Military Families Receive Holiday Gifts From VA Lender

SALT LAKE CITY, UT, December 23, 2012

The American Legion and Community Veterans Family Gift Shop is a free holiday store for veterans in need and is administered through the Salt Lake City, Utah, Department of Veterans Affairs office. iFreedom Direct's staff donated gifts valued at over $5,000 to veterans and military families who might have otherwise gone without this holiday season.

Employees took up a collection and purchased bikes, clothes, MP3 players, coats and other items on the wish list. According to the program's director, Belinda Karabatsos, the iFreedom Direct employees made the largest contribution by any organization or individual this year. Additionally, many of the lender's staff volunteered their time to help distribute the gifts.

The gift shop is a three-day event in which needy veterans and their families are invited to do some holiday shopping at no cost. Each child can pick out an outfit and a toy and each adult can select one item for themselves. Some of the large-ticket items are given away in a prize drawing. Lucky veterans receive the items gift-wrapped and delivered free of charge.

Ms. Karabatsos said, "We've worked with iFreedom Direct on this project for two years now. The company has come through with most of the clothes and big-ticket items for us each year." Karabatsos goes on to say, "It is blessing in disguise because so many more veterans are in need these days, and this is stuff that they could never afford on their own. It's heartwarming to see this kind of generosity."

The primary clientele of iFreedom Direct is veterans, active duty military personnel and surviving spouses. The company originates and funds VA purchase and refinance loans for borrowers eligible for VA home loan benefits. Each holiday season, iFreedom Direct employees take it upon themselves to select a charitable project in order to give back to the veterans who have fought and sacrificed for our country's freedom. This season's gift shop program was chosen in line with the company's overall vet-centric mission.

In years past, iFreedom Direct employees have given generously to purchase "phone-home" calling cards for soldiers fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, and to sponsor a fundraising dinner for the new Navajo Code Talkers Museum in New Mexico. Additionally, the company sends large care packages regularly to troops serving overseas through its Operation Troop Care program.

The gift shop program was selected two years in a row, and it's likely to be chosen again in the future. The American Legion Auxiliary has sponsored the Veterans Family Gift Shop for 60 years, and the program continues to help needy veterans get through the holidays with much needed gifts for their families.

iFreedom Direct is a top-ranked VA lender providing the country's eligible borrowers with federally-backed mortgages through the VA Home Loan Guaranty Program. The company funds VA-backed purchase and refinance mortgages in nearly every U.S. state. To learn more about iFreedom Direct and the VA loan program visit www.directvaloans.com.