Welcome home: Local veteran receives new, ‘tiny’ house

In a display of community spirit and unwavering support for veterans, two organizations came together to provide a new home for Lafayette County resident Frankie Dunn, a 71-year-old veteran in need.

Purple Heart Homes and Seven Days for the Troops provided Dunn with a “tiny home” after learning the veteran lived in a shed on his property on County Road 114. While the house may be small — about 350 square feet — the outreach by fellow veteran volunteers and donations from community members was huge.

Dunn’s son, who is serving in the military in Germany, reached out to Tupelo-based 7 Days for the Troops’s founder Scott Burns.

“When I heard about Mr. Dunn’s situation, I knew we had to do something,” Burns said. “Normally, a project like this would take six months to a year, but we could make it happen in just a few months.”

The foundation was built a week ago and on Wednesday, surrounded by family, friends, volunteers and community members, Dunn was able to get inside his new, “tiny” home that was built to accommodate his physical limitations.

“I feel alive,” Dunn said. “I didn’t know there were things like this to help people. I thank my children and ask God to bless you all.”

A father of seven, Dunn used to own Frankie’s Restaurant in Oxford. He is one of five siblings who all served in the military.

Dunn will be able to move in once the wheelchair is complete which is expected to be done within a few days.

Purple Heart Homes was founded in 2008 in Statesville, North Carolina, and completed their first project in 2010. The organization is approaching 1,400 projects.

“Last year alone, we completed 203 projects for veterans across the country, including Puerto Rico,” said Lamar Austin, who joined the organization in 2022. “Our focus is on keeping veterans in their homes and providing a safe place for them to live, with most of our repairs centered around safety, accessibility, and security.”

When Burns contacted Purple Heart Homes and explained Dunn’s story they decided to take action. Dunn, who had been living in the makeshift storage building after his wife passed away and their home burned down, suffered a stroke that halted his efforts to convert the building into a livable space.

“When we found out about Frankie’s story, we decided to provide him with one of our tiny homes,” Austin said.

Burns expressed his gratitude to all those who took part in the project.

“It’s nothing short of a miracle from God that we even got in touch with Purple Heart Homes, and that they were able to make this happen,” he said. “And to Mr. Dunn, I want to say thank you for your service.

“Welcome home.”

Burns said veterans are often too humble to ask for help and reminded the community to check in with the veterans in their lives, whether family or neighbor.

“If you know a veteran in need, whether it’s for food, housing, or anything else, please ask for help on their behalf,” he said. “There are organizations ready and willing to help them get what they deserve.”

7 Days For The Troops is a disabled veteran-founded organization committed to supporting Veterans and Veteran Organizations by raising funds to help fill the gaps and needs of disabled Veterans.

Rhea Tannehill, an Oxford lawyer and veteran, thanked the two organizations on behalf of his wife, Oxford Mayor Robyn Tannehill, the city of Oxford and fellow veterans.

For more information on Purple Heart Homes, visit https://purplehearthomesusa.org and for more information about 7 Days for the Troops, visit https://7daysforthetroops.org .

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