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26 EXPOSURE THE NATIONAL FANTASY FOOTBALL CONVENTION—OPERATION HOMEFRONT AND KEYS FOR LIFE PRESENT MORTGAGE-FREE HOME TO VETERAN | JULY 14-16, DALLAS, TEXAS GIVING A HERO A PLACE TO CALL HOME Artificial turf, big screens, football players—not the standard surroundings for mortgage companies to make an impact. e National Fantasy Football Convention (NFFC) took place Saturday in Dallas with the majority of goers clad in Dallas Cowboys' jerseys and hats, some in giant helmets and with foam fingers. However, it wasn't the fans or even the famous Cowboys' players that everyone's attention was on. It was on Erica Corley, an Army veteran and single mother of two, who was presented with a mortgage-free home. Corley took the stage alongside Operation Homefront President and CEO John I. Pray, Jr., Brigadier Gen, USAF (Ret.) and Five Star Institute President and CEO Ed Delgado to receive the keys to her new home. Operation Homefront, a national nonprofit whose mission is to build strong, stable, and secure military families so they can thrive, partnered with the Keys for Life program, an initiative of the Five Star Institute, and JPMorgan Chase, who donated the home. When asked what this home meant to her, Corley had one word that encompassed all of her feelings: "everything." "is puts me so far ahead of the game," Corley said. "I made a lot of sacrifices—doing the traveling, being gone—so after being gone for so long, there wasn't a home to come back to." Corley explained that as a single mom, she poured everything into her children. Now, instead of starting brand new and having to sacrifice more in order to get her family where they need to be, they now have a house to come home to every day and that is extremely overwhelming. Numerous companies heard of the home donation and immediately wanted to reach out in support. Corley received over $5,000 in gift cards from ALAW, Clarocity, Nationstar Mortgage, Oversite Data Services, Truly Noble Services, ZVN Properties, and an anonymous donor. "When you think about helping a family thrive in their communities, it's about homeownership and getting that family into that community and that's why Erica was selected," said Pray. "It wasn't simply because there was a need, because there's a need from so many of our veterans, but she was absolutely the right fit to be in this home in this community and allow her to establish the roots that will allow her to take care of her family." Not only is this home something that will give Corley's family an opportunity to grow presently, Pray explained that it also allows her to pass down that equity and all the things that come along with homeownership to her children. It will make a life-changing, generational impact. "It's incumbent upon all of us as Americans to realize the amazing work that our veterans and their families have done for all of us," Pray said. "ey have protected the freedoms that we all get to enjoy daily and when they come back home to their communities, they need help. We as Americans and as a large community should band together and take care of those that have done so much for all of us." 1.