It's been said that who benefits the most from volunteering is the volunteer themselves. While the act or service of the volunteer's unsolicited time and effort often serves an agency, organization, project or an individual in need there is no better feeling then accomplishing something good for someone else who needs it. And that is what 'Cadets For Vets' is all about, teaching the young men of Victory Forge Military Academy the importance of community service while providing much needed assistance to area veterans in need of a hand, or two or more.

'Cadets for Vets' is a relatively new community service outreach program of Victory Forge Military Academy, a not for profit organization based in Port St. Lucie Fl. 'Cadets for Vets' works closely with local veteran associations, service organizations and councils to help area Veterans who may have a challenge getting something done. From clearing debris after a storm to moving the lawn or handing out aid, the Cadets at Victory Forge are dedicated to giving back to the men and women who have served our nation.

In the midst of hurricane season and on a short break from school the Cadets from Victory Forge and the Veterans Council of Martin County partnered together to coordinate the much needed assistance for a very special WWII veteran living in Hobe Sound. Rena Tulli a 94 year young WWII veteran born in Italy but raised in America was in desperate need of help. Between code violations from the county as a result of being unable to repair her home and clear her property following three seasons of hurricanes, a persistent condition of shingles and living on a very tight fixed income Rena needed help getting what she needed to get done to live safely and comfortably in her home.

Upon being notified by Commissioner Weberman's office of the problems Ms. Tulli was facing from numerous code violations and fines to be levied, Tony Reese, Veteran Service Officer with Martin County and volunteer for the Veterans Council, decided to take action and call Col. Weierman from Victory Forge to see what could possibly be done to help her. The Boys Scouts had been there before to try to clear the yard, but the work this time was much heavier and involved. So on the heels of Tropical Storm Barry, Tony Reese, Col Weierman and Michael Roberts from Special Forces Restoration and Construction went to Ms Tulli's home to evaluate the situation.

After scheduling two full work days (one on June 9 and the other on July 14) the Cadets and a crew of volunteers accomplished a great deal. They cleared the yard of all the loose and fallen hurricane debris, re-established a walkway for Ms Tulli to walk from her driveway to her house. They re-sided a section of the house that lost siding during one of the hurricanes. They removed all the damaged pieces from her old screen porch and rebuilt the porch with all new aluminum, screening, doors and stairways, replaced rotted fascia, cleared and cleaned all her gutters, repaired the roof and replaced her damaged kitchen cabinets with brand new ones. Leaving her with a more comfortable and safe living environment.

Many of the materials and supplies that were needed to accomplish the project were donated by area companies. Some of those were Special Forces Restoration and Construction, Lumber 84, Lowes in Stuart, the Major Goldsmith Fund, Nichols Sanitation, Sherwin Williams Hobe Sound, Benjamin Plumbing, Palm City Screening, Hobe Sound Aluminum, and Austin's Smoke House provided the lunches.

Volunteers that came out included: Billy, Kim and Billy Staley, Bruce and Sean Carley, Tony and Joyce Reese, Don McGlynn, Hoyt Woods, Chuck King, Bill Riethmiller, Jerry and Marilyn Zalben, Jonathan Weierman, Col. Weierman, Molly Weierman, Inez Frid and the cadets from Victory Forge Military Academy.

While this project is completed for now, 'Cadets for Vets' with assistance from the Veterans Council of Martin County will continue to assist and serve area veterans in their time of need. If you know of a Veteran or a family of an active duty serviceman/women who is currently deployed, please contact Col. Weierman at Victory Forge Military Academy for consideration. Col. Weierman may be reached at 772-879-7181, alweierman@aol.com or Inez Frid at 772-370-4571, inezfrid@bellsouth.net.