Oxford US Army veteran gets new tiny home
An army of volunteers and donors went to work after learning of the dire living conditions for the disabled 71 year old veteran
OXFORD, Miss. (WCBI) – On a Lafayette County road, under a tent to provide some relief from the heat, US Army Veteran Frankie Dunn was the honored guest at a brief ceremony, where he was presented with the key to his new home.
After Dunn’s wife passed away, the home they shared for years burned down. Since then Dunn lived in a makeshift storage building that he was converting into a home, but a recent stroke halted his progress.
Scott Burns, founder of the nonprofit, 7 Days for the Troops heard about the 71 year old veteran’s plight.
“I was getting ready for our Tupelo event and someone reached out to me on Mr. Dunn’s behalf. He had a need and we wanted to do what we could to help him meet that need,” Burns said.
Burns contacted North Carolina based Purple Heart Homes, which helps provide houses for veterans, and the project gained momentum.
“Once I contacted local authorities to see what we needed for permits and inspections, we knew we could bring this home here and set it up,” said Lamar Austin, of Purple Heart Homes.
The 320-square-foot home was brought in and set up in one week, with help from an army of volunteers Burns recruited.
With work continuing on the wheelchair ramp, Dunn got his first look inside his new home.
“I’m thankful, thankful for what we get. I didn’t know veterans received anything like this, but I thank my children for finding people who do this sort of thing. And ask God to bless you,” Dunn said.
Joshua Price said his dad always encouraged his family to be honest and do the right thing. He said the new home is a reward for his dad’s faithfulness through the years.
“For all the hard work he done for us and to get us to do well for ourselves, and after my mom passed, this is for him to enjoy his life Enjoy his time here with family and friends and to know there are people who love and care for him,” Price said.
The wheelchair ramp should be finished in the next couple of days, but the project is still short some funds. But organizers are confident once word gets out, donors will step forward, pay this project off and then help other needy veterans.
To learn how you can help with Dunn’s home costs, go to 7daysforthetroops.org or purplehearthomesusa.org or call Scott Burns at (662)401-3349.
