Work to Begin on Wounded War Veteran Sandra Lee's Manchester Home This Weekend

The following is a press release from Purple Heart Homes. 

On Friday, April 19, 2013 the Town of Manchester will convey the property at 14 Cornell Street officially to Purple Heart Homes and work will begin this Saturday April, 20 to demo the house that will soon become Staff Sergeant Sandra Lee's home.

Starting at 8:00 a.m. Saturday April 20 under the direction of volunteer General Contractor Dave Sposito from Sposito Brothers Construction volunteers from the Manchester Fire Rescue EMS Department, the Manchester Police Department and the Manchester Public Works Department will remove the siding, shingles and  windows from the outside of the house and the inside will be completely gutted. 


About 40 volunteers will be on hand to complete the demolition of the home -- leaving the house ready to be put back together again by HEART 9/11 May 3-5 when in one weekend they will work side by side with other interested volunteer professional tradesmen to put on a 1,200 square foot addition, new roof, siding and windows -- leaving the home weather tight for interior work to begin. 

From May to mid July professional trades men and women will install new electrical, plumbing, HVAC, dry wall and cabinets.  Volunteer groups from the town and interested organizations will have the opportunity to help as well with painting, landscaping, yard clean up, interior decorating, that will be organized and scheduled.

Purple Heart Homes hopes to have the house completed by mid July when they will schedule a mission complete day for volunteers, neighbors and friends to attend.  

Army Staff Sergeant Sandra Lee was deployed to Iraq in December 2003. During that time she helped rebuild schools in Wester Baghdad where she served as a liaison between local councils, military and international organizations and the Ministry of Education.

During her time in Iraq she was involved in 4 IED explosions and sexual assault by a fellow soldier.  She suffers from the invisible injuries of war  Post Traumatic Street (PTS), Traumatic brain injury, short term memory problems, constant headaches, vertigo, debilitating nightmares and depression.

She has her bachelor of Arts Degree from Portland University in International Relations and Social Services with a minor in music.  Lee resides in Manchester and is currently getting her masters degree in holistic health and wants to help other veterans with PTSD as well as becoming an active member in the community of Manchester.

Purple Heart Homes is a non profit based in Statesville North Carolina founded in 2008 by two combat injured veterans Dale Beatty and John Gallina, both were injured November 15, 2004 when the vehicle they were riding in hit an anti tank mine that resulted in the loss of Beatty's legs below the knees and Gallina suffers from PTS and severs back injuries from the explosion.  The mission of Purple Heart Homes is to provide for the unmet housing needs of Service Connected Disabled Veterans that served in all eras.