North Haven Veteran Receives Free Home Repairs From House Of Heroes CT

NORTH HAVEN, CT — A 78-year-old U.S. Army and Vietnam Veteran will receive no-cost home repairs from the non-profit veterans service organization House of Heroes Connecticut on Saturday morning in North Haven.

House of Heroes Connecticut will wrap up another successful year of serving those who served on Nov. 9, providing no-cost home repairs to veterans in North Haven and Shelton thanks to the support of Project Partners Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin Company, and Contractors Direct, according to a news release.

The two projects are the non-profit Veterans Service Organization’s 30th and 31st of 2024, and the veterans being served are the 250th and 252nd to receive assistance since the organization was founded in 2012. House of Heroes Connecticut has now assisted veterans in need in 71 Connecticut communities and seven additional states, according to the news release.

“This has been a fabulous year of thanking deserving Veterans for their sacrificial service to our nation,” House of Heroes Connecticut Executive Director Carol May said. “Completing the year’s final projects during Veterans Day Week is our annual tradition; we can never do enough to show our gratitude for the sacrifice of these heroes.”

Work begins Saturday at both projects at 8 a.m. The veterans being helped are:

• 78-year-old U.S. Army and Vietnam Veteran Frank B. Proto Jr., of Sackett Point Road, North Haven. Proto served from 1965-1967, was wounded by a mortar shell in Vietnam and is a Purple Heart recipient. A team of about 25 employee and student volunteers from Sikorsky, Contractors Direct and Quinnipiac University will complete repairs to the front porch, front of the house, rear and side porch, kitchen sink, and basement stairs. The hall bath will be repaired with safety features added and landscaping will be completed.

• 64-year-old U.S. Army Veteran Catherine Grace of Cliff Street, Shelton. Grace served in the Army from 1985-1991 and was a Signal Intelligence Voice Interceptor. A team of about 15 employee and student volunteers from Sikorsky and Quinnipiac will complete front porch repairs, yardwork, and basement door repairs.

A 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, House of Heroes Connecticut recognizes, honors and serves military and public safety veterans and/or their surviving spouses in need for their sacrificial service to America. The organization strives to “Make a Difference in a Day,” providing no-cost home repairs focusing on safety and accessibility. The Connecticut Chapter is part of a national organization founded in Columbus, Georgia in 2000. For more information, visit www.hohct.org.