Fort Myers community builds new home for Vietnam veteran

Lee BIA Builders Care and Pulte Homes have partnered to build a new, accessible home for Lewis Freeman, a Fort Myers homeowner. They celebrated a project milestone with a Notes of Love ceremony on March 13.

Builders Care and its project partners gathered to leave special messages for Freeman, ensuring he will be surrounded by the community’s well wishes, words of encouragement, and blessings.

“I think it’s marvelous. I really appreciate all the work everyone did and are continuing to do,” Freeman said. “This is something unexpected, but it’s a blessing and I appreciate it.”

Freeman, 71, was born and raised in Fort Myers’ Dunbar neighborhood. His only time away from home was the four years he spent in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Vietnam War. After an honorable discharge, he returned to Dunbar to continue serving his community and family.

After suffering a stroke in 2015, Freeman was unable to continue working and has since lived on a fixed income. When his rental home was sold unexpectedly, he moved in with his niece while hoping to once again have a home of his own. Builders Care and generous local partners and donors are building Freeman a brand-new, two-bedroom, two-bath home on a lot in Dunbar that was donated by the City of Fort Myers.

Builders Care

“Everyone who has been part of this project had the opportunity to leave these special Notes of Love for Lewis, and he will forever be surrounded by the community’s words of encouragement and blessings,” said Leigh Cloud, executive director of Lee BIA Builders Care. “We are so thankful to Pulte Homes, the City of Fort Myers and all of our project partners who are coming together to give such a special gift to this deserving individual. We can’t wait to welcome Lewis home in the coming months.”

The mission of Lee BIA Builders Care is to provide emergency construction services at no cost to needy and deserving elderly and/or disabled homeowners, and their families, who cannot obtain repairs through traditional means. Lee BIA Builders Care offers a full range of no-cost emergency construction services to improve the safety and health for needy seniors and disabled individuals of all ages by enlisting the expertise and donated services and materials of contractors, sub-contractors and businesses.

Lee BIA Builders Care is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization under the charitable arm of the Lee Building Industry Association.

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