Mortgage-free home gifted to Army veteran, family in move to Michigan
They threw a parade in St. Clair Shores on Tuesday as hundreds of cheering school kids held signs and waved flags, a high school band played and fire trucks, police cars, neighbors and veterans from across the region lined the street to welcome stunned Army veteran Isaac Bashi and his family as they were driven to see their mortgage-free home for the first time, refurbished and gifted to them by PNC Bank and Military Warriors Support Foundation.
Bashi, who had resided in Phoenix with his fiancee, Jassyel Tungol, and their two young children, Aria, 7, and Avalee, 2, was selected by the Military Warriors Support Foundation for the home.
Bashi had never lived in Michigan but has lots of relatives in metro Detroit. After being selected and given a choice of where he and his family wanted to start their new life, it became an immediate “Pure Michigan” decision — one leaders here are applauding and hoping others make, too.
"It’s a blessing from God," said Bashi of the home and moving to the state. “I love Michigan and I liked the idea of having four seasons,” he added as we talked inside the living room of his new ranch-style home in St. Clair Shores. His fiancée and their children were nearby admiring the holiday decorations and gifts under the Christmas tree that PNC and other partners in the project provided.
The Norman Rockwell-like scene was a millions miles away from Afghanistan, where Bashi served a tour and almost lost his life in 2010. He received the Purple Heart in 2010 and other medals for his service and is lucky to be alive.
“A roadside bomb sent me home,” he said. “I don’t remember much. But I remember waking up, upside down in my truck, and then being on a Blackhawk headed to the hospital.”
He spent a week in Walter Reed Hospital before being transferred to Ft. Campbell in Kentucky, where he received treatment for 1½ years. After, he opened an IT company in Arizona and tried to make a go of it. He heard about the home gifting program and decided to apply.
How it works
PNC Bank teamed up in June with Military Warriors Support Foundation, which oversees the vetting process of veterans through its Homes4WoundedHeroes program, and, once chosen, worked together to bring Bashi’s wish to life.
PNC worked closely with Military Warriors Support Foundation to find a home out of the bank's REO inventory (Real Estate Owned is a lender-owned property not sold at a foreclosure auction). The foundation reviews the homes and quality and schools when determining which homes to accept into the program. The foundation also carefully screens the veterans as thousands apply each year. It has been involved in gifting hundreds of homes across the country.
“Our military members and veterans are to be commended for the danger they willingly face in service to our country and PNC is proud to honor them for their sacrifice by helping them achieve this significant financial goal,” said Michael Bickers, regional president of PNC Bank of Southeast Michigan and Detroit.
This is the eighth time PNC has donated a home to a veteran, this one tied to Veterans Day, and the first time it has had a Michigan connection.
“One of the most meaningful ways to honor our veterans and families is to gift them a home they can be proud of," Bickers added.
Bickers and his team refurbished the St. Clair Shores home and spent months working with others to get it ready for the family’s arrival. Among other things, the team put in new heating, cooling, electrical, kitchen, appliances, flooring, bathroom, landscape and a garage door.
David Dougherty, retired U.S. Army Command sergeant and vice president of the Military Warriors Support Foundation, worked with PNC. The organization is a nonprofit founded by retired Lt. Gen. Leroy Sisco in San Antonio, Texas, in 2007.
“Our goal (is) to provide programs that facilitate a smooth and successful transition,” Dougherty said. “Our programs focus on housing and homeownership, employment, as well as recreational activities and travel assistance. Our mission is to provide support for our nation’s wounded heroes and Gold Star families as they transition out of the military and into their new civilian life.”
A future in Michigan
As the family settles in to their new home, Bashi is opening a new IT company in metro Detroit called Warrior IT Consulting.
The arrival of the young family and new tech startup is music to Hillary Doe’s ears.
She’s the chief growth officer for the state of Michigan appointed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in June. Doe’s working alongside the newly formed Growing Michigan Together Council, made up of business and political leaders and others from across the state, to help grow Michigan’s population, boost economic growth and make Michigan a place everyone wants to call home.
“Young families choosing to grow roots in Michigan makes our state a more valuable place to live for everyone,” Doe said. “With our vast natural beauty, talented workforce and welcoming communities, Michigan is ready for more people to take notice. Our mission to make Michigan an even better place to call home is just getting started. I look forward to building on the state’s existing foundation to create an even better, bigger and brighter future for Michiganders.”
John Rakolta Jr., co-chair of the Growing Michigan Together Council, said when it was unveiled in June, “We’re focused on attracting young talent and building a statewide framework — through education and infrastructure — that will expand opportunity for every resident.”
Growing the state’s population is job one for Doe and others, which is why they are as almost as excited about the family’s arrival in Michigan as Bashi’s relatives across metro Detroit.
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Contact Carol Cain: 248-355-7126 or clcain@cbs.com. She is senior producer/host of “Michigan Matters,” which airs 5:30 a.m. Sunday on CBS Detroit and noon Sunday on Detroit 50 WKBD. It can be found on those stations’ listings on FUBO, Pluto TV, Youtube.com and other places. It is also streamed 8 p.m. weeknights on CBSdetroit.com and the CBSdetroit app. See former Congressman Peter Meijer, Denise Ilitch and Randy Richardville on this Sunday’s show.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Mortgage-free home in Michigan is dream come true for Army veteran
