Another free entree for military veterans on Veteran’s Day

Homes for Heroes found another discount for veterans on Veteran’s Day for a free lunch or dinner entree at certain locations of McCormick and Schmick’s.

Free Applebee’s entree for Veterans and Military on Veteran’s Day

Homes For Heroes would like to share this event with you: Show your proof of military service at Applebee’s this Veteran’s Day (Nov. 11) and get a free entree. Visit this site for details.

Minn. eye surgeon offers free surgeries to troops

Homes for Heroes found this great opportunity from a generous surgeon for troops in need of laser eye surgery.

From an article in the Pioneer Press:

A Minneapolis eye surgeon is offering military members free corrective laser surgery worth $5,000.

Dr. Neal Sher has already helped more than 250 military men and women improve their vision. He donates his services and the Phillips Eye Institute donates the space.

He says a lot of people pay lip service to doing something to help the troops, and he wanted to do something more substantial.

Vision is an issue because many troops aren’t allowed to wear contact lenses in the desert. They can wear glasses, but those can blow off, get dusty and fog up.

Sher’s charity has caught the attention of Gen. David Petraeus. The head of U.S. Central Command has acknowledged Sher’s work with a thank-you note.

Sher says he does the surgeries because his dad and other relatives are veterans

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Patriot Guard Riders

Homes For Heroes would like to acknowledge every Fallen Hero and Patriot Guard, but here are a few photos from a recent Patriot Guard Mission in Minnesota.

On July 16th, 2009, three soldiers from Minnesota were killed in a missle attack in Iraq. The Minnesota Patriot Guard participated in the funeral service for SPC James David Wertish, per request of his family.

During these Missions, we are not to approach the family or guests. We do not speak to them unless they approach us. It is also our policy to not take any photographs of the family, the coffin, or guests.

One of the hundreds of Patriot Guard riders who attended the mission took some inspiring photos to share, although he says the pictures are not even able to show all of the riders and motorcycles.

Vets affected by VA errors to file claims

Homes For Heroes found this intriguing bit of info at ArmyTimes. Take a look…

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — An attorney is preparing to ask the Veterans Affairs Department to pay disability benefits and damages for hospital mistakes that may have exposed veterans to infectious body fluids.

Attorney Mike Sheppard of Nashville said he is preparing to file claims with the VA for about 60 veterans.

Among them are veterans who have tested positive for HIV and hepatitis and others who suffered emotional distress after the VA gave them initial positive test results for infections that turned out to be wrong.

Sheppard also said others among the roughly 10,000 affected former patients at VA hospitals in Murfreesboro, Tenn., Miami and Augusta, Ga., are also likely to seek compensation beyond the VA’s offer of free medical care.

Get a Specially Adapted Housing Grant from the VA

Homes For Heroes would like to share this special announcement to veterans:

Veterans who experience injury and/or disability may have a difficult time accommodating their disability to their home. Veterans with limb injuries may struggle with stairs, hallways, bathrooms, and kitchens. Vets with brain injuries or vision problems may have trouble navigating their existing home.

Whether you are a disabled veterans or a disabled vet’s family member, understanding how to handle housing adaptations and veteran status is important for your quality of life. The VA offers the Specially Adapted Housing Grant program for disabled veterans. Unlike traditional VA home loans, the Specially Adapted Housing Grant (SAH Grant) program is available only to disabled vets, and typically only those with service-related injuries. Because veterans often come home to homes that formerly were easy to navigate but pose difficulty after injury, helping vets to accommodate is an important part of post-service life. Navigating a poorly-adapted home is a challenge for anyone who is disabled. This is why the VA developed this home improvement grant program-to help make vets’ homes affordable and livable. The maximum grant available is $60,000. The veteran’s home must be suitable for housing a disabled vet, and must be financially affordable, after the
grant improvements, for the veteran. The grant can be used within the United States and, in some cases, outside of the United States if the veteran does not live in the U.S.

Veterans can apply for and receive the Specially Adapted Housing grant up to three times, but can not use more than the maximum grant. If the maximum increases over time, the vet can apply for a
grant that is the difference between the former ceiling and the new grant ceiling, but cannot apply for more than three times for the grant. In addition, special loans are available to cover any home improvement costs not covered by the grant.

To qualify for the SAH grant, veterans must:
1. Fill out form 26-4555 to apply for the SAH grant program.
2. Submit this form to your nearest VA regional loan center. The grant is NOT a loan, but the same agency within the VA handles these SAH grants.

