Flowood, Miss.—The National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA) attended the RISE home dedication of Jared and Jessica Bullock and their son Aidan, in Carbondale, Ill., June 29. NTCA partnered with Crossville and MAPEI to provide the porcelain tile and setting materials for this home which was installed by California Flooring.
The concept, developed by the Gary Sinise Foundation, was to build a custom, specially adapted smart home, assisting Jared in “Restoring Independence and Supporting Empowerment” (RISE), as he transitions back into civilian life.
“It was my honor to donate my time and money to help Jared transition to an active lifestyle with his family,” said Kevin Insalato, Ceramic Tile Education Foundation regional evaluator coordinator and U.S. Army veteran. “The most impressive feature of Jared’s recovery is his ability to view his injury as just another obstacle he will overcome.”
U.S. Army SFC Jared Bullock served two tours in Iraq and trained for Special Forces and received his Green Beret on Oct. 13, 2013. Jared was deployed to Afghanistan and one month later his ATV ran over an improvised explosive device (IED). The blast took the life of his best friend and though he survived, Jared lost his right arm above the elbow and his right leg above the knee.
“The opportunity to work on Jared’s home was an easy decision for me,” Insalato said. “I’m an active board member of NTCA. I worked very closely with both Crossville and MAPEI and they requested I represent them at the home dedication. My company, California Flooring, is located only five miles north of the home in Chicago. My employees are all Certified Tile Installers and they all took turns installing the different areas we tiled. This was a labor of love we will all remember for a very long time.”