Editor’s Note: MBA Opens Doors Foundation Surpasses 10,000 Families Milestone
The MBA Opens Doors Foundation (Opens Doors) announced that it has helped more than 10,000 families with mortgage and rental assistance since the launch of the Foundation’s Home Grant Program in 2012. Opens Doors provides mortgage and rental assistance to families with critically ill or injured children, allowing parents and guardians to be by a child’s side during treatment without fear of jeopardizing their home.
“To have helped secure the homes of more than 10,000 families with critically ill or injured children facing long, arduous, and expensive roads to recovery is an extraordinary feat – one hard to imagine not long ago,” said Debra W. Still, President & CEO of Pulte Financial Services. “I’ve been fortunate to be the Chairman of the Board since 2013 and am proud to have helped to grow this amazing organization and grateful for the overwhelming support we’ve received from individuals and organizations in the real estate finance industry.”
Founded in 2011, Opens Doors has helped families from all 50 states, Guam, and the District of Columbia, and has granted over $17 million in housing assistance. Since first partnering with Children’s National Medical System in Washington, D.C., in 2012, Opens Doors has expanded its hospital network to 13 children’s hospitals in eight states across the country. The Foundation works with social workers at each of its network hospitals to identify families with critically ill or injured children who are most in need of housing assistance.
“To know that you’ve made a difference for one family is an incredible feeling. Knowing you’ve made a difference for 10,000 families takes that feeling to a whole new level,” said Opens Doors President Deborah Dubois. “I’m so very grateful for the year over year support from hundreds of people and organizations in the real estate finance industry. And I’m grateful to the MBA, whose support makes it possible for 100% of every dollar raised to go these 10,000 plus families. We’ve accomplished a lot, but there’s so much more to do.”
The MBA Opens Doors Foundation, through its Home Grant Program, provides relief to families with critically ill children with housing assistance grants of up to $2,500 a month. In a short period of time, the Home Grant Program has become a critical part of a family’s support structure, especially when a parent or guardian must take unpaid leave to be with a child.
Tony Garritano is the founder at PROGRESS in Lending Association. As a speaker Tony has worked hard to inform executives about how technology should be a tool used to further business objectives. For over 20 years he has worked as a journalist, researcher and speaker in the mortgage technology space. Starting PROGRESS in Lending Association was the next step for someone like Tony, who has dedicated his entire career to providing mortgage executives with the information that they need to make informed technology decisions to help their businesses succeed.
