By Lulu

Motorcyclists from all walks of life love our vets. And that was obvious on the ride out of Stormy Hill Harley-Davidson in Clermont. The ribbon of bikes that rode from Stormy Hill H-D down beautiful hilly roads and ending at Texas Roadhouse in Clermont helped pay for a nail or two in a brand-new home for a severely wounded veteran. The group Homes for Our Troops based out of Taunton, Massachusetts were happy to pose for a photo when we flew up to Boston to check their organization out. This is a charity to get behind!!! It began in 2004 and nearly 90 cents of every dollar go DIRECTLY toward supporting the vets. They have a comprehensive selection process and build a house that accommodates their needs and put it where the veteran chooses to live. They provide each vet with a pro-bono financial planner for 3 years, a peer mentoring program and stay in touch with the new homeowners to insure they are successful in rebuilding their lives. As of August 2018, they have built and donated 260 custom homes nationwide. And when they talk of rebuilding lives by taking away the financial struggle of financing a home, particularly a home that addresses their special needs…I was impressed by this statistic…only 12% of the vets and 8% of their spouses had a degree or trade certificate before the home, but after their home was donated to them, 69% of vets and 90% of their spouses had obtained a degree or trade certification! And over 150 babies have been born to Homes for Our Troops recipients since 2010!! We met Army Sgt. Patrick Wickens and his family whose new home is in Orlando. They are thrilled with the home and with this organization’s continued concern for him and his family. Texas Roadhouses across the United States have become involved with this great cause. So, support Texas Roadhouse in Clermont! The food they served on the ride was AWESOME. They also are hosting a bike night on the third Wednesdays with Stormy Hill from 6p-til with DJ Rashad! And when you see a ride for Homes for Our Troops make plans to ride on them, it is the least we can do to repay the debt we owe these heroes…and with 90 cents of every dollar going directly to the vets this is one GREAT organization! If you’re interested in helping with their mission of “Building Homes, Rebuilding Lives”, check out their website www.hfotusa.org.