There is a certain bond that brings every couple together. For the Lillibridge family in Florida, that bond has been service to country and community. Over the past 21 years, commitment to service has brought Matt and Cinda Lillibridge together, it has brought them accolades and awards in the law enforcement community, and now their service has helped them achieve the home of their dreams.
Connected Through Service
Cinda and Matt both began their call to service immediately out of High School by joining the military. Cinda joined the Army and her husband, the Air Force at the age of 18. For Cinda, joining the Army was “…simply about serving. It’s just something that generations of my family have gone into the military, so it was something that I felt led to do. And I joined, and I don’t regret it at all. It taught me a lot about leadership and service and giving to your country and being a part of something bigger than yourself.”
As Cinda and Matt transitioned from their time in the military, both were compelled to continue their call to service by pursuing careers in law enforcement. Although complete strangers with two different routes into law enforcement, that is where this airman and soldier met and began their life together. Today Cinda and Matt are married with a family, have spent the past 21 years together and serving their community in the same police department. For the couple, service is a way of life that runs through veins. According to Cinda, “It all goes back to serving again and serving the community and helping.”
A Dream Home Made Possible
For some time, Cinda and Matt had their eye on their dream home. They had done countless drive by’s of the home and spent hours discussing the possibility of purchasing it, but assumed that it was out of their reach. Cinda recalled, “One of the reasons we waited to look at it, because there was no way we can have that home. I mean there is just no way.” But after seeing a flyer for the Homes for Heroes program in the police department, Cinda decided to take the chance and see if the Homes for Heroes program could make their dream home happen. After contacting Homes for Heroes, Cinda and Matt were immediately connected to a Homes for Heroes lender and real estate agent. Within two months, the couple had their offer accepted and owned the keys to the home of their dreams. According to Cinda, “This is really our dream home. And with this program, it made it possible…I got to get the home that I always wanted.”
Now that Cinda and Matt have their dream home, they have already started envisioning the big family get-togethers for the holidays. With their children living thousands of miles away, their new home will provide enough space for their children and grandchildren to stay with them when they travel home for the holidays. Their new neighborhood hosts a school nearby, which is extremely convenient for the foreign exchange students they host.”It checks all the boxes for me. Its an absolutely beautiful home”, said Cinda.
Service Deserves Its Rewards®
Homes for Heroes’ mission is to provide extraordinary savings to heroes such as Cinda and Matt. Our expectation is to always deliver those savings without compromising the service, and according to Cinda,
“Everything went really smoothly, through both the Realtor and the mortgage company. Matt Bouchard, the lender was in my corner. And that is not something that I am used to when it comes to dealing with banks and people that want you to owe them money. If he told me something and I didn’t understand that, he would say, ‘Okay, let me break it down for you.’ And he explained it to me in depth, and he made sure I understood every step of the way. And the Realtor, Amy Kwiatkowski too, she was just fantastic…always available to me, always there for me. I think that has to do a lot with them being in the Homes for Heroes program.”
The commitment of our Homes for Heroes real estate specialists and lenders are really what deliver the exceptional experience for our heroes. Cinda was quick to recognize this with Matt Bouchard and Amy Kwiatkowski.
”I didn’t realize at first that was where the money (Hero Rewards) was coming from what we got back was though their commissions, and that just really means a lot, that people are willing to give back to you. That’s not something that we normally get. The Homes for Heroes program made me feel like my sacrifices to my community and my country were worth it. That there was somebody there, to tell me, thank you for your service and shaking my hand”, said Cinda.
It is an honor to serve you Cinda and Matt. Your dedicated service to our country and it’s communities is appreciated. Thank you!
