Realtor, Habitat for Humanity teaming up to give injured Marine Corporal Matthew Bowman a house

LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - A local realtor is teaming up with Habitat for Humanity to build a home for an injured Marine and his family.

Marine Corporal Matthew Bowman, 23, is recovering after he was injured by a roadside bomb while on patrol in Afghanistan nearly one year ago. He lost both legs, teeth and two fingers. His sacrifice and perseverance inspired the Lafayette community. When Cpl. Bowman returned home to Lafayette, hundreds showed up to welcome home this hero.

"I think the greatest reward is what he does already, and puts his life on the line so we can have freedom," said Jim Romanski.

When local realtor Jim Romanski with the Romanski Group at Keller Williams Realty in Lafayette heard about a local marine injured while serving in Afghanistan, he wanted to help.

"I found myself just sitting there, crying, bawling, and I thought, you know, I need to do something," said Romanski

From there, the idea to build the Bowman family a home was born.

"It was something that I had experienced before, working with Habitat for Humanity for a short period of time. I was a construction supervisor so I knew that if there was any way that this could be put together, we would need support from a group like Habitat," explained Romanski.

Romanski is teaming up with Habitat for Humanity to make this extraordinary project happen.

"We'll be the agency collecting the funds. So we're a 501(c)(3) operation so people can donate to "Joining Forces in Lafayette," and then we'll be managing the construction site," said Alan Welch, Director of Operations with Habitat for Humanity of Lafayette.

Now, the idea is growing into an even bigger project: "Joining Forces in Lafayette," as it's now being called.

Habitat wants to build two houses, one for the Bowman family and the second for another local vet, and then maybe it will become an annual project.

That's what got the Bowman family on board.

Romanski said Corporal Matthew Bowman is very humble and felt like he didn't deserve the house but when he and his wife learned the project could help other veterans, they were excited.
    
"It felt better to them to do it that way because then they felt like they were giving back and that's where their heart is," said Romanski.

Giving the Bowmans and other vets a home through "Joining Forces in Lafayette" can't happen though, without your help. The goal is to raise $225,000 to cover expenses of building both homes and to get "Joining Forces in Lafayette" off the ground for future projects.

"We need financial help, for sure. We need people to prepare meals, gifts in-kind, volunteer work (skilled volunteers, unskilled volunteers, etc.) and we still haven't located a lot yet," said Romanski.

Romanski and Welch hope those who were touched by Cpl. Bowman's story and his homecoming to Lafayette, will be inspired to help donate to make sure this worthwhile project comes to fruition.

The blueprints are ready, so once donations and support from the community comes in, groundbreaking on Corporal Bowman's home could begin as early as Memorial Day.

You can contact Habit for Humanity of Lafayette by phone at (765) 423-4590. You'll soon be able to keep up with the progress of "Joining Forces in Lafayette" through an online blog . 

NewsChannel 18 will also be following up on this story as well.