Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation has presented U.S. Army Staff Sgt. and Purple Heart recipient Edward Cummings and his wife April with the keys to a “mortgage-free” home during Veterans Day weekend in Leesville, La. Cummings, a New Hampshire native stationed at nearby Fort Polk, is the fifth veteran to receive a mortgage-free home through Fairway’s donations. He was honored as part of Operation Grateful Nation, a special celebration held in honor of American veterans and attended by several local military leaders, including Fort Polk Brigadier General K.K. Chinn.
The gift of a mortgage-free home was made possible through the donations of Fairway employees along with the Boot Campaign and the Military Warriors Support Foundation’s Homes 4 Wounded Heroes program, two non-profit organizations supporting returning American military troops. Fairway Independent Mortgage employees have pledged several hundred thousand dollars in donations over a 12-month period, in association with these programs, to help provide mortgage-free homes to military heroes who have been wounded while serving their country. Over the past several months, other heroes have been honored in Austin, Texas; Hollywood, California; Tucson, Arizona and Washington, D.C. After acquiring distressed properties from financial institutions, the Military Warriors Support Foundation uses funds provided by Fairway to provide accommodations and modifications for the specific heroes.
Cummings had made it his goal to join the military following the 9/11 attacks and was injured while serving as a scout platoon squad leader in Afghanistan. After undergoing six months of physical therapy, Cummings volunteered to return to Afghanistan and completed his deployment.
“Our military personnel do a tremendous job serving our country and protecting American values, so it’s a huge honor for us to show our support of these brave and selfless individuals,” said Steve Jacobson, CEO of Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation. We are very proud of Staff Sgt. Cummings for his dedication to service and we’re thankful to the Boot Campaign and the Military Warriors Support Foundation for making this gift happen.”
In addition to Cummings’ new three-bedroom home donated by Chase Bank and located in Edward Cummings’ hometown of Manchester, New Hampshire, the Cummings will receive three years of family and financial mentoring.
