02.20.08

Blended Military Family Gets Home Rehabbed

Posted in News at 5:43 am by Dawn Miller

When National Guard Sgt. Jonathan VanderWert went to Iraq in August, he left behind his wife, Blake, and a blended family with 7 children. They were living in a 120-year-old fixer-upper house in Minnesota bought to hold their large family.

But VanderWert’s deployment to Iraq left their rehab efforts in tatters. Walls were unfinished, only one toilet worked, and the kitchen was cold and in need of serious repair.

The Heroes at Home program stepped in, and spent 3 months remodeling the VanderWert family’s house. Blake and some of the kids stayed rent-free in a nearby house owned by a funeral home, and the rest of the kids stayed with VanderWert’s ex-wife. 

With the problems fixed and the kitchen in much better shape (not to mention warm), the family came home this week. The community contributed money to re-furnish the home for them. Read more about it in the Star-Tribune and Minnesota Public Radio.

Bravo to Heroes at Home for their work helping this military stepfamily!

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