Retired US Navy veteran receives a new home from The Gary Sinise Foundation
A disabled U.S. Navy Veteran and his family have a new, mortgage-free smart home courtesy of The Gary Sinise Foundation.
The finished home, built in Walterville east of Springfield, was revealed to Joshua Geddis and his family on May 16. A ceremony with family, builders and the foundation was held the next day.
“I think I did a 360 in every single room when I got here because I could,” Geddis said. ”I am not going to be running my fingers into any walls or any other items as I go by, so in reality, it's safer to live here.”
The GSF was founded by award-winning actor Gary Sinise in 2011 and is best known for its R.I.S.E Program (Restoring Independence, Supporting Empowerment), which builds custom-made homes for wounded veterans.
The 2,900-square-foot smart home was customized to Geddis’ needs, which includes wider doors, lower cabinets, sinks countertops and wheelchair-accessible bathrooms.
Geddis served as a petty officer in the Navy for two years with deployments in the U.S., Japan, Indonesia, Iraq, the Philippines and East Africa.
On his fifth deployment on Jan. 16, 2017, Geddis was pinned under a 4,500-pound barrier while he was upgrading the security of a Forward Operating Base. The injury left him paralyzed from the waist down.
A friend encouraged Geddis to apply for the housing program, saying he fit every requirement. After a long application process, he got the green light from the GSF.
Getting a phone call from Gary Sinise was unbelievable said Geddis. “It was just me doubting how this would work out,” he added.
This is the R.I.S.E program's 92nd home. Local builder Three Creeks Construction built the home.
Mica McOmber, owner of Three Creeks Construction, said that when he was initially approached by the GSF, he thought it was a telemarketing call, but after further conversations, he became a part of the project.
McOmber said Geddis was very easy to work with during the design process.
“Josh is so humble," McOmber said. "At the beginning, we’d ask him ‘What do you like?’ Unlike my clients that I normally work with ... they want specific tastes and have very strong opinions. Josh said, ‘Whatever you give me, I’m going to love it.'"
When asked if any challenges remain, Geddis said with a laugh, “Well for my oven, I can’t figure out how to download the app.”
Josiah Pensado is a multimedia reporter for The Register-Guard through the Charles Snowden Program for Excellence in Journalism. You can contact him at [email protected] and follow him on Instagram @jpa.photos
This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Retired US Navy veteran receives a new home in Oregon