You may be asked to provide proof of service as part of the application; be prepared with this paperwork.

Examples of home improvement projects covered under the Specially Adapted Housing grant program include adding ramps to a home, lowering counter tops, widening doorways and hallways, and making adjustments so that veterans can be more independent and mobile in their own home.

To view pictures of projects completed under the Specially Adapted Housing grant program, watch the video detailing the program, or to learn more, visit this site.

Florida fonecall fuses fast financing flury!

Homes for Heroes is always pursuing ways to save our Heroes money. I have a good example of that below. Read on and save some money.

Today sitting in the Homes for Heroes office, as I often do, I was looking out the window, as I often do, wondering, as I often do, what could I do to get out of the office and into the blustery outdoors. My boss usually wants me to work but a Ninja must spend time with nature to keep his skills finely tuned. The drone of keyboards clacking and people talking on the phone can keep a Ninjas mind from remaining focused on the task at hand. That task at hand was figuring a way out for some simple Ninja exercises.

Ninjas do their best work outdoors.

I had tried everything from Ninja hypnosis to ancient Ninja mind control powders. Nothing was working, each attempt to get my boss to drink a fresh cup of coffee or a bottle of water was met with a “I have my own, thank you.” I resigned myself to indoor exercises. I started to focus on various people in the office, listening to what they say, blocking out all other intrusions. This was working until one young lady put down the phone and started to frantically hack away at her keyboard. This intrigued me and I wandered over to see what was up.

Before I even reached her desk, Kacy was telling me that Florida has some great first time buyer programs. Now this was weird. Normally I move through the office so quietly now one knows I have moved until I am at their desk. But it was soon forgotten as to how Kacy knew I was there, she was pulling up some very good information on some of Florida’s housing assistance programs.

Florida Housing’s First Time Homebuyer Program provides a continuous stream of lending throughout the year for eligible first-time homebuyers. If you’re not a first-time home buyer, you may still be eligible if you’re purchasing a home in one of 13 GO Zone counties that include Brevard, Broward, Collier, Glades, Hendry, Indian River, Lee, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Okeechobee, Palm Beach and St. Lucie.

Here are some of the program highlights. She was scanning so fast it was hard to keep up. When she is on the trail of savings, all I can say is, step back and let her get you those savings.

The program offers low-interest 30 and 40 year fixed-rate loans, down payment and closing costs assistance as well as access to credit counseling.

Teachers, firefighters, health-care workers, police officers, as well as active duty and veteran military personnel could be eligible for lower interest rates.

These savings from Florida as well as the Homes for Heroes savings can pile up to a whole lot of dough. Now I gave you a quick run down, Kacy will know a lot more. You can get a hold of her by calling 1-866 4-heroes orrrrrr send her a message through the Homes for Heroes website. Either way you will save some money and get some good deals on buying that home of yours.

NEWS FLASH!! First time home buyers race is on.

Attention all Homes for Heroes affiliates!

Attention all Homes for Heroes affiliates!

For you Homes for Heroes affiliates in the Twin Cities area pay attention. There is some serious coinage being thrown around by Minneapolis and St. Paul first time home buyers. A federal program called Take Credit is providing $8 million in federal tax credits. First time home buyers need to purchase a home in Minneapolis or St. Paul before December 1 in order to get an $8,000 tax deduction. According to the article only 130 first time buyers will be able to take advantage of this program. To get the details on the Take Credit program do the obligatory click here and read more.

To sweeten the pot and make it more interesting, the City of St. Paul’s Housing and Redevelopment Authority has just voted on a first time home buyers program. They are putting up $500,000 for 33 first time “Hero” home buyers that want to live in St. Paul. Veterans, Police, Firefighters etc. will be able to get up to $15,000 in a zero percent loan to use towards down pay or principal reduction. In fact, no payments are necessary until you sell the home or no longer use it as a primary residence. Even bigger news is that if the buyer lives in the home for 10 years the loan will be retired.

Spread the word, the tax credits and the 33 loans will not last long. This HRA program combined with the benefits of the Homes for Heroes program will surely make home ownership for our heroes an easier reality. This program will launch later this month, so get moving and get some heroes into homes.

This will link you to the HRA’s web site. Click on yesterdays date and the meeting notes will be there.

There are a few more details outlined in the attachment from the HRA meeting notes.

Okay, quit dilly dallying around and get your hero into these programs.