About Us
Where veterans find faith, healing, and a sense of belonging.
Our Mission
Veteran Homes of Honor strives to provide affordable, high-quality homes exclusively for Veterans who may be homeless or at risk of homelessness. Guided by faith and compassion, we offer a sustainable path to home ownership.
Our Vision
Guided by faith, Veteran Homes of Honor envisions a future where every Veteran and their family owns a safe, high-quality affordable home within a loving community committed to overcoming the housing crisis.
Why Our Military Veterans Deserve Our Help:
1. Service and Sacrifice – Veterans volunteered to serve, often putting their lives at risk, enduring separation from family, and facing physical or emotional hardship to protect the freedoms and safety of others.
2. Health Impacts – Many veterans face long-term consequences of their service, such as physical injuries, chronic pain, or invisible wounds like PTSD, depression, or traumatic brain injuries. These challenges can make everyday life difficult.
3. Reintegration – Transitioning from military to civilian life can be hard. Finding work, affordable housing, or a sense of community is not always straightforward. Support helps them successfully reintegrate.
4. Moral Obligation – As a society, benefiting from their sacrifices, there’s a collective responsibility to make sure veterans are not left behind, especially when they face homelessness, poverty, or inadequate healthcare.
5. Skills and Strengths – Veterans bring resilience, leadership, and discipline to communities. By supporting them, we’re also investing in people who continue to contribute in meaningful ways after service.
Why It Matters
Because all the efforts of building a home are fruitless unless God is the foundation and the guiding force behind it. This stresses our dependence on God rather than on human strength alone.
Psalm 127:1 Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain.
Meet Our Impactful Team
Ron Kelso
Ron Kelso is the Founder and Chairman of the Board of Veteran Homes of Honor. With more than five decades of experience in nonprofit leadership, education, and administration, Ron has built a lifelong reputation for service, collaboration, and community impact. He holds an Associate’s Degree in Business from Triton College, a Bachelor’s in Education and a Master’s in Administration from Northern Illinois University, along with over 60 hours of post-graduate study. Throughout his career, Ron has consistently served in leadership roles, where he is known for empowering others and fostering strong, mission-driven teams that results in sustainable improvements. For 20 years, Ron was actively involved with Habitat for Humanity, where his service was honored in 2015 with the Hero Award for Lifetime Achievement for the State of Illinois—an award presented to only one recipient that year. He also served as Grants Manager on the Board of the Chapel on the Green Historical Society and remains deeply engaged in church and community volunteer initiatives. Ron’s passion lies in offering a hand-up instead a handout—building bridges between community, faith, and those needing help to improve their lives.
John Bedell
John Bedell serves on the Board of Directors for Veteran Homes of Honor. As a board member, John provides leadership and guidance to support the organization’s mission of creating safe, supportive housing for those who have served our country. John holds a bachelor’s degree in Religion from Nyack College in New York and also attended the Alliance Theological Seminary for two years. He went on to serve as Director of Urban Youth Ministry at Wayside Cross Ministries in Aurora, IL, for ten years, where he helped shape programs that uplifted and empowered young people through faith and community support. In addition to his ministry service, John has been a small business owner for more than 25 years, successfully operating his own home painting business. His entrepreneurial experience reflects his work ethic, integrity, and commitment to serving people both professionally and personally. With a heart for service and a commitment to community, John brings valuable insight, stewardship, and dedication to helping veterans rebuild their lives with dignity and hope. His involvement reflects a shared belief in the power of faith, compassion, and collective action to make lasting change.
Tom McCall
Tom McCall is a U.S. Army veteran, experienced construction professional, accomplished marathoner, and a man of deep faith and purpose. He served as an infantryman and Sergeant in the U.S. Army from 1987 to 1994, where he developed the discipline, resilience, and leadership that continue to define his life and work today. Following his military service, Tom built a respected career in the construction industry—first as a laborer with Local 477 in Springfield, Illinois, and later rising to Foreman at Evans Construction. His hands-on expertise and leadership in the field made him a trusted figure in both commercial and residential construction. He also owned and operated his own business, further honing his skills in management, communication, and service. Tom’s dedication to endurance and personal growth is exemplified by his athletic achievements. In 2025, he qualified for and completed the Boston Marathon with an impressive time, and he is scheduled to run the Chicago Marathon in October 2025.As Founder and Veteran Partnership Manager of Veteran Homes of Honor, Tom brings his military experience, professional expertise, and faith to serve those who served. His role focuses on building partnerships that connect veterans to stable housing, community-based resources, and faith-driven support. Tom McCall’s life is a testament to perseverance, purpose, and the power of service. His vision and leadership are vital to the mission of restoring dignity and hope to America’s veterans
Founder, Church and Faith Manager, and Board Member
Founder and Chairman of the Board
Founder, Veteran Partnership Manager, and Board Member
Marc Mercado serves as a Board Member of Veteran Homes of Honor, where he plays a critical leadership role in launching the organization and guiding its mission to provide safe, stable, and affordable housing for veterans. He brings a wealth of expertise in nonprofit leadership, housing development, and systems innovation, ensuring that Veteran Homes of Honor is built on a foundation of sustainability and long-term impact. Marc is also the Co-Founder and President of TeachTeam NFP, a nonprofit dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty through housing, education, and workforce development. With a background in law and a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification, he has guided TeachTeam to secure millions in state and federal funding across Illinois and Florida. Under his leadership, the organization has provided housing, supported employment, food assistance, and wraparound services to hundreds of formerly homeless individuals and families. He has also served in senior leadership roles as Interim Executive Director of YWCA Quincy and as Solution Architect for Fox Valley Habitat for Humanity, overseeing multimillion-dollar housing developments and large-scale initiatives that combine technology with human-centered impact. Marc's work reflects his lifelong commitment to creating pathways of opportunity-helping individuals and families move from crisis to stability, and from stability to lasting success.
Marc Mercado
Director of Development and Board Member
Recent Progress
Our board recently met Congressman Bill Foster to discuss building basic housing for homeless veterans and those at risk of homelessness in Aurora, Illinois. He strongly supports finding a solution and is giving assistance to help.
Contact Us
Reach out to us for support, inquiries, or to learn more about our mission to honor veterans through faith and community.
Connect
+1-630-608-9149
Support
Info@VeteranHomesofHonor.org
Support
Find a way to help us help veterans. You may not be able to change the world, but you can help us change someone's world.
Contact information:
Info@VeteranHomesofHonor.org
+1-630-557-9080
© 2025. All rights reserved.