TECO volunteers kick off a year of volunteerism by helping to build a deserving veteran’s future home.
Manuel Castillo spent one full, sunny day helping build a home for a veteran’s family.
He hauled tools, prepped backboards for cabinet installations, installed window frames and at the end of the day, helped with the cleanup.
Manuel Garcia enjoys giving back to the community via the TECO Veterans Alliance.
Manuel, a superintendent at Tampa Electric’s Polk Power Station, was joined by nine other TECO employees who are part of the TECO Veterans Alliance (TVA) employee resource group. It was a day of hard work, teamwork and collaboration. By the end of it, the volunteers made visible progress on a house that will soon provide stability and security to someone who served our country.
“Building that home wasn’t just about lumber and nails,” Manuel said. “It was about lifting someone’s future with our own hands.”
David Puzzo, leader of the TVA, wholeheartedly agrees.
“It was a lot of work, but we made progress on a house for a deserving person,” he said.
Michael Lingefelt and Manuel Garcia begin their day of volunteering.
The volunteer work was done for Habitat for Humanity’s veterans initiative, which supports local veterans through homeownership, home repair and volunteer programs. The initiative also connects military veterans more deeply with their community through volunteer service opportunities.
For TVA, this home building project is just the beginning of the volunteer work they’ll tackle in 2026 to uplift local veterans.
“That’s what it truly means to serve our community,” TVA leader David Puzzo said.
David Puzzo, leader of the TECO Veterans Alliance, makes sure volunteers stay hydrated.