The Triangle Real Estate and Construction Veterans (TREACV) is a group of military veterans with representatives of all five military branches working in the real estate or construction profession in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill ("Triangle") area of North Carolina. Seeking to give back to our returning warriors from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, in early 2007 the group decided to embark upon a meaningful community service project:
Building a 'free home' for a severely wounded Veteran from the Middle East conflict.
Soon thereafter, TREACV learned that the Wake County Homebuilders Association (WHBA) had entertained similar thoughts regarding Veteran support. In a surprisingly short span of time, the two organizations agreed their goals were compatible, and that each organization would benefit from the others expertise, contacts, and structure.
With the first meeting between the two groups occurring in September of 2007, the Military Veterans Housing Task Force (MVTF) was formed to head up the cooperative project, now known as "Operation:Coming Home."
Perhaps not surprisingly, the response has been overwhelmingly positive, with local businesses and volunteers rallying to the project. To date we have received donations of a home site by Gaines and Company and Royal Oaks, homebuilding services by Atreus and Royal Oaks builders, materials and supplies from Stock Building Supply, and cash gifts from the Wake HBA and the Triangle Builders Guild. The progress of the home can now be seen "live" via webcam along with news media clips linked on the website. Preparations are being made for the official "handover of the keys" to Joey and Jayme Bozik, our first Operation: Coming Home "Hero's Home" family recipient, at the end of the fall "Parade of Homes" in a ceremony on Veterans Day--October 27, 2008--two years after the formation of TREACV, and only one year after the formation of the MVTF.
Preparations are well underway for the Operation: Coming Home 2009 and the group is exploring the possibility of expansion to other communities seeking to similarly support our returning troops. We encourage you to click on the "donate now" button on the website home page and help us in our effort to "welcome home" our returning warriors and their families!