RICHMOND HEIGHTS — Amos Jordan has spent most of his life serving his country, overseas in Vietnam and in his local community. This past Veterans’ Day weekend, it was the community’s turn to serve him.
Some 50 volunteers from Starbucks, City Year Miami, and the community joined Rebuilding Toge-ther Miami Dade to give Jordan’s home a complete makeover as part of Operation Rebuild for Heroes at Home, a nationwide program developed by the Sears Holding Corporation and Rebuilding Together to renovate the homes of military veterans.
Based on votes from Facebook members, Sears awarded the Miami-Dade affiliate of Rebuilding Together a grant of more than $6,000 to repaint and refurbish Jordan’s home in appreciation of his lifelong commitment to serving others.
Jordan, 74, served in the U.S. Air Force for 26 years, working with maintenance crews to keep fighter jets in the air. He received several decorations, including the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Device, the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, and the Air Force Longevity Service Award Ribbon.
Today, Jordan lives with his granddaughter and two great grandchildren in the South Miami-Dade community of Richmond Heights, where he is an active member of his church and the local Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) post.
Despite suffering from high blood pressure and diabetes, Jordan finds the time and energy to feed the homeless two nights a week, drive the elderly to doctor’s appointments, prepares holiday baskets for the less fortunate, and, along with fellow VFW members, speak about his service to school children.
The volunteers spent four hours to transform Jordan’s formerly dilapidated house with a new coat of peach paint. They also built a garden filled with flowers and installed a bookshelf for him to display his military awards.
“It feels good,” said Jordan. “It feels very good.”
Photo: Amos Jordan
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