A check for $16,000 was recently presented by Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Biros Real Estate President Bill Biros to Capt. Anthony Simone, an airman who was injured while serving in Afghanistan. At the ceremony, Capt. Simone and his family received the check as well as the keys to a specially adapted home provided through the Homes For Our Troops (HFOT) organization.
Biros Real Estate and its agents conducted a fund raising effort last year, donating $100 from each closed sale written between Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day, 2015.
“We are delighted to have this opportunity to give back something to those who have given so much to protect our freedoms,” Biros said. “We help families find their homes every day, but knowing that our efforts have helped a military hero receive a mortgage-free home that has been adapted to his needs is very gratifying. This will help him and his family focus on his recovery, embark on a new career and return to their lives.”
On June 9, 2010, Capt Simone was on his third deployment when he sustained a traumatic brain injury in a helicopter crash near Sangin Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Capt Simone was the co-pilot of a Combat Search and Rescue Helicopter when he was shot down while attempting to land to rescue an injured service member.
Capt. Simone’s new home features more than 40 major special adaptations such as widened doorways for wheelchair access and a roll-in shower, and kitchen amenities that include pull-down shelving and lowered countertops. These adaptations alleviate mobility and safety issues associated with a traditional home, such as navigating a wheelchair through narrow hallways or over thresholds, riding on carpets and reaching for cabinets that are too high.
HFOT is a national nonprofit organization that builds mortgage-free, specially adapted homes nationwide for severely injured Veterans Post-9/11, to enable them to rebuild their lives. The Veterans have sustained injuries including multiple amputations, partial or full paralysis, and/or severe traumatic brain injury. For five consecutive years, HFOT has received a 4-star rating for sound fiscal management and commitment to accountability and transparency by Charity Navigator, America’s premier charity evaluator.
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Biros Real Estate, 3580 W. 95th St, Evergreen Park, is again earmarking $100 from each closed transaction written between Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day in 2016 for HFOT. It is an independently owned, full-service real estate agency serving the southwest Chicago communities of Beverly/Morgan Park and Mt. Greenwood, as well as Evergreen Park, Oak Lawn and surrounding southwest suburbs since 1982. Visit www.birosrealestate.com, email at info@birosrealestate.com or call us at 708-422-0011.
