In honor of Veterans Day on November 11, 2017 the Long Island Board of REALTORS® Inc. (LIBOR) Nassau South Shore Chapter (NSSC) President Morty Kaplan and Directors Carol Sparaco and Seibert Robinson joined Homes for Our Troops and the community of Smithtown, NY as they welcomed Lance Corporal Matias Ferreira and family to their future neighborhood.

Matias Ferreira was born in Uruguay, and immigrated to the U.S. (Atlanta) with his family when he was six, joining the Marines at 19.  He took his oath to become an American citizen in September 2010, days before he deployed to Afghanistan as a machine gunner with the 1st Battalion, 8th Marines. 

Just months into his first deployment in January 2011, Lance Corporal Ferreira lost both legs and broke his pelvis after stepping on an improvised explosive device (IED) in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. After undergoing several surgeries and aggressive therapies, he eventually learned to walk confidently on prosthetics, advancing to running, and other sports a short time later. He was medically retired in May 2012. Matias is now a police officer for the Suffolk County Police Department in New York. In his free time, Matias enjoys playing hockey, golf, and softball. He has also run half marathons.

Matias, his wife Tiffany, and their young daughter, Tianna currently live in a traditional home in Wantagh, NY. The stairs and narrow hallways present mobility issues for Matias on a daily basis. To honor the service and sacrifices of this Marine, Homes For Our Troops is building Matias and his family a specially adapted home in Smithtown. The home will feature over 40 major special adaptations, which will allow Matias to live barrier free and stay independent when he chooses to be in his wheelchair while going about his daily activities and routine at home. 

LIBOR’s NSSC is proud to have raised $15,000 to help support this special build.  The funds were raised at the Chapter’s Annual Fundraising event.

The Charity event is part of the many events and activities that make up LIBOR's “We’re More Than Realtors®” program.  LIBOR’s Public Relations Committee launched this campaign in 2006 to expand upon LIBOR’s long-standing commitment toward supporting the work of Long Island’s charitable organizations and political initiatives. The non-profit trade association, with more than 24,500 members, is the fourth largest local Realtor® board in the country and has provided financial and in-kind support to numerous charitable organizations during the past decade.

Homes for Our Troops (HFOT),a privately funded 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization that builds mortgage-free, specially adapted homes nationwide for severely injured Veterans Post- 9/11, to enable them to rebuild their lives. Most of these Veterans have sustained injuries including multiple limb amputations, partial or full paralysis, and/or severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). These homes restore some of the freedom and independence our Veterans sacrificed while defending our country, and enable them to focus on their family, recovery, and rebuilding their lives.