ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Years of time, effort and donated materials are being paid to marine veteran Justin Cogswell, who owns the not-for-profit, Operation Build Up.

What You Need To Know

  • Justin Cogswell is the owner of Operation Build Up, a nont-for-profit that repairs donated cars to be given to veterans after they're released
  • Joe Zajonczkoski served more than 20 years in the army before he found a job at Home Power Systems
  • He wanted to find a way for the company to engage with the community, so he worked with the the managers to create a program to donate a generator to a fellow veteran
  • Cogswell's won the generator and donated it to Operation Build Up

"We do everything from bodywork, paint, engines, transmissions, brakes, you name it, whatever it needs to make sure that it passes inspection for the veteran that we surprise with it," Cogswell explained, "We put together just a few veterans that got tired of seeing our friends return home from overseas and become homeless or become a statistic, so we decided to put our efforts together and just do something to assist them in their transition."

Cogswell started the organization back in 2016. With some extra help, he’s already repaired and donated more than 300 cars to fellow veterans. However, the job comes with its challenges.

"When the lights go out, you realize real quick everything is tied to electricity," he said.

Years of giving back to the veteran community are coming full-circle. Joe Zajonczkoski is a veteran himself. He served in the army for more than two decades. Then he landed a job at Home Power Systems, where he continues finding new ways to give back to the community.

"We are in the warehouse of Home Power Systems," Zajonczkoski showed. "Right now, there’s probably close to 200, maybe 150 (generators). Right in the middle of their busy season, they found an extra that’s looking for a new home. These are not cheap. I mean, an average installation is, pretty pricey. We pride ourselves in being the best. So, to be able to take all of that and give back to a veteran that does what he does is kind of an honor."

A free generator for Operation Build Up.

"I’ve never actually won anything," Cogswell smiled. "These backup generators are great for storms, great for emergencies. If the power goes out and we have a mission going on and we’re working on something for a veteran, we’ll be able to, you know, keep going through the night. So this is going to give us a lot of benefits to our mission."

"Being on the other side of it, it’s a lot easier to give gifts than receive them. When they said that I had won something, I walked in, I’m like, so cool, you know? So then I decided to give it to Operation Build Up," he explained.