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The Bolla Charity Foundation stepped up to fund the renovation of a group home for veterans in Levittown, as part of a new initiative launched by United Veterans Beacon House.
The program called Restoring Homes Restoring Hope aims to recruit businesses to fund the renovations of a dozen of the Beacon House’s group homes throughout Long Island. The Levittown project is the first collaboration between the veterans’ nonprofit and the local business community in the new effort.
Renovated kitchen at the Levittown group home. / Courtesy of Bolla Charity Foundation
Work on the Levittown home, which cost about $175,000, included a new roof, new vinyl siding, insulation and window trim. A redesigned and expanded kitchen and dining room with new lighting, fixtures, flooring, cabinetry and modern appliances were also part of the project. In addition, the renovations included new bathrooms, new custom furniture, four bedroom sets, painting, new landscaping and irrigation system.
Bay Shore-based United Veterans Beacon House operates 52 residential facilities, comprised of group homes and single-family residences, throughout Nassau and Suffolk counties. The nonprofit has served over 26,500 veterans since its inception 27 years ago and provides shelter and services to formerly homeless and/or struggling veterans.
The nonprofit’s Restoring Homes Restoring Hope initiative aims to provide modern, efficient, and comfortable environments to veterans at 12 homes owned by Beacon House, many of which have served as a haven to thousands of veterans over the last two decades.
“We could not be more proud and impressed by the outcome of this amazing collaboration between Beacon House and Harry and Kamljit Singh of the Bolla Charity Foundation,” Frank Amalfitano, UVBH president and CEO, said in an organization statement. “When I first met Harry and Kamljit, I knew right away that these were caring, compassionate people who truly want to make a difference in the lives of veterans on Long Island. Their generosity and graciousness in taking on this project will serve as the template for reaching out to Long Island’s business community to attract more collaborations for the restoration of our group homes.”
After hearing about the new initiative, the Singhs were quick to join the effort.
“We undertook this project after seeing the great work done by Beacon House over many years,” Harry Singh of the Bolla Charity Foundation, and president and CEO of Bolla Oil Corp., said in the statement. “We started our foundation as a way to give back to the community that has been so good to our family, and in particular to support the veterans who have sacrificed to secure our freedoms. We are supportive of Beacon House, because their mission is to provide services to help veterans regain their independence. The Bolla Foundation is excited to rehabilitate this group home, which will serve as the foundation of helping veterans rehabilitate their lives.”
Garden City-based Bolla Oil Corp. operates more than 250 gas stations and convenience stores on Long Island and the New York metropolitan area, according to Convenience Store Products magazine, which ranked Bolla as the 31st largest convenience store chain in the country last year.
Founded by Harry and Kamljit Singh in 2013, the Bolla Charity Foundation is a nonprofit which helps first responders and veterans, provides funding to numerous charities and holds special events to benefit other nonprofit groups. Previous projects have included construction of a building on the 7-acre First Responders Memorial Recreational Field in Islandia and the gifting of a mortgage-free, custom-built, 2,500-square-foot home in Selden to a disabled Marine veteran.
Beacon House is hoping other Long Island businesses will soon join the effort to renovate some of its needy housing stock.
“Our veterans deserve to wake up in a place that inspires them, that reminds them they are valued and deserve a happy and full life,” Amalfitano said. “So many of the homeless veterans we serve carry emotional and physical scars with them, these homes serve as a respite while on their journey to independence.”
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Image and article originally from libn.com. Read the original article here.