Ramona mortgage business supports troops in several ways

By Karen Brainard

When Shelly Heimer and Theresa Tynan opened their W.J. Bradley Mortgage Capital branch office in Ramona, they wanted to show they are committed to the community and especially to those “that serve us.”

The Ramona women, both with ties to the military, are sponsors of the Boot Campaign, an organization that provides financial support for various services when soldiers return home. People who order the combat boots from the Boot Campaign will see a portion of their purchase go toward charities supporting military personnel.

In addition to supporting the Boot Campaign, Tynan and Heimer are crediting back the appraisal fee—a savings of about $450—at the closing of every Veterans Administration (VA) loan funded between Memorial Day and Labor Day. And for every VA loan, the two are personally contributing to the boot campaign, said Tynan.

“We serve those that serve us,” said Tynan. “With all the deployments and wounded veterans coming back, we wanted to find something to give back.”

So far about six military personnel have worked with Tynan and Heimer and received the appraisal credit for either home purchasing or refinancing, she said.

To show their support of the Boot Campaign and the troops, both women wear their combat boots on certain days of the week. They have a Boot Wall in their office and are encouraging anyone who orders boots to send a photo of them wearing the boots to the W.J. Bradley office, 1925 Main St., Suite 2, Ramona CA 92065.

Proceeds from boot purchases or other merchandise on the Boot Campaign website go toward the nonprofit organization’s approved charities, which include Marine Recovery Fund, Lone Survivor Foundation, Special Ops Survivors, and Armed Forces Foundation.

“What I feel I’m doing is very small compared to what they are doing serving in the military,” said Tynan. “Not only do they do what they do but they give up their personal lives and their families are impacted by it. And most of the time we have no idea what they’ve given or done because they won’t say anything.”

Both women know first-hand what it means to serve the country. Heimer spent six years in the U.S. Army. Tynan’s father and sister served in the Army and her brother served in the U.S Air Force.

Tynan noted that the men and women who come back from serving overseas have an adjustment period and they wanted to help the wounded warriors.

When they sought approval from their W.J. Bradley marketing and branch managers, Tynan said, “They thought it was a wonderful idea.”

The Boot Campaign was started by five women in Texas after one read Marcus Luttrell’s “Lone Survivor.” The national bestseller gives an eyewitness account of Operation Redwing in 2005 in northern Afghanistan when U.S. Navy SEALs were sent in to capture or kill a notorious al Qaeda leader. Luttrell was the lone survivor. In the book, Tynan said, he talks about the incident and the camaraderie of his unit, and how he visits the families of the lost SEALs.

Tynan and Heimer keep a few copies of “Lone Survivor” at their office.

“It’s really a small thing to do,” Tynan said of their efforts. “I really wish there was more of a way to support military personnel.”

For more information about the Boot Campaign, or VA financing, call Tynan at 760-787-0111 or Heimer at 760-870-7730.

To order boots or learn more about the Boot Campaign, visit bootcampaign.com.