“Giving back to the hero.” This is the primary mission of Shawn Lloyd and Shawn and Annette Lewis for their work with A Heroes Home. For them, this work is not an obligatory transaction nor a formality; it’s an opportunity to show respect and empathy to those who give so much of themselves to serve their communities.
Shawn Lloyd and Shawn Lewis were initially brought together in 2017, Lloyd as a mortgage lender and Lewis as real estate agent. Their shared passion for giving back to their local heroes became the ultimate foundation for their partnership. Annette recalls Lloyd having impeccable communication, transparency, and reliability, standing out as noteworthy among a sea of lenders they interacted with constantly.
Lewis, on the other hand, was apprehensive about pursuing his real estate license at first. Lewis came from a background that was always focused on giving back to the community and serving others. He was involved with Explorer Search and Rescue for a total of 34 years. A desire to spend more time with his family had him shift focus, becoming a firefighter with Spokane County Fire District #3, and also working for American Medical Responses as an EMT. Unfortunately, Lewis suffered from an injury on the job nearly a decade ago, forcing him to seek a new path and relieve the stress on his body. As Annette stepped back from her own work as a realtor, she encouraged Lewis to pursue it instead. After a few months, her persuasion worked– Lewis started doing real estate in 2014. Thanks to his extensive network of first responders, he was able to help eight homes become sold within his first six months. They realized that this was truly an opportunity to help give back to their local heroes.
Shawn Lloyd and Shawn Lewis
Lloyd has an extensive background in non-profit leadership. For many years, he served on the board of directors for an educational foundation in the community as a board member and president, successfully funding over $500,000 which directly benefited students in the forms of various programming and scholarship opportunities. Additionally, Lloyd was shaped by his upbringing in a stern household, instilled with the values of helping others and giving back to the community. Maintaining this mindset, to Lloyd, is an absolute necessity. Together, they combined their skills, passion, and experiences to make a meaningful impact.
Their vision encompasses more than just discounted services, though; they know that accessibility to resources can be tough for heroes, and they want to change that narrative. When first starting this journey together, the three of them were originally partnered with a national program. Eventually, they realized that the program wasn’t supporting the beneficiary in the way they wanted, hindering the goal of ensuring that their efforts were authentic and truly focused on gifting, rather than just fulfilling obligations. They rebranded and revamped their approach, branching off to create their very own program.
A Heroes Home is just the beginning. With their program, local heroes (first responders, educators, military personnel, and medical providers) are assisted in several ways throughout their home-buying journey. Lewis offers a generous portion of his commission as a gift to buyers. This charitable gift is to be used to benefit the hero, offsetting costs in the process– such as a remodel, repair, or replacing appliances, all of which can be significant obstacles in the homebuying process, especially for first time purchasers. Additionally, Lloyd works with the heroes to find creative lending solutions and provide discounted lending fees. “We don’t see ourselves as sales people,” Lewis said. “We are consultants. We are here to help. We are providing the understanding of how [first responders] work, live, and operate.” The goal is to support heroes in every way possible through the process, recognizing the struggles they face to buy a home amidst inconsistent pay and demanding schedules.
Right now, the best way to help support the mission of A Heroes Home is to follow and promote their social media postings. Lewis acknowledges that most of the impact happens via word-of-mouth. They are also looking for people, specifically first responders, who would be able to help deliver pamphlets and fliers, guaranteeing that an awareness of their services can reach as many potential recipients as possible. “That’s the biggest thing,” Annette told me. “Just letting people know what the resources are that are available.”
Moving forward, the team has a strong desire to expand the services they offer. Soon, they hope to have free classes available to first responders, to help educate and guide them through home buying, as most of the heroes they work with are newcomers to the process. Lloyd has an audacious goal that he calls “Phase 2” of A Heroes Home– specifically, starting a non-profit corporation, enhancing the ways that the team is able to give back to heroes. This would include setting up mission days to provide meals and refreshments to first responders, as well as events and fundraisers to help benefit them not just when purchasing a home, but in times of medical, family, and personal emergencies that can inevitably arise, recognizing “the amount of sacrifice they give towards their lives and their families”. In a world where our local heroes can often go unnoticed, Shawn Lloyd, Shawn Lewis, and Annette Lewis have come together to form a formidable team, dedicated to making a difference in the lives of those who sacrifice so much for others. They prove that giving back is not just an act; it’s a way of life that transforms lives and strengthens communities.
