What an exciting time. Last week, we celebrated the 500th family to find that special place to call home thanks to our Homes on the Homefront program and our partners Chase, Wells Fargo, Bank of America and Meritage Homes.
Moving around is part of military life. Blooming where you are planted becomes a way of life. But when service to country is coming to a close, many families begin to dream of planting roots and creating their forever home.
Last Friday, the dream came true for Andrew and his family after years of uncertainty.
Andrew, a Navy veteran, deployed to Afghanistan in 2011 and served one year in combat. In 2014, he was honorably discharged and suffers from post-traumatic stress. Since their transition into civilian life, the family has moved three times. It has been unpleasant and unstable for Andrew and his family. Thanks to Operation Homefront and Chase, Andrew, who was raised in Atlanta, received a mortgage-free home in Bethlehem, Georgia.
Andrew and his family have come home.
Each family we have been honored to meet and support through our Homes on the Homefront program is unique. They were born and raised in large cities and small towns. Many have served in combat and still carry the seen and unseen wounds of war. What they share in common is the call to serve and then find their place when that service is over.
At Friday’s ceremony, Chief Operating Officer Robert Thomas spoke of the driving force behind the Homes on the Homefront program. “At Operation Homefront, we believe that owning a home is part of the American dream,” said Thomas. “After helping to secure the freedoms all Americans enjoy, we want to help our service members and their families realize their own American dreams.”
“We want to thank Operation Homefront and Chase for this opportunity,” said Andrew. “I wanted to do this for my wife because she moved around the country and dealt with my military enlistment. I thank them for making this possible, providing a stable home, and that we don’t have to worry about making the next rent payment – now we have a roof over our head.”
Those of us who work in the military and veteran community are acutely aware that stability and strong social support when transitioning out of the military can make a difference and help avoid the roadblocks and challenges that contribute to the still concerning number of homeless veterans. Today, more than 500 families are making memories and providing stable and secure futures for themselves in every state in America.
Along with our emergency assistance programs that offer assistance with rent and mortgages and our transitional housing at Operation Homefront Villages, the Homes on the Homefront program is having a life-changing impact for these families at a critical time.
And that is a reason to celebrate.
View more pictures from the event.
Part of the American dream always has been owning a home. After helping to secure the freedoms all Americans enjoy, we want to help our warriors and their families realize their own American dreams. Through a partnership with Chase, Bank of American and Wells Fargo, Operation Homefront’s Homes on the Homefront program awards mortgage-free homes to veteran and military families.
