Volunteers Make Home Makeover Happen for Injured Cranberry Veteran

Just call it Extreme Home Makeover—NFL style.

When Josh Caskey and his family return to Cranberry Friday after five days of pampering at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in Fayette County it will be to a new—make that a practically new—house.

On Monday, volunteers from local construction companies, friends and neighbors began work on a complete remodel of the former Marine staff sergeant’s home on Briarwood Lane. Also stopping by Monday was Steelers great Rocky Bleier, who was wounded in the Vietnam War.

“This is a great program for a family who can definitely use some help,” said Jim Eichenlaub, executive director of the  Builders Association of Metropolitan Pittsburgh. 

The organization partnered on the construction project with Touchdown for Homes, a charitable outreach program of the National Association of Home Builders and the National Football League Players Association. The nonprofit, which works with former NFL players—including Bleier—builds or renovates home for veterans and for families in need.

In June, the Caskey family was selected for the home makeover.

A Purple Heart recipient, and a 31-year-old father of four, Caskey was injured five years ago while serving in Iraq when an improvised Explosive Device detonated not far from where he had just taken off his protective gear.

Eichenlaub said Caskey’s injuries included a broken tailbone, a traumatic brain injury and hearing loss. Medically retired from the military in March, Caskey—whose brother, —today continues the rehabilitation process while preparing for life outside the Marines.

The improvements made to the three-bedroom home—which the Caskey family moved into in February—should give the veteran a safe place to make a fresh start.

Project manager Todd Klippa of TK Construction in North Fayette said the list of home improvements include:

• Retrofitting the bathroom and downstairs powder room,
• Replacing the kitchen floor, cabinets and appliances
• Replacing and improving the grade of the front stairs leading into the home
• Improving the rear patio and adding a new playground
• Fencing a portion of the rear yard
• Replacing the exterior siding

While the Caskey family was aware that some improvements would be made to the home, they have no idea of the extent of the project.

To keep the remodel under wraps, a white limo—escorted by motorcyclist members of the —whisked the family away to Nemacolin Woodlands until later this week.

When the family returns at 2 p.m. Friday, they will be greeted by a U.S. Marine Corps Honor guard, a flag dedication ceremony—and a newly remodeled house.

Eichenlaub said the Caskeys would be given a private tour of the changes to the split-entry home. A picnic for all the volunteers will follow at

Tom Kuhn, who lives next door to the Caskey—and is one of the many neighbors volunteering on the project—said he couldn’t wait for the family to view the improvements.

“Josh is a hell of nice guy. Same with his wife,” he said. ‘They’re just amazing people.”

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