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Houston-based Texas Sentinels Foundation presents home to disabled veteran

Published 09/23/2014

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THE WOODLANDS, Texas – Staff Sargent Michael Craven has become the 15th American hero to receive a home from Houston-based Texas Sentinels Foundation Inc.

Craven was serving as a U.S. Army Staff Sergeant in Iraq in 2011 when the vehicle in which he was riding was hit by a triple-array Explosively Formed Penetrating device. Despite his severe injuries, Craven is now able to walk as a result of several major surgical procedures, but recovering from his wounds will be an ongoing and daily process.

The Texas Sentinels Foundation, in conjunction with Bank of America, stepped in on Sept. 11, 2014, to present a mortgage- and debt-free home in Pearland to Craven, giving him the ability to fully concentrate on his recovery and studies while attending college with ultimate plans to acquire a real estate license.

The nonprofit Texas Sentinels Foundation was founded in 2007 by Richard Filip, owner of RE/MAX The Woodlands & Spring, as well as other RE/MAX franchises throughout the state, and his wife, Jeanne. The couple formed the foundation to acknowledge the dedication of American soldiers whose personal sacrifices and heroic deeds are among the most vital steps necessary to ensure that freedom and security are available to all Americans.

Aimed at assisting soldiers receiving combat injuries during their military service in Iraq and Afghanistan post-Sept. 11, 2001, the foundation has no lack of applicants, receiving about one request through texassentinels.org each day, Richard Filip said. A majority of the applications come from veterans being treated and rehabilitated at the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, who hear about the program from veterans the foundation has helped or through the nonprofit’s outreach efforts.

Determining which veterans the foundation helps, Filip said, is based on several factors.

“We do a lot of due diligence, and there are obviously a lot more qualified applicants than we have the ability to meet the needs for,” he said. “But almost everybody we’ve helped are at 90 percent, if not 100 percent disabled.”

While some of the homes are new builds, Filip said, many are obtained through a relationship with Bank of America, which donates foreclosed homes to the foundation.

“We usually end up spending an average of $75,000 to $90,000 refurbishing them, and they’re like brand-new homes when we finish,” he said.

Occasionally a new-build project will catch the interest of a group, Filip said. In those cases, the group will seek out a developer to donate the land, and a builder and subcontractors who are willing to volunteer supplies and labor to the project. Local fundraisers and donations make up the rest of the cost.

In addition to providing housing, the Texas Sentinels Foundation and its volunteers serve as mentors to the new members of the community, helping them get adjusted to the area by finding resources for continued medical care, getting the children registered for school and locating nearby churches as well as grocery stores, pharmacies and other retail amenities.

“We’re an all-volunteer operation,” Filip said. “Jeanne and I feel like we’re just a ripple in the pond. We may have thrown the stone in, but the ripple effect continues through the efforts of all the individuals who have given time or money, or both, to complete the different projects. It’s been a wonderful outreach by the communities to give back to the veterans.”

For more information or to apply, volunteer, donate money or goods, or to hire a sentinel, visit the Texas Sentinels Foundation website at texassentinels.org.

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