The Cornerstone Credit Union League has joined forces with Purple Heart Homes for Operation: Veteran Home Rennovation.
The announcement was made to more than 500 attendees during the league's annual meeting in Oklahoma City.
Developed to make life easier for older veterans and their caregivers, so they can safely age in the comfort of their own homes, the initiative will be part of Cornerstone's community outreach campaign entitled Credit Unions Care.
Cornerstone will work with Purple Heart Homes and participating credit unions to identify older veterans who need a ramp, grab bars, railings, a clean yard or a fresh coat of paint on the inside or outside of their homes. Credit unions will raise the funds needed to complete the projects on veterans' homes.
Credit union staff and volunteers from the community will complete the projects on veterans' homes that can be done in a day or over the course of a single weekend. No project will exceed $10,000 and the average cost will be about $5,000. All work will be done at no cost to the veteran or his or her family.
"We are honored to work with Purple Heart Homes to help our older veterans who served our country, who combined with age and disability, have never asked for help, but have given us the freedom and safety we enjoy in our country," Cornerstone EVP/CFO and member services officer Karen Hart said. "We do not want our old brave soldiers to simply fade away, we want to recognize them and thank them for their service and sacrifices."
According to Purple Heart Homes, there are nine million U.S. military veterans age 65 and older who live in the United States. A little over one million veterans, who served in WWII, Korea and Vietnam, live in Texas, Arkansas and Oklahoma. With their fixed incomes, often older veterans have not been able to keep up with maintenance on their homes. Pictured left, US Air Force (Ret) Larry Buchanan is no longer home bound thanks to a ramp installed by Purple Heart Homes.
"While this is a new campaign we are bringing to credit unions, it is not new to us," John Gallina, Purple Heart Homes executive director and co-founder said. "We started our nonprofit in 2008 to help older veterans age in place. A simple ramp or railings can make a huge difference with the mobility issues older veterans face each day. We share a similar philosophy with credit unions and salute Cornerstone for collaborating with us on Operation: Veteran Home Renovation."
Purple Heart Homes Operation: Veteran Home Renovation will officially kick-off on August 8 and run through November 12. From May to August, participating credit unions will identify an older veteran or veterans and the scope of work needed and raise funds to complete projects.
One hundred percent of the money raised by credit unions will be used to complete the projects for the approved older veterans.
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