3.14.2007 - 11:59pm ET

(CSRwire) EL PASO, TX- March 14, 2007 – "I was afraid to call, afraid to hope that someone would be able to help with our home," said Catherine Lopez, wife of SGT Hector Lopez, a wounded soldier from Fort Bliss. "I am thrilled with the assistance given by USA Cares, it was the first time something went well, I knew help was on the way, permanent help that wouldn’t be taken away."

The Lopez family is not the only family in their situation. Since January 2006, USA Cares, partnered with the Homeownership Preservation Foundation, has distributed more than $500,000 and supported 124 service members homes in emergency relief grants to military families whose finances were stable and house affordable before a military deployment. When deployment causes a decrease in household income, sometimes due to injury, the program will make a payment to the military family's mortgage lender of up to $7,500 to either bring the payments up to date, or to start the homeowner on a long-term plan to bring the loan up to date.

"Our commander urged me to call USA Cares, he was certain they would be there for our family, but I didn’t believe there was any group out there for us," continued Mrs. Lopez. "It is hard to ask for help, but for the first time, after talking with USA Cares, I was able to sleep, I knew we would be okay."

CPT Kralyn Thomas, Rear Detachment Commander for 2-7 CAV, Fort Bliss, was that commander. He is very familiar with USA Cares having been stationed at Fort Knox, Kentucky. USA Cares headquarters is located in Radcliff, Kentucky, right outside the gates. CPT Thomas also coordinated an outreach trip, summer 2006, for USA Cares to brief his deploying unit.

"At Fort Knox, I lived across the street from the very Resource Coordinator assigned to Mrs. Lopez," said CPT Thomas, "And with my wife as a master trainer at Army Family Team Building, we knew Pat Stradley, then the Program Manager for A.F.T.B. now the Director of Family Services for USA Cares."

Across the nation, many military families are facing financial difficulty and a loss of income due to extended military service. El Paso, Texas, and the Lopez family marked $500,000 in homes saved. USA Cares grants are helping to relieve the stress troops are facing, allowing them to focus on their jobs by alleviating financial strains caused by service that might force a foreclosure.

In addition to the foreclosure grants, which often solves the immediate crisis for a military family, USA Cares supports with quality of life grants and advice helping a military family avoid future problems by working within the military systems already in place. The Homeownership Preservation Foundation provides free advice and counseling to pave the way to long-term financial health for military families. This counseling is specifically provided to military families who call 1- 888-995-HOPE.

About USA Cares - www.usacares.us

USA Cares serves to provide military families of all branches and services with financial support, while offering direction and advice. To date, the non-profit has stopped foreclosure on over 124 military homes and has helped over 4,900 families by providing or locating more than $2.5 million in grant support. Funding for USA Cares is provided through the generous contributions of corporations, organizations and individuals.

About Homeownership Preservation Foundation

The Homeownership Preservation Foundation is a Minneapolis-based 501(c) (3) nonprofit dedicated to reducing foreclosures and preserving homeownership for American homeowners. For more information about the Homeownership Preservation Foundation, please visit www.hpfonline.org or our foreclosure counseling website at www.995HOPE.org.

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