Non-Profit HeroCare Provides Financial Assistance to 'Heroes'

July 17, 2009 - PRLog -- HEROCARE -- Around Veterans Day, we are reminded of the importance of supporting our hometown heroes who have served or are presently serving our country. We post the stars and stripes outside our homes, lay flowers at cemeteries and line the streets to watch parades.
But all year long, hometown heroes work on the front lines of our community, serving the people who live there. Public servants support the infrastructure that enriches our lives and keeps us safe. Their work educates our young and can mean the difference between life and death.
Recognizing their importance in a community is one thing, but until recently, finding ways to show support and enriching their lives was quite another.
In November 2008, Scott and Michael Forman launched the Rockland and Bergen Counties chapter of “HeroCare,” a national nonprofit service organization that provides financial assistance, advice and consultation regarding homeownership and financial security to those who work in the public sector.
HeroCare was founded in Florida in 2005 by Lane Houk, a financial services professional and veteran of the U.S. Army Medical Corps. The Forman’s were introduced to the group through an associate affiliated with the New Mexico chapter.
The Forman’s have been in mortgage banking for more than 6 years and was looking for a way to give back to the community when HeroCare came to their attention in October of 2008.  “I have originated many loans over the years for police officers, firefighters and nurses, and this seemed a good way to give back to the community,” Michael Forman said.
Retired and current public sector employees of city, state and federal governments, school systems, medical systems, EMS and the military are eligible to participate in HeroCare.
When public sector employees call HeroCare, they are assigned a “concierge” who becomes their advocate, steering them through the program, assessing their needs and matching them with an appropriate affiliate.
“It’s more than homeownership and financial,” Michael Forman said. “We can help them put a financial plan together or look for better insurance coverage.”
To ensure service quality, potential professional affiliates undergo a rigorous screening process, involving an application, interviews and four letters of recommendation.
“We can’t always help out,” Forman says, “but one thing is universal: They think it’s an incredible program.”
Public servants who want to access HeroCare services can call 201.505.8284 or visit  http://www.herocare.org.  Public sector employers or potential professional affiliates can contact us at 201.505.8284.

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Herocare: One of the country's only non-profit organizations designed specifically to benefit public servants. Our mission “is to remove barriers and open doors for those that do so much for us”, explains Michael Forman, Program Dir of Herocare