USAF Master Sgt. Francis Reilly and family will move into Port St. Lucie’s Heron Preserve community through the national builder’s Built to Honor® program
(L-R): Matthew Van Keuren, PulteGroup, Nehemias Bonet, PulteGroup, Heather Reilly, wife of veteran, Frankie Reilly, veteran, Jeremy Needelman, PulteGroup, Fabiano Barros, PulteGroup, Rene Kraus, PulteGroup
A U.S. Air Force veteran and his family got their first look at a mortgage-free home that PulteGroup is building as part of its Built to Honor® program in partnership with the national nonprofit Building Homes for Heroes.
On Nov. 20, USAF Master Sgt. Francis “Frankie” Reilly and his wife Heather, were invited to walk through their future home in Heron Preserve, a new Pulte Homes community in Port St. Lucie. They not only saw how construction was progressing, but were surprised with “Notes of Love” written on the frame by PulteGroup employees, trade partners, and representatives from Building Homes for Heroes. The notes are short, personal messages expressing thanks and encouragement to the couple.
Heather, wife of veteran; and Frankie Reilly, veteran
“The notes of love we read and experienced is something we will cherish for the rest of our lives. The presence of God, that we love and serve, could be felt over filling us with joy and gratitude,” Reilly said. “The messages written on the walls were very personal and we felt the love from everyone who blessed our home with so many kind words of inspiration. The biblical quotes spoke to us very clearly that our family is loved, and we are a testament of how God’s love works through all of us,” he continued.”
The Reillys currently live in Cocoa, Florida, but will move into the St. Lucie home with their three adult children – Jacob, Katelyn and Madison- once construction is completed spring 2024. PulteGroup and other stakeholders held a groundbreaking ceremony in May 2023.
The family will receive the 2,685-square-foot-plus Easley floorplan with four bedrooms and two bathrooms. The home sits on a 62-foot estate lot with a private backyard preserve view. Since Reilly is a paralympic competitor, Pulte added some special upgrades including a pool and custom rehab room with a built-in ice tub and refrigerator.
“We are so pleased to be building this new home for Frankie and his family,” said Brent Baker, Southeast Florida Division President for PulteGroup. “I look forward to its completion and the day they start enjoying their new life.”
PulteGroup’s Built to Honor program was launched in 2013 to recognize and thank returning military personnel who have been injured during their term of service by providing them with mortgage-free homes. The national builder is awarding the Reilly home in partnership with Building Homes for Heroes, which is devoted to bringing renewed hope and service to injured veterans from around the country. This will be the first Built to Honor home delivered in PulteGroup’s Southeast Florida division.
Sgt. Reilly joined the military in 1994 and served honorably for 24 years before being medically retired. He was injured during a special operation while acting as a jumpmaster. As his parachute deployed, it caught his leg and pulled it backward causing severe trauma to his leg and foot that put him in two different level-one trauma centers. He now has permanent paralysis in his right leg, and his recovery continues.
He was also diagnosed with PTSD and TBI (traumatic brain injury) after a mission that left several close teammates critically injured. For service to his country, he is the recipient of more than 25 service medals.
About Built to Honor®
For the last decade, PulteGroup’s Built to Honor® program has recognized and thanked returning military personnel who have been injured during their term of service by providing mortgage-free homes to veterans and their families. Launched in 2013, the program has built and donated 76 homes, gifting more than $35 million in value, across the country. Built to Honor works in partnership with nonprofit organizations to identify veteran candidates. For more information about Built to Honor, go to builttohonor.org. Follow Built to Honor on Twitter: @BuiltToHonor and Facebook.com/BuiltToHonor.
About PulteGroup
PulteGroup, Inc. (NYSE: PHM), based in Atlanta, Georgia, is one of America’s largest homebuilding companies with operations in more than 40 markets throughout the country. Through its brand portfolio that includes Centex, Pulte Homes, Del Webb, DiVosta Homes, American West and John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods, the company is one of the industry’s most versatile homebuilders able to meet the needs of multiple buyer groups and respond to changing consumer demand. PulteGroup’s purpose is building incredible places where people can live their dreams.
For more information about PulteGroup, Inc. and PulteGroup brands, go to pultegroup.com; pulte.com; centex.com; delwebb.com; divosta.com; jwhomes.com; and americanwesthomes.com. Follow PulteGroup, Inc. on Twitter: @PulteGroupNews.
Building Homes for Heroes
Building Homes for Heroes builds and gifts mortgage-free homes, and completes home modifications, for veterans, emergency first responders and their families, and provides further services along their road to recovery to help them live a promising and fulfilling life ahead. The organization reached a 95.5% program rating in 2022, the 12th straight year earning a program rating of at least 93%. It also received a perfect 4-star rating from Charity Navigator for seven straight years, including a 100% in transparency and accountability. . Since inception, Building Homes for Heroes has constructed, modified and gifted more than 350 homes, with support from corporations and groups including Advance Auto Parts, Lowe’s, SAIC and the IBIS Charities Foundation. Learn more at buildinghomesforheroes.org/””
