A patriotic event took place on the lawn of a Spring Hill home where a wounded combat veteran received the keys to a mortgage free home. A quiet neighborhood street was lined with men holding American flags held high as retired U.S. Army Sergeant and Purple Heart recipient, Robert West and family were escorted via personal driver under the presentation of flags and into the driveway of a house that would be presented to them as their new home. A crowd cheered and applauded the West family for their sacrifice for our country as they stepped out of the car and onto a staged area on the lawn.
A dedication ceremony followed where Keystone President, Jeff Bagwell, Tampa Bay Bank of America President, Bill Goede, and County Commissioner Jeff Holcomb took part in honoring West. The family accepted the official keys to their mortgage free home and were escorted through their new front doors for the first time.
The Spring Hill home had fallen victim to abandonment for quite some time prior to its rehabilitation efforts from the Keystone Hero’s Program. Members of both Bank of America as well as Keystone had staged the entire home perfectly for the big welcome home ceremony right down to a stocked refrigerator, and a family photo wall. When the West’s crossed the threshold, their expressions and tear welled eyes showed their heartfelt gratitude and excitement toward the stability a new home offers. Sarah West, holding her three month old son said, “This whole thing has been amazing, this starts a whole new chapter in our lives and for our children.” The couple was greeted by their new neighbors bearing welcoming gifts and warm hugs.
The West family is the most recent recipient of a program sponsored through a partnership between Bank of America and Keystone Challenge Fund. Bank of America has committed to help revitalize communities and give back to the men and women who have bravely served our nation and has donated over 1,900 homes nationwide in the past three years. The homes are donated from Bank of America through the non-profit organization, Keystone Challenge of Lakeland, Florida. The program has provided monetary means of assistance to alleviate challenges presented to our country’s service people while simultaneously improving the vitality of communities.
Robert West served four years in the Missouri National Guard from 2003-2007 before he enlisted in the U.S. Army. He was deployed from Fort Hood, Texas to Afghanistan in 2008 where his troop encountered an explosion from an improvised explosive device that threw West 150 feet from his combat vehicle. Sergeant West sustained a traumatic brain injury, dislocated left ankle, and injuries to his right knee which have resulted in extensive medical treatment and surgeries ever since. Following preliminary surgeries and medical care, West returned to Fort Hood and soon met his wife who also served in the army. West was medically retired from the United States Army in 2013. Robert and Sarah West along with their two young sons are looking forward to the future in their new home while West continues to heal. West is a decorated serviceman and has received twenty awards as well as a Purple Heart. “It is indescribable what is being done for us,” said Robert West. Much deserving honor given to a military family who fought and sacrificed for our country.
