Serving Those Who SERVE Assists Severely-Injured Veterans With $1 Million
Dollar Grant From Countrywide Financial Corporation
LAKE VIEW TERRACE, Calif., Nov. 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Rebuilding
Together(R), the nation's largest volunteer home rehabilitation
organization is providing modifications and repairs at the home of James
Miner, a veteran of three military conflicts, through its Serving Those Who
SERVE(SM) program today. Countrywide Financial Corporation(R), America's #1
home loan lender, has contributed $1 million as the founding sponsor of the
nationwide program that provides free home modifications to
severely-injured soldiers and veterans returning from Operation Enduring
Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Volunteers from Countrywide, Rebuilding Together and the California
Conservation Corps are joining with Rebuilding Together's Southern
California Coordinating Council, local contractors and vendors to assist
Mr. Miner and his family.
"Serving Those Who Serve is pleased to be working with our Southern
California affiliates to assist Mr. Miner," said Gary Officer, president
and CEO of Rebuilding Together. "Veterans and soldiers like Mr. Miner have
sacrificed so much for our country, and with our generous grant from
Countrywide Financial Corporation, we will be able to make this house and
many more homes safer and more accessible for those injured during service
abroad."
Mr. Miner, a storekeeper first class in the U.S. Navy Reserves, serving
as a senior "Seabee" in a fortified supply compound at the Iraq border, was
responsible for conducting the transfer of sensitive communications
equipment returned from in and around Baghdad. Mr. Miner was severely
injured when he fell 30 feet from the top of a shipping container in June
of 2003 during a sudden and blinding sand storm. The accident resulted in
several injuries including paralysis to his left side; traumatic brain
injury; cortical blindness; permanent hearing loss in his left ear; and
memory loss.
"Countrywide is proud to be the founding sponsor of Serving Those Who
Serve as the newest facet of our 10-years of commitment to Rebuilding
Together," stated Mary Jane Seebach, Managing Director of Public Affairs
for the Calabasas-based financial services company.
"Last fall, Countrywide provided initial funding for three Serving
Those Who Serve projects. With the completion of the last of these projects
in March, Rebuilding Together demonstrated the need for this kind of
program, and Countrywide proudly committed a million dollars in long-term
funding. We anticipate this grant will allow for the completion of
modifications to at least 50 veterans' homes," Seebach said.
Mr. Miner lives with his wife, Phon, and their infant daughter,
Abigail, in a 1960's tri-level home. Due to his war related injuries Mr.
Miner's access within his home has been severely limited. Often planning
his days around when his wife could assist him in accessing the upper or
lower levels. Serving Those Who SERVE is improving accessibility in the
home by providing several modifications including the remodeling of a
bathroom; installation of stair glides, replacement of carpeting with
wheelchair friendly flooring, painting and landscaping.
"James frequently mentions how extremely fortunate and blessed we are
to have Rebuilding Together and Countrywide help us with our home and its
many deficiencies," stated Phon Miner. "Rebuilding Together has been a
driving force to help James, Abigail, and myself tremendously, for which we
will always be indebted."
Mr. Miner is one of the few veterans to have served in three armed
conflicts: Vietnam, Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom. He hasn't let
his injuries hold him back. He competed at the National Veterans Wheelchair
Games in Minneapolis in 2005; winning a gold medal in swimming and silver
in air rifle shooting.
The November 9 ceremony featured presentations from Gary Officer,
president and CEO of Rebuilding Together; Mary Jane Seebach, Managing
Director, Public Affairs Countrywide Financial Corporation; Representatives
of U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein and Congressman Brad Sherman; Dr. Paul
Gutierrez, Mr. Miner's physician at the Veterans' Affairs Long Beach
Healthcare System Spinal Cord Injury Group; and Homeowners James and Phon
Miner.
Previous Serving Those Who SERVE projects have been completed in
Clinton, MD; Birmingham, AL; Manassas Park, VA; Rosedale, MD; Miramar, FL
and Houston, TX.
For further information about the Serving Those Who SERVE program or to
make a contribution online, go to http://www.ServingThoseWhoSERVE.org.
About Countrywide Financial Corporation
Countrywide Financial Corporation (NYSE: CFC) is in its tenth year as a
national sponsor of Rebuilding Together, the company is a member of the S&P
500, Forbes Global 2000 and Fortune 500. Through its family of companies,
Countrywide provides mortgage-centric financial services. Mortgage banking
businesses include loan production and loan servicing principally through
Countrywide Home Loans, Inc., which originates, purchases, securitizes,
sells, and services prime and nonprime loans; and loan closing services
provided by the LandSafe group of companies. Diversified financial services
encompass banking, capital markets and insurance, largely through the
activities of Countrywide Bank, N.A., a bank offering depository and home
loan products; Countrywide Capital Markets, a mortgage-related investment
banker with offices in the U.S., U.K. and Japan; Balboa Life and Casualty
Group, whose companies are national providers of property, life and
casualty insurance; and Balboa Reinsurance, a captive mortgage reinsurance
company. Headquartered in Calabasas, California, Countrywide has a global
work force of 55,000 (as of Sept. 30, 2006) and more than 900 offices. For
more information about the company, visit Countrywide's website at
http://www.countrywide.com.
About Rebuilding Together
Rebuilding Together is America's largest volunteer-based organization
preserving and revitalizing houses and communities, and assuring that
low-income homeowners, particularly those who are elderly and disabled and
families with children live in warmth, safety and independence. Our goal is
to make a sustainable impact in partnership with the community. For more
information, visit http://www.rebuildingtogether.org.
About Serving Those Who SERVE
Rebuilding Together's Serving Those Who SERVE was developed to meet the
needs of injured soldiers and veterans returning from Operation Enduring
Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. We focus on providing home
modifications and repairs to help ease the transition of the veteran or
soldier back into their home after a life altering injury. The projects
focus on the rehabilitation of their homes to help make them safer, more
comfortable and to improve the quality of life for the veteran or soldier
by helping them live with greater independence and improved mobility. The
projects will not only modify the home; we believe it will help the
individual, the family, and the community to heal. Serving Those Who SERVE
focuses on helping veterans who suffer from one or any combination of four
injuries including loss of sight, loss of hearing, mobility impairments,
and traumatic brain injury.
SOURCE Rebuilding Together
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Related links:
http://www.rebuildingtogether.org
http://www.countrywide.com
CONTACT:
Becky Carter, PR and Volunteer Coordinator of
Rebuilding Together, +1-202-518-3111, On site 11/9,
+1-303-241-7038; or Rick Simon, 1st VP, Corporate Communications
of Countrywide, +1-800-796-8448, On site 11/9, +1-818-693-0520
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