For many veterans of military service, the experience of service changes who they are as a person, and coming home doesn’t mean going back to the same life. For some, though, the identity change also is physical. Disabled veterans often return to lives and homes that don’t accommodate their new needs, and that’s where Heroes Supporting Heroes steps in. The Pittsburgh-based organization comprises approximately 130 volunteers, many of them active reservists or veterans, who visit homes of veterans and their families to fix any array of issues. Whether volunteers are installing ramps for veterans who use wheelchairs or cutting the grass for a military wife, redoing bathrooms to be handicap-accessible or even simply just helping with bills, they’re always ready to lend a hand. The main goal of Heroes Supporting Heroes, says President John Lee, is to “keep people in their homes.” He’s an engineer with six tours to Iraq and Afghanistan under his own belt. Heroes Supporting Heroes has recently expanded their operations to include senior citizens who need help living at home, military or otherwise.

Those who need a little help live all over Pittsburgh. Lee says they’ve worked on numerous homes in Butler County and Moon Township, where Lee and most of this staff lives. Heroes Supporting Heroes also reaches into the South Hills—recently a veteran in Bridgeville asked for services—and has gone as far as Washington D.C. in the name of supporting our veterans. There seems to be no end to their generosity, aside from logistics themselves.

Heroes Supporting Heroes is always in need of help and you don’t need to be a veteran to do so. If you’re interested in joining the committed team, call 412-235-1737 or email info@heroessupportingheroes.org. Veterans in need of assistance are encouraged to reach out, as well.