U.S. Marine Veteran and Family Celebrate New Mortgage-Free Home by Lennar with Surprise Groundbreaking Ceremony
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Operation FINALLY HOME and the Northeast Florida division of Lennar surprised U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant Bradley Thomas and his family with the news they are receiving a new mortgage-free home at a special groundbreaking ceremony Monday (Sept. 28). A small group welcomed Bradley and his family to their new neighborhood in the Amelia Walk community at a small, socially distanced event. A Notes of Love ceremony will take place later this fall.
“The coronavirus pandemic has certainly taught us how important home is, now more than ever,” said Rusty Carroll, executive director at Operation FINALLY HOME. “With that in mind, we’re honored to provide Bradley Thomas and his family with the gift of this home during these unprecedented times.”
Lennar, the nation’s largest builder of quality homes for all generations, joined forces with Operation FINALLY HOME and local community sponsors to identify and select a deserving veteran in the Jacksonville area to surprise with a home. The Thomas home will be built in Amelia Walk, a GreenPointe Development community. This is the second home Lennar has donated to a U.S. service member in the Jacksonville area.
The Thomas family will become one of the hundreds of military families on the First Coast to move into homes built by Lennar, a builder that has worked hard to make homeownership more accessible for military members and veterans.
“We offer programs specifically to help service members like Sergeant Thomas and his family. That’s why so many of the homes we sold in this market have been to sailors, soldiers and veterans,” said Matt Devereaux, division president for Lennar Jacksonville. “It’s an honor for us at Lennar to give back to our military community. Providing this mortgage-free home for an incredible and deserving family is just the start. Supporting our military veterans is an important part of Lennar’s mission and always will be.”
Devereaux said Lennar strives to make buying a home an easy and simple experience for military personnel and their families. The company works closely with Department of Veteran Affairs preferred lenders to provide tailored VA loans for military homebuyers.
These programs offer benefits including up to 100 percent financing, no income restrictions, competitive interest rates, no private mortgage insurance and zero-down options for military families.
U.S. Marine Sgt. Bradley Thomas comes from a family with a strong history of serving in the military and has dedicated his life to the military community in active duty and beyond. Following his nearly eight years of service in the United States Marines Corps, Thomas continues to find meaning in military-centric nonprofits.
Thomas describes January 11, 2011 as the day his world changed forever. His vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device (IED) and he was knocked unconscious. He suffered from residual spinal cord injuries and back problems for years following the incident. He tried to overcome and fight through his injuries, but it proved to be incapacitating and Thomas was medically retired in April 2015.
Once retired, Thomas began to realize his invisible wounds. His post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) coupled with his physical injuries made it hard for him to find employment. Eventually, he was connected with a military nonprofit and offered a job that helped him find his light. He felt he once again had a mission and a purpose.
Thomas was so inspired by the work he was doing at the nonprofit that he decided to create his own nonprofit with the sole mission of helping fellow Veterans through fishing charters and guided hunts.
For his patriotism, Thomas received recognition including a Combat Action Ribbon (Afghanistan), two Marine Corps Good Conduct Medals, a Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and a National Defense Service Medal, among other accolades.
Thomas currently lives in Florida with his wife and children. They enjoy spending time together as a family through music, cooking, sports and meditation.
