Published: September 08, 2008
Rebuilding Together and Countrywide Provide Home Improvements for Injured Soldier
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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