Executive hails 'life-changing' impact of lender program
Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation’s non-profit, American Warrior Initiative (AWI), reached a milestone on Thursday, by funding its 400th service dog. The announcement was made in Foxboro, MA, where US army veteran Jess Zorge (pictured, right) was surprised with the news that AWI would fund her service dog and contribute $3,000 towards food and supplies.
Zorge, who served three years in the Army, expressed that the service dog would significantly improve her life and that of her family. “It will give me freedom, confidence, and will just open up so many doors for me,” she said.
The funding of Zorge’s dog was part of three events across New England, organized by Fairway and AWI. The AWI Nor’Easter included continuing education (CE) sessions for real estate professionals on how to assist military clients. The events took place in Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. Each session featured a presentation by former Navy Seal Jason Redman, who shared his experiences of recovery after being severely wounded in Iraq.
AWI director Louise Thaxton (pictured, left) announced the funding of multiple service dogs at each event, culminating in the announcement of Zorge’s service dog as the 400th funded by AWI.
“The impact these service dogs have on our veterans is absolutely life-changing,” said Thaxton. She recounted a veteran’s statement about a service dog saving his life, which motivated AWI to raise funds for more veterans to access these animals. Thaxton emphasized that Fairway covers all of AWI’s overhead, ensuring that every donation goes directly to helping veterans, active-duty service members, and first responders.
Susan Howe of Fairway, who managed the organization of the events, noted the real estate community’s desire to support veterans and the impact of seeing the service dogs in action. “These events teach the agents best practices for effectively reaching and serving our military and first responder communities,” Howe said. “But on top of that, once the real estate community sees the impact AWI has with the service dogs, it’s amazing how many people contribute with financial donations.”
The American Warrior Initiative aims to bridge the gap between military and civilian life. It educates civilians about the challenges faced by military clients and informs Veterans, active-duty military personnel, and first responders that civilians care. AWI also trains real estate professionals to better serve military and first responder clients.
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