We were honored to be included in Patios for Patriots’ first backyard makeover project for Vietnam Veteran, Tim Workinger. He was the deserving recipient of a redesigned backyard living area that includes a hot tub from Dream Maker Spas.
Patios for Patriots is a nonprofit organization dedicated to building backyard spaces for our nation’s brave military veterans. The founders of the organization believe that an enjoyable outdoor patio can be an ideal gathering place for friends and family. They decided to use their skills in the decorative concrete industry as a way to give back to the men and women who have served this country.
Tim Workinger is a Vietnam Veteran who was selected as the first recipient of a backyard makeover provided by the volunteers of Patios for Patriots. Tim received a letter from Selective Service in May of 1966 and went to Vietnam shortly after. Fifty years later, it is still not easy for him to recount what he called one of the most difficult periods in his life.
“We had to witness things that just… well they caused me a great deal of trauma and flashbacks, some to this day, some that I haven’t even shared with my wife or anyone,” he said.
After hearing his story, Jason Geiser, one of the founders of Patios for Patriots, knew that Tim should be the very first recipient of a backyard makeover. Tim and his wife Becky live in a farmhouse in Ohio that did not have a useable porch. The original porch had an eight inch slope, cracks, and steps that were too high and caused tripping.
Donations poured in and volunteers came together to complete a redesigned backyard living space. Over 150 volunteers, family and friends came to the reveal of the newly remodeled backyard area. The finished project includes a large paved fire pit area with built-in seating, widened porch, freshly landscaped front yard and a new Crossover 730L hot tub from Dream Maker Spas.
Tim’s daughter, Rachel Perry, described the significance of the hot tub, saying, “People don’t realize that, for my dad, the hot tub is the thing that gets him physically through the day sometimes.”
Saluting the American Flag at the corner of his new patio, Tim describes the backyard area as a place to come for healing and peace.
“We enjoy the freedom of this country, and so often, so many people take that for granted,” Jason Geiser said. “What better way to honor a veteran than giving them something out of the ordinary?”
You can watch Tim Workinger’s Patios for Patriots story on YouTube and on the Patios for Patriots website. There, you can also learn how to get involved in the Patios for Patriots mission by Donating, Volunteering, and Nominating deserving veterans.