Providence, RI – May 19, 2015 – (RealEstateRama) — As part of its ongoing commitment to give back to the community, Citizens Bank is donating a renovated, mortgage-free house in Rhode Island to a combat-wounded military veteran and his family. The donation was arranged through the Military Warriors Support Foundation (MWSF).
The Warwick home – renovated by Citizens Bank colleagues and donated by the bank as part of an ongoing commitment to supporting those who served our country – was presented today to Retired U.S. Army Specialist Joshua Bacon for his military service with the 41st Engineering Company as a combat engineer. Bacon sustained multiple injuries during his deployment in Afghanistan in 2009. He was awarded a Combat Action Badge and an Army Commendation Medal with V device for valorous actions in direct contact with the enemy. His unit was awarded the Valorous Unit Award.
“We are proud to honor Joshua’s brave service by providing a home for him and his family,” said Brad Conner, Vice Chairman and Head of Consumer Banking, Citizens Bank. “At Citizens Bank our colleagues are committed to supporting the communities where we live and work, and are truly excited to have helped refurbish this home for Joshua and his family.”
“The whole family sacrifices when a soldier leaves for deployment. Upon returning home, there are multiple transitions the family goes through,” said Sandy Ignaszewski, Family & Financial Mentor for Military Warriors Support Foundation. “A mortgage-free home provides the foundation for the family to move forward, knowing they have the stability of that home forever. It is a joy to see the children racing through the home to claim their bedroom.”
In addition to the home, Citizens Bank colleagues presented Bacon and his family with $5,000 in gift cards they collected to purchase items to make the new house a home during a key ceremony at the Warwick home. The ceremony was attended by Warwick Mayor Scott Avedisian; Brad Conner; Marc Paulhus, President, Citizens Bank of Rhode Island and Barbara Cottam, Rhode Island Market Executive for Citizens Bank. After the ceremony, Bacon and his family toured their new home for the first time.
“First and foremost my family and I would like to say ‘thank you’ to Military Warrior Support Foundation and Citizens Bank, for such a generous act of kindness. Receiving a mortgage free home will create opportunities for my family not just now, but for generations to come,” said Joshua Bacon, veteran and home recipient.
The donation represents a long-term commitment the bank has made to supporting military veterans. In July, the bank will announce the non-profit recipients of its Champions in Action program, which will go to organizations focused on Veterans Services. And as part of the bank’s diversity & inclusion program, the bank recruits at military bases and other military support organizations to help hire veterans for open positions, including the upcoming RI National Guard Air Show & Open House. Veteran colleagues are encouraged to wear nametags that honor their commitment to serving in any branch of the military.
“We are extremely grateful to our veterans for the enormous sacrifices they have made on our behalf,” said Warwick Mayor Scott Avedisian. “The City has been proud to partner with various organizations that support veterans and their families. Those who serve our country go without the daily comforts of home that we enjoy, and I am grateful to Citizens and the Military Warriors Support Foundation for their continued commitment to and support of our combat-wounded veterans and their families. On behalf of the residents of our community, I am honored to welcome the Bacon family to their new home in Warwick.”
For photos and more information, visit the bank’s Facebook, follow the bank on Twitter or visit the Citizens Bank website.
About Citizens Financial Group, Inc.
Citizens Financial Group, Inc. is one of the nation’s oldest and largest financial institutions, with $136.5 billion in assets as of March 31, 2015. Headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island, Citizens offers a broad range of retail and commercial banking products and services to individuals, small businesses, middle-market companies, large corporations and institutions. In Consumer Banking, Citizens helps its retail customers “bank better” with mobile and online banking, a 24/7 customer contact center and the convenience of approximately 3,200 ATMs and approximately 1,200 Citizens Bank branches in 11 states in the New England, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest regions. Citizens also provides mortgage lending, auto lending, student lending and commercial banking services in select markets nationwide. In Commercial Banking, Citizens offers corporate, institutional and not-for-profit clients a full range of wholesale banking products and services including lending and deposits, capital markets, treasury services, foreign exchange and interest hedging, leasing and asset finance, specialty finance and trade finance. Citizens operates through its subsidiaries Citizens Bank, N.A., and Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania. Additional information about Citizens and its full line of products and services can be found at www.citizensbank.com.
About Military Warriors Support Foundation
The Military Warriors Support Foundation (MWSF) is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization whose mission is to provide support for our nation’s wounded heroes as they transition out of the military and into their new civilian life. Through their Homes4WoundedHeroes Program, they donate 100% mortgage-free homes to combat wounded heroes of all eras, and their families, who were injured in Iraq and Afghanistan. In addition to the home, the families will receive three years of family and financial mentoring. For more information, please visit their website at MilitaryWarriors.org.
