Press Release

Operation Homefront and Chase Donate Home to Iraq Vet and Wife at Houston Astros Game

4/9/2012

HOUSTON – It was a home game for the Astros, facing the Colorado Rockies, but the big winner was in the stands, as Operation Homefront and Chase donated a home to a deserving veteran of the war in Iraq, Quintin Muirhead, a medically retired Army Specialist, and his wife Jennifer.

Just a few months into Muirhead’s deployment to Iraq in 2009, swine flu spread among the troops. When he grew weak and went to the medic, doctors discovered something much more serious.   A number of tests revealed he had both pneumonia and leukemia.  He fell into a coma on his way to a medical facility in Germany, where the diseases continued to weaken his body.  After two months in a coma, he awoke and the pneumonia was gone. The leukemia, however, was not and Muirhead spent the next few months undergoing chemotherapy.

After chemotherapy, the Muirheads were ready for a new life. But they faced numerous challenges that made life increasingly difficult.  Operation Homefront Village in San Antonio, which provides transitional housing for wounded heroes and their families, gave the young couple the fresh start they needed. 

The Muirheads’ new home in the Houston suburb of Katy is the first to be given to a military family under the Homes on the Homefront program recently launched by Operation Homefront and Chase.  Under the Homes on the Homefront program, Chase will donate at least 100 homes this year for Wounded Warrior, military, and veteran families.  Operation Homefront will provide ongoing transitional services to the families until such time the properties are actually deeded to the recipients.

"I can't believe they are doing this for us. This is a tremendous thing for my family," Muirhead said immediately after the surprise presentation at home plate. "Now we can save money, pay off our debts and have a lot less stress in our lives."

"And have a baby," added Jennifer Muirhead, who said the family has been waiting to get a home of their own before having children.

“We’re proud to partner with Operation Homefront in awarding homes to members of the military and their families,” said Frank Bisignano, JPMorgan Chase & Co. Chief Administrative Officer and CEO of Mortgage Banking. “Soldiers like Specialist Muirhead have made tremendous sacrifices for our nation, and as they move back into civilian life in a tough economic environment, we hope that this mortgage-free home will make that transition a little easier.”

Operation Homefront will award homes to deserving veterans and their families based on the following requirements: 1) be active duty, Guard or Reserve, or have been honorably discharged, 2) do not currently own a home, 3) be financially capable of sustaining the home throughout an initial transition period and beyond.

“This is an incredible gift from Chase to our men and women in uniform,” said Jim Knotts, President and CEO of Operation Homefront.  “Chase’s imaginative, nation-wide approach to providing quality homes to deserving service members and their families will make a huge difference in how these heroes can make that difficult transition and adjustment into productive civilian lives.”

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About Homes on the Homefront: Home on the Homefront is a program of Operation Homefront.  Operation Homefront is receiving very generous donations of homes from national lenders in 2012 to provide permanent housing to wounded warriors, surviving spouses of fallen service members and veterans. Operation Homefront anticipates continuing this program in 2013 and beyond.  For more information, go to www.homesonthehomefront.org.

About Operation Homefront:  A national nonprofit, Operation Homefront leads more than 4,500 volunteers across 23 Chapters and has met more than 590,000 needs of military families since its inception in 2002.  A four-star rated charity by watchdog Charity Navigator, nationally, 94 percent of total revenue donated to Operation Homefront goes directly to assist service members.  For more information, go to www.operationhomefront.net.

About Chase:  Chase has more than 7,500 employees and 218 branches in Houston. It is the U.S. consumer and commercial banking business of JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM), a leading global financial services firm with assets of $2.3 trillion and operations in more than 60 countries. Chase serves consumers and small businesses through 5,400 bank branches, 16,800 ATMs, mortgage offices, and online and mobile banking as well as through relationships with auto dealerships and schools and universities. Chase also has issued more than 90 million credit cards. More information about Chase is available at www.chase.com.