For media inquiries, please contact Mike Lahrman at communications@operationhomefront.org or call (210) 202-1243.
Female Veteran Receives Mortgage-Free Home at National Association of Real Estate Brokers National Convention
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – Operation Homefront, the national nonprofit whose mission is to build strong, stable, and secure military families, presented U.S. Army Specialist Rhynishka Whyte and her family with the keys to a newly renovated mortgage-free home, donated by JPMorgan Chase & Co., at the 72nd National Association of Real Estate Brokers Convention.
Rhynishka and her family were accepted into Operation Homefront’s Homes on the Homefront (HOTH) program where they will move into the home, work with financial counselors and caseworkers to build their savings, reduce debt, learn home ownership skills and develop a customized community reintegration plan, that will help provide them with long-term stability.
“I’m just so grateful to JPMorgan Chase,” said Rhynishka Whyte. “It makes me feel humble and so happy that they selected me for something like this. Never in my wildest dreams had I believed I would receive a home.”
Thanks to JPMorgan Chase and Operation Homefront, Rhynishka will enter the Homes on the Homefront program in Danbury, Connecticut, near family and a great support system. This home will allow Rhynishka to go back to school and attend college to pursue her bachelor’s in sociology. Her goal is to get a master’s in social work so she can work with other veterans.
“At Chase, we want to recognize and support the men, women, and families who have sacrificed so much to protect our country,” said Peter Jianette, northeast divisional director for Chase Home Lending. “We are committed to helping service members and their families as they transition to civilian life.”
“We are very proud and honored to present Army Specialist Rhynishka White with a mortgage-free home and who will enter the Homes on the Homefront program in Danbury, Connecticut,” said Bruce Alexander, vice president of communications of Operation Homefront. “We thank JPMorgan Chase for their continued commitment these past eight years to Operation Homefront and for their support of this very special family.”
Upon successful completion of the HOTH program, Rhynishka will graduate and receive the deed to their home. Since 2012, over 550 families have graduated from the program and have been deeded a new mortgage-free home. Operation Homefront has provided over $80 million dollars in associated home equity to military families since inception. The homes are donated by generous partners, including JPMorgan Chase & Co. and other major financial services companies and home builders.
For more information, or to apply online visit OperationHomefront.org.
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About Operation Homefront: Founded in 2002, Operation Homefront is a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to build strong, stable, and secure military families so that they can thrive – not simply struggle to get by – in the communities they have worked so hard to protect. Recognized for superior performance by leading independent charity oversight groups, 92 percent of Operation Homefront expenditures go directly to programs that support tens of thousands of military families each year. Operation Homefront provides critical financial assistance, transitional and permanent housing and family support services to prevent short-term needs from turning into chronic, long-term struggles. Thanks to the generosity of our donors and the support from thousands of volunteers, Operation Homefront proudly serves America’s military families. For more information, visit OperationHomefront.org.
JPMorgan Chase’s commitment to service members and veterans: JPMorgan Chase, a leading global financial services firm with assets of $2.7 trillion and operations worldwide, has supported our veterans since before World War I. Since establishing the Office of Military and Veterans Affairs in 2011, the firm has hired more than 14,000 veterans; facilitated more than 500,000 veteran hires through the Veteran Jobs Mission coalition; awarded more than 1,000 mortgage-free homes to military families in need; and helped nearly 30,000 participants enroll in Onward to Opportunity, a free career training program of the Institute for Veterans and Military Families, which was co-founded and is supported by JPMorgan Chase and Syracuse University. Learn more at: www.jpmorganchase.com/veterans.
About National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB): The National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB) was formed July 29, 1947, making it the oldest minority trade association in America. NAREB was established by African-American real estate professionals as an alternative for African-Americans who were excluded from the National Association of Realtors. NAREB members are called Realtists and represent all professional disciplines within the real estate industry including residential and commercial real estate agents and brokers, loan officers, mortgage brokers, title companies, appraisers, insurance agents, and developers. Headquartered in Lanham, Maryland, NAREB is governed by a board of directors and an executive committee composed of members and leaders, in the industry, from across America. Each local chapter continuously accepts new members. For more information, visit www.nareb.com