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Rebuilding Together and Countrywide Provide Home Improvements for Injured Soldier

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Serving Those Who Serve(SM) Assists Severely-Injured Veterans With $1.2 Million in Grants From Countrywide

Rebuilding Together®, a nonprofit organization working to preserve affordable homeownership, is providing modifications and repairs at the home of Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran Brian Pearce through its Serving Those Who Serve(SM) program today. Countrywide® has contributed more than $1.2 million as the founding sponsor of this nationwide program that provides free home modifications to severely-injured soldiers and veterans returning from Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Led by Rebuilding Together Richmond, volunteers from Countrywide and Booz Allen Hamilton are joining with local contractors and vendors to assist Brian Pearce and his family. Brian expressed his thanks for the work being completed in the house. "We want to thank Rebuilding Together, Countrywide and Booz Allen Hamilton for everything that has been done," Brian stated, "It will make such a difference in our home and our lives."

"Rebuilding Together is proud to be working with our Richmond affiliate to assist Brian," said Gary Officer, president and CEO of Rebuilding Together. "Veterans and soldiers like Brian have sacrificed so much for our country, and with this generous grant from Countrywide and contributions from Booze Allen Hamilton, we are making this house and many more homes safe and accessible for soldiers injured during service abroad."

Brian Pearce and his wife Angela live in Mechanicsville, VA with their two young children, Logan, 9, and Jordan, 10. Brian served as a gunner for his army unit, the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team. His unit was deployed to Iraq in August 2005, where he served in Mosul and Baghdad. On October 20, 2006, the unit came under attack and Brian was badly injured in an IED blast. As a result of this blast, Brian suffers from significant vision loss, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, a Traumatic Brain Injury, REM sleep disorder, a seizure disorder, and short-term memory loss.

"As the nation engages in the political debate over ongoing military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan during this election season, we must not forget the individual American heroes who are serving our nation, and particularly those, like Brian, who have come home with life-changing injuries," said Rick Simon, who will represent Countrywide at a Serving Those Who Serve project for the tenth time since the program's inception. "Through private contributions to Rebuilding Together, from Countrywide and others, Serving Those Who Serve(SM) honors our forces and lets them know the nation will not forget their sacrifice."

"Our service to the community, in this case the Pearce family, through Rebuilding Together is all about the involvement of Booz Allen's employees," said Herbert MacArthur, Booz Allen Vice President. "It's our philosophy that our contributions should be driven by the passion of our staff and directed to people in need at a very personal level. This project allows us to do that."

Rebuilding Together is proud to assist Brian by providing the following modifications to the home: the creation of a space for medical and physical therapy equipment; new lighting throughout the house; new interior flat paint in most areas of the home; modifications to kitchen cabinets; new electrical wiring; and the installation of grab bars and other bathroom hardware.

On September 13th, volunteers on-site will finish up projects around the home, and participate in a press conference at 10:00 a.m.

embers of the community and media are invited to come and view the completed work. The press conference will feature presentations from Gary Officer, Chief Executive Officer, Rebuilding Together; Herbert MacArthur, Vice President, Booz Allen Hamilton; and Homeowners, Brian and Angela Pearce.

Serving Those Who Serve(SM) projects have been completed for more than 30 families across the country. For further information about applying to the Serving Those Who Serve(SM) program or to make a contribution, go to www.servingthosewhoserve.com.

About Countrywide

Countrywide is celebrating its 11th year of helping low-income, elderly and disabled homeowners remain in place as a national sponsor of Rebuilding Together, reflecting the company's legacy of dedication to the dream of homeownership and the preservation of that dream, During this time, Countrywide donated more than $10 million to Rebuilding Together efforts including direct funding for more than 500 home and community center renovation projects. In 2007 alone, nearly 1,200 Countrywide associates, family members and business partners contributed more than 10,000 hours of volunteer service on 136 houses and nonprofit facilities. Countrywide is the founding sponsor of Serving Those Who Serve, one of two special Rebuilding Together initiatives inaugurated with the company's support in 2005. Through its Rebuilding with Countrywide commitment to the Gulf Coast region following Hurricanes Katrina, and Rita, the company also established $1.5 million in lead funding for Rebuild 1000!, Rebuilding Together's initiative to repair and renovate at least 1,000 hurricane-ravaged homes. For more information about Countrywide's corporate giving commitments, visit the About Us section at .

About Rebuilding Together

Rebuilding Together is the nation's largest nonprofit organization working to preserve affordable homeownership and revitalize neighborhoods by providing home repair and renovation services free of charge to those in need. Through the support of corporate sponsors, local businesses and the hands-on work of over 200,000 volunteers, Rebuilding Together renovates and repairs nearly 10,000 homes and nonprofit facilities annually with a market value of nearly $100 million.

In addition to its core home repair work, Rebuilding Together renovates community centers and conducts home modification and repair programs that focus on elder home safety, energy efficiency, veterans housing, and disaster recovery and reconstruction. Rebuilding Together has over 200 affiliates and recently celebrated the completion of its 100,000th project. For more information, visit www.RebuildingTogether.org.

About Serving Those Who SERVE

Rebuilding Together's Serving Those Who Serve(SM) 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.



 
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