He is an Iraq war veteran. He is Dale Beatty, who returned home to Iredell County in the U.S. state of North Carolina, after losing both of his legs in a roadside bomb explosion in Iraq in November 2004. Some community members and the Iredell Home Builders Association joined hands together to build a wheelchair-accessible home for Dale Beatty. Understanding the needs of the disabled persons who have gone through the same phase and faced the worst like him, Dale co-founded the Purple Heart Homes, a non-profit organization that modifies homes to accommodate newly-disabled person.

After he got wounded, Dale started using prosthetics. But that was not enough! The support he got from the people taught Dale something new-the power of volunteerism. After seeing the benefits of a designed home as per his special needs, Dale Beatty founded an organization called Purple Heart Homes (PHH) along with John Gallina, who was also injured in the same attack.

We’re proud to be from Iredell County. Having the values and having the support system of this county is really what started Purple Heart Homes. The support that people gave me inspired me to further give back, and that’s something that Statesville can be proud of and I want people to know that, Beatty said.

Purple Heart Homes (PHH) runs mainly two programs. ‘The Veterans Aging in Place’ program helps the veterans by fully funding the renovations which let them avoid moving into assisted living facilities. The other program is ‘Veteran Home Ownership’ program, which takes donated homes and then Purple Heart Homes (PHH) converts them into handicap accessible houses and later sells them to veterans at 50 percent or less than their appraised value.

The organization, headquartered in Statesville, has already provided homes for 32 veterans and many projects are already in hands. In recognition of his splendid work, Dale Beatty was named as the top 10 CNN heroes of the year 2013. He won $50,000 as the prize money. PHH runs on the individual donors, grants and on some corporate sponsorships. PHH has received $1 million, donated by the Home Depot Foundation. Dale Beatty also believes that a lot can be done with the CNN prize money.

Purple Heart Homes (PHH) also involves the veteran’s communities in the construction work; this lead to foster an atmosphere of a new hope for the retired soldiers. We salute those unsung heroes of our society, who have not only made sacrifices for us, but also help others to lead a beautiful life.