Nominations open for veterans who’d benefit from free home renovations

McHenry County veterans in need of a home renovation or repair are invited to get nominated to receive one this fall.

The 30 Days for 30 Vets program, coordinated by The Bremer Team – Keller Williams Success Realty in McHenry, will give 30 veterans the gift of a needed home improvement in November.

Nominations opened on Aug. 1, and can be submitted at 30daysfor30vets.com.

Organizers are seeking “stories of veterans whose lives would be vastly improved by receiving a much-needed home renovation,” said Dawn Bremer of the Bremer Team.

Then, each day in November, a selected veteran’s story will be highlighted on the 30 Days for 30 Vets website and Facebook page, along with the repair or renovation they will receive.

Those renovations can be anything from a new roof to a new furnace or air conditioning, Michael Adams said. He is a Realtor with the Bremer Team and a U.S. Marine veteran himself, having served in Iraq.

Nearly $300,000 in in-kind donations of services and materials have been pledged for the program, he added.

“I’m blown away by the enthusiastic reaction so far,” Bremer said. “We are getting calls from people asking how they can help, how they can be a part of it. It’s great to see how the community can put divisions aside and come together.”

In early October, a community committee including veterans will review all nominations received through Sept. 30. Later in October, a private celebration for recipients and participating vendors will take place at the McHenry Outdoor Theater – Golden Age Cinemas.

The program idea came from a conversation with Rhett Wilborn, owner of Innovative Home Concepts, and Courtney Wander, the company’s general manager, Bremer said. They suggested providing a roof for a veteran in need during a lunch meeting earlier this year.

“We brought the idea up to her because we know she works with a lot of veterans, and she took it just 1,000 times further than we had thought of,” Wilborn said. “She was just like, ‘That sounds great. Let’s work together on this thing.’”

Bremer and Adams – a motivator for launching the Bremer Team Heroes Savings Plan to cut closing costs for veterans – talked about the roof replacement idea. Many veterans struggle in silence when it comes to keeping up with home maintenance, Bremer said.

Soon, Bremer had multiple companies on board, offering everything from roofing to gutter replacements, countertops, air-conditioning systems, water heaters, appliances, kitchen remodels, ramps and more. Home Depot has pledged a $24,999 grant. Others include Innovative Home Concepts, Jett’s Heating & Air, Accurate Plumbing Pros Inc., Kenny’s Floor Covering Inc. and The Glad Lamb, which provides cabinet refinishing and specialty painting.

More pledges and donations are welcome. Those interested or those seeking more information may contact Bremer at 847-456-6334 or bremerteaminfo@gmail.com, visit 30daysfor30vets.com, or find 30 Days for 30 Vets on Facebook.