Determined high school student raised $12,000 for homeless veterans and opened a home that will save lives

From The Blaze.com (July 15):

A Colorado-based nonprofit was able to open its first group home for homeless veterans on Sunday, thanks to the efforts of a high school student from the other side of the country who raised tens of thousands of dollars for the cause by running a marathon.

Michael Ferrara doesn't back down from a challenge.

So last year when the 17-year-old high school student from New Jersey found out about a 22 push-ups for 22 days challenge on social media to raise awareness for veteran suicides, he was in. The challenge was issued by Houses for Warriors, a Colorado-based nonprofit that seeks to improve the quality of life for homeless and injured veterans through housing and housing resources.

As Ferrara and his father Raymond, 50, learned more about Houses for Warriors and its cause, doing push-ups on social media didn't seem like doing enough. The Ferrara family has a strong military background. Both of Ferrara's grandfathers served, one in the Navy and the other in the Army, and his uncle Anthony Ferrara is a Marine veteran.

Ferrara aspires to follow in his family's tradition by studying mechanical engineering at the U.S. Air Force Academy, or another military school. He cares deeply about veterans issues and serves as the president of Hunterdon Central Regional High School's Student Soldier Support Club, volunteering his time to run supply drives to support troops overseas, and also to visit with homeless veterans.

"Our veterans and active military are real live heroes, each and everyone of them. After realizing that the people who fought for our country are living on the streets, I looked for even more ways to help," Ferrara told TheBlaze.

"I thought it was absolutely terrible that there are people that served our country and our home on the streets, unable to enjoy the freedoms that they fought for." [read more]

Good for him!