to coincide with the start of the Associated General Contractors of America's annual convention, which begins in the city on March 17.
In addition to Turner Construction's support, the following companies provided services, money or supplies for the effort: Air National Guard; Alpha Environmental Management Corp; Architectural Drywall Systems, Inc.; Baker Concrete Construction; Bancroft Contracting Corp.; Cajun Installation & Distributing; Cemex; Color Wheel Paint; Continental Electrics; Designers West Interiors; Enterprise Fleet Management; Ferguson Enterprises, Inc; Gallet & Associates; Genesis Door and Hardware; Heichel Plumbing, Inc.; iBeam Construction Cameras; Kokosing Construction; Mason-Johnson, LLC; Smith & Wassatt; Quality Labor Management; Spectra Contract Flooring; Trauner Consulting Services, Inc.; Trident National Corporation; United Walls; Walbridge and Wharton-Smith, Inc.
Brown added that student construction chapters from Purdue University; Penn State University and Auburn University volunteered. And he added that both the Associated General Contractors of America and the Associated General Contractors of Greater Florida contributed to today's effort.
For more information on AGC Charities, Inc. please visit: www.agccharities.org.
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