The Virginia Association of Realtors has kicked off its first year-long sponsorship of Homes for Our Troops with a $10,000 contribution toward the total $61,175 raised in support of the nonprofit that operates nationally to build mortgage-free homes for severely injured veterans of recent wars, enabling them to rebuild their lives.

Realtor members of VAR’s 2015 Leadership Academy selected Homes for Our Troops as a class project to emphasize the role of Realtors in impacting the lives of their neighbors.

The Leadership Academy members initiated a fundraising effort that included outreach to local Realtor associations, co-workers, family, friends and members of their respective communities throughout the commonwealth.

This new sponsorship and partnership with HFOT is part of VAR’s ongoing commitment to advocating for housing opportunity and community enhancement, and especially to ensuring that safe and secure homes are available to Virginia’s veterans and active duty military.

Nearly 10 percent of Virginia’s eight million residents are veterans or members of the armed services.

“Realtors are the ambassadors of their communities and on the frontlines of what is fundamental to the comfort of each and every one of our fellow Virginians,” 2015 VAR President Deborah Baisden said. “A home is more than walls and roof — it is a place to heal, to grow, to connect. We are dedicated to finding each family the right place to live, especially these heroes.”

“We are thrilled to welcome the partnership of the Virginia Association of Realtors and individual Realtors nationwide,” retired Maj. Gen. Timothy McHale, chief executive officer of Homes for Our Troops, said.

“This support means that more veterans will be able to live in the homes that suit their needs and that their families will have the opportunity to thrive in comfortable environments.”

In 10 years of operation, Homes for Our Troops has completed more than 190 homes for the nation’s most severely injured veterans, many of whom suffer from multiple amputations, varying levels of paralysis, blindness and traumatic brain injury.

Empowered by the freedom a mortgage-free and specially adapted home brings, HFOT veterans can focus on their recovery and returning to their life’s work of serving others.

The VAR Leadership Academy selectively enrolls Realtors every other year to enhance their personal and professional development, with a special group project at the core of the class experience.