Berks County-based nonprofit American Hero Wishes recently gifted an outdoor sauna to an Army veteran residing in New York.
The purpose of American Hero Wishes is to grant wishes of disabled veterans who suffered long-term ailments while serving our country in the military.
“The immediate goal is to fulfill at least one wish per year. The ultimate goal is to grant a wish to at least one veteran in every U.S. state. Underlying both of these goals is the ongoing aspiration to build awareness of American Hero Wishes through apt channels to facilitate short and long term goals,” American Hero Wishes president and founder Brianne Houck of Birdsboro said in a statement.
Brianne Houck of Birdsboro, right, president and founder of Berks County-based nonprofit American Hero Wishes, recently granted the wish of U.S. Army veteran, Ben, who resides in New York. (Photo courtesy of American Hero Wishes)
A veteran herself, Houck attended the U.S. Military Academy at West Point after graduating from Daniel Boone High School in 2002. She served in the Army from July 2002 until health concerns discontinued her military service in 2005. During her service, she received the National Service Medal.
Her USOA Ms. Pennsylvania 2022 platform Operation Helping Our Heroes was dedicated to the men and women who have served and are serving in the military.
From that platform, American Hero Wishes came to fruition. She established it as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 2022 to grant the wishes of veterans who were wounded either physically, mentally, or both while serving.
Past wishes
Supported by donations and fundraisers, the nonprofit works throughout the year to build the funds necessary to fulfill a veteran’s wish.
The organization’s first wish, a custom-built shed, was gifted in October 2022 to a State College area veteran who served as a combat medic in the Army.
“He was deployed as part of the Global War on Terrorism and lost both of his legs and right index finger while rushing to the aid of one of his comrades. We presented him with a custom-built shed to provide more space for him, his wife, and their growing family,” said Houck.
In September 2023, American Hero Wishes fulfilled its second wish to a Marine Corps veteran in Quakertown who served in the Global War on Terrorism.
“Through two deployments, he returned home physically unscathed, but while attending a military function stateside, he was struck by a car, of which the driver was impaired by alcohol,” she said.
He sustained life-altering neck and back injuries that abruptly ended his active-duty service.
“From the summation of his experiences, he battles ongoing PTSD. As being outdoors is therapeutic for him, American Hero Wishes granted him a greenhouse for his yard, as both he and his wife enjoy gardening together,” Houck said.
In November 2024, American Hero Wishes gave back on a larger scale by contributing $6,000 to another nonprofit organization that supports veterans. American Hero Wishes donated a dog-washing station to support K9s For Warriors in San Antonio, Texas, which provides highly-trained service dogs to military veterans suffering from PTSD, traumatic brain injury and/or military sexual trauma.
“K9s for Warriors is the largest nonprofit organization in the country for providing trained service dogs, that are rescued from local shelters, to veterans. As their mission is to mitigate the incidence of veteran suicide, American Hero Wishes wanted to back their efforts by providing a needed dog washing station at their San Antonio campus,” Houck said. “Our hope is that contributions such as ours will enable K9s for Warriors to help many veterans (and their canine companions) for years to come.”
2025 wish
Houck, as founder and president of American Hero Wishes, opened the nomination period and reached out to the nonprofit’s prior veteran recipients about potential nominees.
“We received one nomination, and it was from a prior recipient.,” Houck said. “The receipt of this nomination was certainly fortuitous, as the veteran was very deserving of a benefaction.”
This year’s recipient, Ben, is an Army veteran who resides in the Hudson Valley of New York. He was deployed for 34 consecutive months as a military police officer during the Global War on Terrorism.
“The long term health repercussions of his time in service have remained with Ben,” Houck said.
By working with his wife, Tammy, a Navy veteran, American Hero Wishes planned to surprise him with an outdoor sauna to be placed on their outdoor deck that Ben built.
“We hope that Ben not only reaps the multitude of health benefits that come with sauna usage, but that it is an incessant reminder of how much he is appreciated and remembered for the service he provided to our country and the American people,” Houck said.
The outdoor sauna was delivered by surprise to his home on Sept. 26.
“The response was wholly heartfelt! Through Tammy’s quick thinking and guile, Ben was not at all expecting a sauna to be delivered to his home,” Houck said. “When he saw it coming up his driveway, he was in some disbelief and overjoyed, which was beautiful to witness. He was extremely grateful, and a smile never left his face.”
Berks County-based nonprofit American Hero Wishes recently delivered an outdoor sauna to U.S. Army veteran, Ben, in New York. (Photo courtesy of American Hero Wishes)
Ben and Tammy spent time talking with Houck and gave her a tour of their property, which she described as “bucolic and serene.”
“I think it was a memorable day for all of us who were present,” Houck said. “The greatest satisfaction that my board members and I could ever ask for is witnessing these candid moments and knowing that we did something for an upstanding, honorable veteran, who will hopefully carry the positive impact of these days and moments with them for years to come.”
U.S. Army veteran, Ben, gives a tour of his New York property to Brianne Houck of Birdsboro, president and founder of Berks County-based nonprofit American Hero Wishes. (Photo courtesy of American Hero Wishes)
The funds for this year’s wish were raised this past year from individual contributors and organizational donations. Several individuals donated through online fundraisers coordinated via social media.
Houck said American Hero Wishes received donations from American Legion Post 626 of Birdsboro, Chandler Lodge #227 of West Reading and Faith Lutheran Church of Mount Penn.
“We want to sincerely thank all of the people and organizations that supported us through their donations,” Houck said. “We could not bring to fruition any of the projects that we have without them.”
To nominate a veteran for a wish or for more information about ways to support American Hero Wishes, email info@americanherowishes.org. For updates on future fundraising events and wishes, follow American Hero Wishes on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/americanherowishes.org and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/americanherowishes.