News

March 12, 2013
Bath (WENY) -- "You don't ever think about when you move in to a home what you need to have accessible if you needed to be in a wheel chair, but when his foot just reinjured he couldnt get into the bathroom," said Sarah Nadjani, wife of injured soldier Brent Nadjani.
     Sarah's husband, Brent was badly injured in an I-E-D attack in Afghanistan in 2010. He spent 18 months in a wheel chair. In 2012, when they thought the worst was over, they made the tough decision to amputate the lower part of Brent's left leg. He's recovering in Walter Reed Medical Center in Maryland while Sarah takes care of their home and newborn baby. But like many other wounded soldiers and veterans, their home is not handicap friendly.
     Sarah added, "Brent can't get on a ladder so he can't do the everyday things that we would like to do on our home renovation, so kind of for us it has been a dream of what we could do and not actually be able to do it."
     That's where Paul Hoffecker comes in. He's the founder and CEO of Renovating Hope, a company dedicated to remodeling homes for wounded service men and women, so they can live happier and more comfortable lives.
     "One became two, two became ten (renovations) and I realized how big of a problem it was for these families," said Hoffecker. Paul had just remodeled the home of another local veteran in Erin when he heard of the Nadjani family and wanted to help. Renovating Hope plans to make the kitchen and bathroom easily accessible to Brent. They will also add a back deck and a ramp out front.
     Renovating Hope is trying to win a $25,000 grant from Home Depot's Aprons in Action Program. Paul plans to renovate Brent's home with or without the money, but if he wins, Renovating hope will have more money to remodel other veterans' homes.     
     Sarah said, "his (Brent's) main thing is he just really wishes we could get more help for other veterans, other soldiers, other military personnel, beucase there is so many people especially living at Walter Reed with so many injuries and so many people who even have it worse off than he does."
     To vote for Renovating Hope in the Home Depot Apron's For Action, go to http://www.facebook.com/homedepot/app_380232235347479 .
     To learn more about Renovating Hope go to http://renovatinghope.org/ .