Editor’s Note: Freedom Mortgage Donates $1 Million To Fight Hunger Nationwide

Freedom Mortgage Corporation, a full-service non-bank mortgage company and a leader in VA and government-insured lending, announced its employees raised $281,000 for Feeding America, a non-profit network of 200 food banks nationwide. This figure was matched and rounded up to $1 million by company founder and CEO Stanley Middleman before being donated to Feeding America.  

The fundraiser was organized by Team Freedom Cares, Freedom Mortgage’s employee engagement and corporate giving program that focuses on giving back to the community. The donations were divided among more than a dozen food banks around the country through Feeding America’s COVID-19 Response Fund, which was created to meet the increased need for food security brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.  

“Freedom Mortgage is proud to support Feeding America’s COVID-19 Response Fund and help get food and funds to the communities where they’re needed most,” Middleman said. “While philanthropy has always been engrained in our company culture, I’ve been moved by the passion, energy and generosity that our employees have shown to help families in need during this extraordinary time.”  

“Now more than ever, it’s increasingly important to help provide food to our neighbors in need,” said Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, CEO of Feeding America. “We’re proud to work together with Freedom Mortgage toward fulfilling our vision of a hunger-free America.”  

For the past three years, Freedom Mortgage has partnered with Feeding America to fill the shelves of food banks. Last year alone, the company collected nine tons of food for food banks in eight different states. Freedom is also a sponsor of the Southern N.J. Summer Meals program, which provides nutritious breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks to 6,400 local children who normally depend on their school lunch program as a source for meals.  

The $1 million in donations raised for Feeding America were distributed to the following food banks:

• Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana, Inc.
• Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeastern Michigan
• Food Bank of South Jersey
• Philabundance (Philadelphia)
• Capital Area Food Bank (Washington, DC)
• Maryland Food Bank
• Island Harvest (Bethpage, NY)
• Food Bank For New York City
• Feeding South Florida
• Feeding Northeast Florida
• Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida
• North Texas Food Bank
• Los Angeles Regional Food Bank
• Feeding San Diego
• United Food Bank (Mesa, Arizona)
• St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance (Phoenix, Arizona)

Though Team Freedom Cares, company employees have donated thousands of volunteer hours over the years and have raised funds for many different military and civilian non-profits. Last year, volunteers collected more than 2,600 backpacks and school supplies for military families across the country and sent over 1,000 handwritten notes to traveling troops through USO airport lounges. Most recently, Freedom Mortgage employees collected over 3,400 toys nationally at the company’s annual toy drive. Beneficiary organizations include the Salvation Army, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Ronald McDonald House and Toys for Tots.    

“No matter the cause – whether it’s feeding hungry families, helping out the children of military families or financing the homeownership dreams of our veterans, the Freedom Mortgage family is always ready to lend a hand,” Middleman said.