PulteGroup’s Built to Honor® program delivers new homes to veterans and their families in Arizona, Florida and Indiana
For over a decade, PulteGroup’s Built to Honor® program has provided the gift of a new, mortgage-free home to veterans injured during their term of service. In 2024, the Company has already handed over the keys to three deserving veterans and has plans for an additional 10 homes to be gifted this year. Inclusive of these 2024 projects, PulteGroup’s Built to Honor program will have donated a total of 94 homes across 19 states since the program’s inception in 2013.
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Purple Heart recipient presented the keys to his custom-built home in Tucson, Arizona (Photo: PulteGroup, Inc.)
“Built to Honor provides some of our proudest moments at PulteGroup, because it allows us to make a difference in the lives of our veterans and their families,” said Ryan Marshall, President and Chief Executive Officer of PulteGroup. “Through Built to Honor, we support our nation’s servicemen and women by providing them with a place to call home. Thanks to the tireless commitment of our employees, trade partners and suppliers, we are changing the lives of our Built to Honor veterans.”
Purple Heart recipient presented the keys to his custom-built home in Tucson, Arizona
On April 24, Purple Heart recipient and U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Christopher Liby and his family were presented the keys to their newly built, mortgage-free home in Tucson. The family’s new home features four bedrooms and was specifically built with accommodations in case Staff Sergeant Liby’s combat injuries require him to use a wheelchair in the future. The home was gifted fully furnished with personal touches throughout. The Liby family’s home was built in partnership with Building Homes for Heroes, a national nonprofit organization devoted to bringing renewed hope and service to injured veterans.
Staff Sergeant Liby joined the military coming out of high school, serving in the U.S. Marine Corps before joining the Army. While on patrol in Afghanistan with the Army, Staff Sergeant Liby and his unit were clearing an area of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) when one exploded under their Humvee causing him severe injuries. He was placed at a desk job for the remainder of his deployment and was medically discharged in October 2012. Since medically retiring, Staff Sergeant Liby has been working to help others, including a local rancher. His dream is to open a ranch for veterans, first responders and their families, and families of the fallen.
Navy veteran honored in Whitestown, Indiana with a Built to Honor home
On May 8, more than 200 PulteGroup employees, neighbors and community members welcomed U.S. Navy Petty Officer Second Class Robert Orr and his family to their new mortgage-free home in Whitestown. The Orr family’s home features three bedrooms plus a loft and flex space. As a surprise to the family, the home was also gifted fully furnished by PulteGroup’s professional design team with personal touches throughout, including bedrooms specially decorated for each child, a custom back patio with a grill for family cookouts, garage upgrades to give Petty Officer Second Class Orr a space to work on his car, and more. PulteGroup partnered with Operation Homefront, a national nonprofit providing relief and recurring family support programs and services to military families, to help build the Orr family’s home.
After eight years in the Navy as a military police officer, Orr had earned the rank of Petty Officer Second Class. He had anticipated a long career in the Navy when he was diagnosed with a service-connected autoimmune disease that makes his body unable to regulate its temperature. Orr was medically discharged in March 2023. The suburb of Indianapolis appealed to the Orrs for its relatively cool climate and its proximity to Petty Officer Second Class Orr’s family. Whitestown is also near one of the nation’s top immune disease physicians.
Decorated USAF Veteran receives first Built to Honor home in the Southeast Florida region
On May 13, U.S. Air Force Master Sergeant Francis “Frankie” Reilly and his family were gifted a 2,685 square foot-plus, single-family home with four bedrooms and two bathrooms. Built specifically for them, PulteGroup added special upgrades to the Built to Honor home including a pool and custom rehab room in the garage with a built-in ice tub and refrigerator. Master Sergeant Reilly is a paralympic competitor in biking and will use the room after intense training sessions. PulteGroup awarded the home in partnership with Building Homes for Heroes®, a national nonprofit organization devoted to bringing renewed hope and service to injured veterans. This is the first Built to Honor home delivered in Southeast Florida.
Master Sergeant 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. Master Sergeant Reilly was also diagnosed with PTSD and TBI (traumatic brain injury) after a mission that left several fellow service members critically injured. For service to his country, Master Sergeant Reilly received over 25 medals. As he continues his recovery, Master Sergeant Reilly has become a paralympic cycling athlete and hopes to qualify for the Olympics.
For more information on Built to Honor and this year’s veteran recipients, please visit: newsroom.pultegroup.com/built-to-honor.
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 service by providing mortgage-free homes to veterans and their families. Launched in 2013, the program has built and donated over 80 homes, gifting more than $30 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 X: @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 45 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 X: @PulteGroupNews.
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Contacts
Sam Wisniewski
sam.wisniewski@hprstrategies.com
