A Vietnam Veteran in Manatee County has a permanent place to call home thanks to a generous donation.

In December, Dennis Moylan, 46, lost his home at the Pioneer Park Mobile Home Park in Bradenton after someone crashed their car into it.

On December 26th, Moylan, was sleeping in his bedroom, when around 1 a.m., suspects fleeing from police in a stolen Cadillac Escalade rammed into his home.
The crash moved the home from its foundation and the damage made it unlivable.

Moylan, was not hurt.

“I was sleeping in the bedroom on the opposite end of the trailer from the impact in the living room,” Moylan said. “But it wouldn’t have been unusual at all for me to have fallen asleep up there watching TV.”

Pioneer Park’s management temporarily relocated Moylan into a vacant unit and helped him get in contact with Turning Points, a non-profit homeless assistance and prevention organization serving Manatee County.

Turning Points’ Yellow Ribbon Program helps veterans in need and was able to help Moylan.

“Here’s a guy doing everything right,” said Dennis Turner, the Yellow Ribbon Program Manager at Turning Points. “He served his country, he was living a quiet mild life and he gets thrown a curve ball. So, we immediately acted on this and wanted to get this veteran back in a home.”

Turner, a veteran himself, said they were able to buy the mobile home where Moylan was staying and donate it to him.

“I just never knew people could come forward and do things like that,” said Moylan. “I’m amazed.”

The funding came from Bingo Land.

Bingo Land owners Pete and Patty Killingsworth said they support 29 different charities through its five locations, with 26 of those charities involved in veterans’ issues.

“It’s just such a gratitude to be able to help the veterans in whatever needs they may have,” said Pete. “We really have a soft spot for our veterans in America.  Anything we can do to help them is so important. In a way, it’s kind of become our goal in life.”

Last year, Bingo Land’s donations to the charities totaled more than $900,000.

In addition to the new home, Bingo Land also gave Moylan a new flat screen TV, after learning his old one was damaged in the accident.

It’s an act of kindness Moylan said he’ll never forget.

“I was overwhelmed it was just heard to believe,” said Moylan.