Wounded Army Veteran and Family Honored with Mortgage-free Home
Washougal, WA (PRWEB) September 03, 2015 -- U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Corey Collins and his family will soon enjoy their new mortgage-free home in Washougal, Washington. U.S. Bank, Freedom Alliance’s Heroes to Homeowners Program and Five Brothers will present the keys for the newly-renovated home to SSG Collins on Monday, Sept. 14 at 10 a.m. Located at 3698 U St. in the Summer Slope West neighborhood, this is the sixth home donated to an injured veteran through the partnership between U.S. Bank, Freedom Alliance and Five Brothers to date.
From his earliest childhood memories in Michigan, Collins wanted to join the military. The opportunity arose in 2008 and he joined the Army Reserves. Following basic training and Advanced Infantry Training, Collins joined the Army and entered active duty in 2009. In 2011, he deployed to Afghanistan where he encountered numerous explosions and firefights resulting in traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress. For his heroic actions, Collins was awarded two Purple Hearts, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal and the Army Commendation Medal as well as numerous other decorations. He was medically discharged from the Army in August 2015.
Collins, his wife Katie and their five-year-old son are excited about receiving the home and look forward to the transition. An outdoorsman at heart with a passion for fishing and hunting, he looks forward to living in Washougal which he considers “an outdoor mecca.” Like many injured veterans, Collins finds the peace and tranquility of the outdoors helpful to his rehabilitation and plans to help other wounded service members by introducing them to the healing power of nature.
This home donation derived from a partnership between U.S. Bank, Freedom Alliance and Five Brothers, a real estate management company responsible for the renovation of the home. Several U.S. Bank officials as well as representatives from Freedom Alliance and Five Brothers will be present to welcome the Collins family to their new home, including:
-Stacey Dodson, President, U.S. Bank in Portland and Southwest Washington;
-J.P. Perfili, Senior Vice President, U.S. Bank Metro Regional Manager;
-Gail Brown, Senior Vice President, West Region Deposit Processing;
-Thomas Kilgannon, president of Freedom Alliance; and
- Joe Badalamenti, chief executive officer of Five Brothers.
“U.S. Bank is grateful to SSG Collins for his service and to his family for the sacrifices they have made for our country,” said Stacey Dodson, president of U.S. Bank in Portland and Southwest Washington. “We wish the Collins family a lifetime happiness and memory making in their beautiful new home. This is U.S. Bank’s ninth home donation through our Housing Opportunities after Military Engagement (H.O.M.E.) program.”
In addition to partnering with military service organizations such as Freedom Alliance, U.S. Bank
supports National Guard and Reserve employees through its Proud to Serve program, a company-wide initiative focused on hiring and supporting service members and their families. Between 2012 and 2014, U.S. Bank hired approximately 1,500 veterans and in 2013, received the Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award highest recognition given by the U.S. Government to employers for their outstanding support of employees serving in the Guard and Reserve.
“The Heroes to Homeowners Program exists to graciously provide our brave men and women the best home possible for them to not only live comfortably, but to have convenient access to treatment,” said Kilgannon. “We are grateful for the opportunity to help SSG Collins and his family with this much-needed step in the healing process.”
About Freedom Alliance
Celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2015, Freedom Alliance is a charitable organization which provides help and support to wounded troops and military families. Freedom Alliance has awarded more than $9 million in college scholarships to the children of military heroes killed or disabled in military service and spent millions more helping injured veterans and military families with outdoor recreational therapy trips, Heroes Vacations, care packages for deployed troops, mortgage-free homes, all-terrain wheelchairs and much more. You can learn more about Freedom Alliance at http://www.FreedomAlliance.org.
About Five Brothers
Founded in 1967, Five Brothers provides innovative, regulatory-compliant default management solutions that save time, eliminate errors and increase efficiency for commercial and residential mortgage servicers nationwide. Proven on-the-ground field services, experience-based partnering, advanced technology and knowledgeable customer and field service professionals, empower our clients to maximize asset preservation while reducing costs, streamlining operations and optimizing borrower relationships. Visit them at http://www.fivebrms.com.
About U.S. Bank
U.S. Bancorp, with $419 billion in assets as of June 30, 2015, is the parent company of U.S. Bank National Association, the fifth largest commercial bank in the United States. The Company operates 3,164 banking offices in 25 states and 5,020 ATMs and provides a comprehensive line of banking, brokerage, insurance, investment, mortgage, trust and payment services products to consumers, businesses and institutions. Visit U.S. Bancorp on the web at http://www.usbank.com.
Kendra Cummings, Vistra Communications, http://www.consultvistra.com, +1 813-961-4700, [email protected]
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