Home improvement project for Yorkville veteran their way of saying ‘Thank you for your service’

YORKVILLE – Bright Oppong is a U.S. Army veteran who is living the American dream.

Oppong has a nice house, beautiful family, good job and a sense of belonging in his community.

Orignally from the West African nation of Ghana, where he taught mathematics, Oppong came to the U.S. in search of a better life.

When he arrived in 2012 at age 28, Oppong worked in a Hinsdale hospital. The following year he took a big step and joined the Army, intent on making a career of military service.

Oppong served in the Army’s elite 10th Mountain Division, eventually rising to the rank of sergeant. He was stationed at a variety of Army posts including three years in Hawaii, where he participated in missions to help the local community.

Then, Oppong was seriously injured in a training accident that dislocated a shoulder. After two surgeries, Oppong had to face a fact that was difficult to accept. His military career was over after only six years.

Enter Operation Homefront, a nonprofit organization with a mission to help military families build stable lives.

The group found Oppong and his family a transitional home in Yorkville and helped him adjust to civilian life.

Today, Oppong has his own home and a job with the Veterans Administration, serving as a contract specialist.

Oppong, now 38, works with vendors and draws up supply and service contracts for the VA, the Department of Defense and other federal agencies.

Oppong and his wife, Patience, have three children. There is Vanessa, 12; her sister,Stephanie, 6; and their brother, Jadrien, 5. All the children attend Yorkville schools.

“We love it here. We love the schools,” Oppong said. “Yorkville is our home. People are very friendly and very responsible.”

Oppong’s military service to the nation has not been forgotten.

The Home Depot, the national home improvement retail chain, teams up with Operation Homefront to identify veterans deserving of renovations, maintenance or improvements to their properties.

Oppong became the beneficiary of The Home Depot Foundation’s Operation Surprise campaign, which kicks into gear for Veterans Day.

A team of about 40 Home Depot store managers, employees and service partners came to the Oppong residence to install a large brick patio and a fence around the backyard.

They also surprised Oppong with a snowblower, a metal fire pit and other landscaping treatments for the patio and backyard area, along with funds for a patio set.

The Home Depot team members volunteered from a district of 10 stores up and down the Fox River Valley.

“These projects are very important to us and to the community,” said Monica Martin, manager of the Yorkville Home Depot store.

“It’s really a great way to give back to our veterans,” said Lisa Larochelle, manager of the Home Depot store in Oswego.

It’s also a great team-building exercise for Home Depot employees, said district manager Heather Weingart. That includes the firms that do business on a contractual basis with Home Depot.

“The partners have the same values that we do,” Weingart said. “They understand how important these projects are to the community.”

The partners include Tuff Shed, Absolute Construction, Tri-State Water, The Countertop Factory and Peerless Fence.

Tim Canham, manager of the Home Depot’s Elgin store, said he gets particular satisfaction from the project because many of his family members have served in the Armed Forces.

“I really like doing these projects for veterans,” Canham said.