Lee BIA Builders Care and Pulte Homes are partnering to build a new, accessible home for a Fort Myers homeowner and celebrated a project milestone with a Notes of Love ceremony for its donors and project partners on March 13. 

With the framework of the new home now complete, Builders Care and its project partners gathered to leave special messages for the new homeowner, Lewis Freeman. With these Notes of Love, Freeman will always be surrounded by the community’s well wishes, words of encouragement and blessings.

“I think it’s marvelous. I really appreciate all the work everyone did and are continuing to do,” Freeman said. “This is something unexpected, but it’s a blessing and I appreciate it.”

Freeman, 71, was born and raised in Fort Myers’ Dunbar neighborhood. His only time away from home was the four years he spent in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Vietnam War. After an honorable discharge, he returned to Dunbar to continue serving his community and family. Today, he is the proud father of three and grandfather of four.  

After suffering a stroke in 2015, Freeman was unable to continue working and has since lived on a fixed income. When his rental home was sold unexpectedly, he moved in with his niece while hoping to once again have a home of his own. Builders Care and generous local partners and donors are building Freeman a brand-new, two-bedroom, two-bath home on a lot in Dunbar that was donated by the City of Fort Myers. 

“Everyone who has been part of this project had the opportunity to leave these special Notes of Love for Lewis, and he will forever be surrounded by the community’s words of encouragement and blessings,” said Leigh Cloud, executive director of Lee BIA Builders Care. “We are so thankful to Pulte Homes, the City of Fort Myers and all of our project partners who are coming together to give such a special gift to this deserving individual. We can’t wait to welcome Lewis home in the coming months.”

More than 46 subcontractors are donating labor and services for the project, coordinated by Pulte Homes and its builder partners.

Project partners include Retland Holdings; American Builders Supply; Apollo Painting; Barraco & Associates; Calculink; Capling Leveling; City of Fort Myers; Coastal Waste; Coastline Tree Service; CSCI; D&D Garage Doors; Diamond Glass & Aluminum; Division 16; Doodie Calls; Drake Ready Mix; Dwayne Bergmann Interiors; Fusion Industries International; Interior Logic Group; James Hardie; Kitson & Partners; L&W Supply; Lewis Consulting Services; Lotts; Master Brand Cabinets; Modern Mechanical Services; Paramount Drywall; PGT; Professional View Photography; R.T. Moore; Raymond Building Supply; Rice Insulation and Glass; Roof Right; Service Contracting Solutions; Sherwin Williams; SSI, Star Turf Farms; Statewide Window Treatments; Suncoast Contractors Supply Inc.; Suncoast Custom Pools; SunnyGrove; Taulman Pest Control; Whirlpool; Wilson Lighting and YPC Consulting Group.

“It’s especially fun to see his face as he reads the Notes of Love written on the ground, on the concrete slab and behind the walls,” said Josh Graeve, president of PulteGroup’s Southwest Florida Division. “For him to know that there’s forever going to be this love and support – and to feel this outpouring of love from his community – makes it a really special day.”

The home is expected to be completed in late spring.

As construction progresses, Builders Care invites the community to follow the journey of making Freeman’s new house a home. An Amazon Wish List has been created for those who wish to contribute to filling the homeowner’s house with essential supplies and comfort items.

For more information on Lee BIA Builders Care, visit LeeBuildersCare.org or call 239-938-0056.

About Lee BIA Builders Care

The mission of Lee BIA Builders Care is to provide emergency construction services at no cost to needy and deserving elderly and/or disabled homeowners, and their families, who cannot obtain repairs through traditional means. Lee BIA Builders Care offers a full range of no-cost emergency construction services to improve the safety and health for needy seniors and disabled individuals of all ages by enlisting the expertise and donated services and materials of contractors, sub-contractors and businesses. To date, Lee BIA Builders Care has put more than $6 million in construction services back into the community at no cost to homeowners in need. Builders Care is funded through financial donations, grants and donated services and materials to provide emergency construction services to qualified homeowners throughout the community. Lee BIA Builders Care is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization under the charitable arm of the Lee Building Industry Association. Lee BIA Builders Care is headquartered at 6835 International Center Blvd. #4 in Fort Myers. Donations can be made online at www.LeeBuildersCare.org. More information is available by calling 239-938-0056, and by following Builders Care at www.Facebook.com/LeeBuildersCare.