A San Antonio veteran has a new place to call home — thanks to the kindness of others!
On Friday, August 16, San Antonio Purple Heart recipient Sergeant Anesi “Maverick” Tu’ufuli was surprised with a new custom-designed and customized smart home courtesy of The Home Depot Foundation and Jared Allen Wounded Warrior Homes.
The two organizations worked together to fully furnish and decorate the home with items specifically selected to fit Tu’ufuli’s needs, according to a press release obtained by PEOPLE.
The statement added that designer Tuan Nguyen used items from The Home Depot specifically to customize the house for Tu’ufuli, who uses a wheelchair, and his family.
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A new home for Anesi “Maverick” Tu’ufuli.
The Home Depot Foundation
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In 2005, Tu’ufuli was wounded after stepping on a remotely detonated IED in Taji, Iraq, according to a news release.
During that time, he lost his left leg, and in addition to other injuries, he also suffered damage to his right leg.
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Anesi “Maverick” Tu’ufuli is filled with gratitude after receiving his new home.
The Home Depot Foundation
After returning home from the war, Tu’ufuli left the army and lived as a civilian with his wife and two young daughters. However, after his wife died of cancer in 2018, the veteran was left to take care of his children as a single father.
The home he lived in before The Home Depot Foundation and Jared Allen’s Homes for Wounded Warriors surprised him with a new home was not wheelchair accessible, making it difficult for Tu’ufuli to live comfortably.
Anesi “Maverick” Tu’ufuli cuts the ribbon on his new home.
The Home Depot Foundation
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The Home Depot Foundation is a nonprofit organization that “works to improve the homes and lives of America’s veterans, trains skilled tradespeople to fill the workforce gap, and supports communities affected by natural disasters,” according to its website.
Meanwhile, the Jared Allen Wounded Warrior Homes are named after the former NFL star. Provides assistance to veterans injured in Iraq and Afghanistan and their families.
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