Jason Anderson, left, and Victor Anderson, right, co-owners of Anderson Carpet One in Alto, receive recognition from retired New York firefighter Commander Charles Gussman. The plaque includes steel from the former World Trade Center.
Charlie Gussman distinctly remembers September 11th, 2001. He was in New York City, the Battalion Commander of a Fire Department. He lost 20 members of his battalion that day, in the collapse of the World Trade Center.
Now, Charlie travels the country, retired from his fire department post, raising funds he said, “to help today’s victims of the war on terror” – military service members who have returned to the United States with devastating injuries. He volunteers with the BFAB program – “Building for America’s Bravest” – which builds “smart homes” for those soldiers. The special homes meet the extensive needs of those returning to the states after suffering seriously handicapping injuries, to help them live as normally as possible.
Charlie and “Building For America’s Bravest” have a local link that he talked about on Thursday. Anderson Carpet One Floor and Home, in Alto, is one of the companies that contribute to the building of homes for returning injured soldiers, by donating homebuilding materials.
Victor and Jason Anderson are co-owners of Habersham’s Carpet One store, and Charlie praised that chain of stores for significantly contributing materials to build returning soldiers’ homes. He also said that another national chain of building supply stores, Mohawk Company, also contributes materials for the specialized building of homes.
The Anderson brothers are asking for donations at their store, to support the volunteer-staffed BFAB homebuilding foundation. For each dollar donated by customers, Victor Anderson said, Anderson Carpet One Floor & Home “will match that amount” by giving a donation from the business.
On Thursday, government leaders, fire chiefs and their departments, the sheriff’s department and its staff, emergency workers and members of the public were all invited into Anderson Carpet One to hear Charlie Gussman recognize the company’s support for the BFAB program. He also detailed the uniqueness of BFAB. He described the custom made “smart homes” as those that are totally handicapped accessible, and that meet an individual’s specific needs. He said that one soldier’s home may have features that are operated by the blinking of eye, while another is equipped with computer elements accessible to a person in a wheelchair.
“We are a small foundation,” Gussman said, as he described the volunteer organization. He encouraged donations through Anderson Carpet One Floor and Home, to double the value of a donation. He also left a gift with Victor and Jason Anderson – a plaque that contained a piece of steel. The piece of steel was a remnant – of the World Trade Center.
