New York, NY (October 5, 2015) – Time Inc.’s (NYSE:TIME) video division and Time Inc.’s Southern Living today premiered “Building Hope” (southernliving.com/buildinghope), an original video series documenting the inspiring journeys of five veterans as they settle into new, mortgage-free homes and are met with overwhelming gratitude from their Southern communities. The series–a collaborative effort between Southern Living, the nonprofit Operation FINALLY HOME and sponsor JCPenney–was created to honor and support the courageous service of veterans and their families. In addition to premiering on SouthernLiving.com, where unique visitors have increased 63 percent in 2015 (comScore, August), Building Hope will also air across Time Inc. sites People.com and Time.com.

 

“‘Building Hope’ is a very rewarding project that celebrates our heroes and will have a lasting impact on their lives, as well as ours,” said J.R. McCabe, senior vice president of video at Time Inc. “This series embodies the best of Time Inc.’s tradition of telling stories that uplift and inspire.”

 

“At the heart of Southern Living is community and family,” said Ron King, publisher of Southern Living. “It is therefore fitting that this series is now a permanent extension of the brand. We could not be more thrilled to work with our partners in giving back to these heroes who have so bravely served our country.”

 

The five deserving veterans featured in “Building Hope” were selected by Operation FINALLY HOME, the nonprofit dedicated to providing custom-built, mortgage-free homes to America’s military heroes. The builders, along with Southern Living and JCPenney, consulted with the veterans and their families to design the homes to meet their individual needs. Three of the five homes will be constructed by members of the Southern Living Custom Builder Program, a network of the South’s top builders. JCPenney, a company recognized for its ongoing efforts to support the military, furnished rooms in each of the new builds with an array of merchandise from the Home Collections at JCPenney™.

 

“To have distinguished brands such as Southern Living and JCPenney join us in recognizing the sacrifices made by our American military heroes is beyond a blessing for Operation FINALLY HOME,” said Rusty Carroll, executive director of Operation FINALLY HOME. “Thanks to their efforts, the veterans and their families will have beautiful homes in which to build new memories.”

 

“Assisting those who make our freedom possible is a cause close to the hearts and minds of both our associates and customers, many of whom have either served in the military or know someone who has,” said Tim Shubzda, director of military and veteran affairs at JCPenney. “Given all the sacrifices service members make to serve our country, we’re committed to doing our part as a leading American retailer to show our military support. We couldn’t be more proud to help create a beautiful home for each of these deserving vets so they can raise their families and build many happy memories for years to come.”

 

Country music singer Cole Swindell will appear in an episode of “Building Hope” airing on Nov. 2, surprising one of the veterans, on behalf of JCPenney, with tickets to “The 49th Annual CMA Awards” held in Nashville on Nov. 4. Swindell will also be featured in two JCPenney television commercials promoting “Building Hope,” which will air during the CMA Awards.

 

“Giving back to the brave men and women who defend our country is a cause I’ve long been passionate about,” said Swindell. “I’m honored to have the opportunity to join JCPenney in their continued support of military families through this exciting collaboration with Southern Living and Operation FINALLY HOME.”

 

“Building Hope” debuts with a total of 15 five-minute episodes, airing today through March 2016. Each family will have three dedicated episodes focused on their journey to receiving their new home.

 

 

Episode Dates: Home Locations

 

 

Oct. 1, 2015: Austin, TX

 

 

Nov. 2, 2015: Hendersonville, TN

 

 

Dec. 1, 2015: Sanford, FL

 

 

Feb. 1, 2016: New Orleans, LA

 

 

March 1, 2016: Atlanta, GA

 

 

The series will expand into the second half of 2016, documenting the journeys of additional veterans from across the South. For veterans who wish to apply to become a homeowner and for more information on Operation FINALLY HOME, go to https://operationfinallyhome.org/.

 

“Building Hope” is the latest video series to be released by Time Inc., as the company continues to leverage its award-winning storytelling through video programming for all distribution channels. It follows the recent announcement of the formation of Sports Illustrated Films, and the debut of “New Orleans Here & Now,” the first premium video produced and distributed by Time Inc., in partnership with Rampante. According to August comScore data, unique visitors to Time Inc. video are up 157% year-over-year.

 

 

 About Southern Living 

Southern Living celebrates the essence of life in the South, covering the best in Southern food, home, garden, and travel. Reaching more than 23 million people each month, Southern Living connects consumers to the region’s rich culture through a variety of print, digital, mobile, tablet and event platforms. Headquartered in Birmingham, AL, the rapidly expanding Southern Living brand is part of Time Inc., one of the largest media companies in the world.

 

 About Time Inc. 

Time Inc. (NYSE:TIME) is one of the world’s leading media companies, with a monthly global print audience of over 120 million and worldwide digital properties that attract more than 140 million visitors each month, including over 60 websites. Our influential brands include People, Sports Illustrated, InStyle, Time, Real Simple, Southern Living, Entertainment Weekly, Travel + Leisure, Cooking Light, Fortune and Food & Wine, as well as more than 50 diverse titles in the United Kingdom such as Decanter, Horse & Hound and Wallpaper*. Time Inc. is home to celebrated franchises and events including the Fortune 500, Time 100, People’s Sexiest Man Alive, Sports Illustrated’s Sportsman of the Year, the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, the Essence Festival and the biennial Fortune Global Forum. Hundreds of thousands of people attend our events every year. We have been extending the power of our brands through various investments and acquisitions, including the formation of Sports Illustrated Play, a new company devoted to youth and amateur sports, and the acquisition of inVNT, a company that specializes in live media. We also provide content marketing, targeted local print and digital advertising programs, branded book publishing and marketing and support services, including subscription sales services for magazines and other products, retail distribution and marketing services and customer service and fulfillment services, for ourselves and third-party clients, including other magazine publishers.

 

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 CONTACT:

 

Southern Living Media Relations

 

Kaleigh Richter

Kaleigh.Richter@timeinc.com

 

212-522-2051

 

 

JCPenney Media Relations

 

jcpnews@jcp.com

 

972-431-3400

 

 

Operation FINALLY HOME Media Relations

 

Molly Halliday

Molly.Halliday@OperationFinallyHome.org

 

615-414-9004