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Guard Support News
From the Director
Sherry Handel photo
Dear Guard Support friend,

Welcome to the Guard Support News email update. We are reaching out in this new way to keep you informed about our core mission - helping families in the Massachusetts National Guard and to share other news and developments on a monthly basis.

Since our inception in August of 2007, Guard Support of Massachusetts has made a dramatic impact on helping Guardsmen and their families.

To date we've helped approximately two hundred Guard families with financial assistance and provided 42 unit Family Readiness Groups with grant funding. Our grant disbursements have gone towards a variety of needs, ranging from the cost of flights home from mobilization to mortgage and rent payment assistance, to funding children's events offered through Family Readiness Groups at Guard units throughout the Commonwealth.

Guard Support is proud to have supported our citizen-soldiers with small expressions of our thanks for their sacrifices.

And we're grateful to our donors, volunteers and other supporters who have helped us keep these families strong.

We encourage you to forward this email on to people that you think may be interested in Guard Support (click the Forward email link at the bottom of this email). If you wish to be removed from our distribution list, please use the unsubscribe link at the bottom of the email.

We hope you enjoy our first issue of Guard Support News.

Stay tuned next month for our Entrepreneurs' Funding Program launch announcement.

Sincerely,
 
Sherry Handel
Executive Director
Guard Support of Massachusetts
[email protected]
[email protected]

Our Mission:
Update on Family Readiness Group Grants

Grants Aid Families of Deployed Soldiers
Tina and John Scobie pictured with their son at the 104th Fighter Wing holiday party in 2009. Guard Support provided funding for their unit's Family Readiness Group
Family Readiness Group
On May 19th, Guard Support awarded four Family Readiness Grants to National Guard units from Brockton, Dorchester, Milford and Pittsfield. The grants will aid each unit's Family Readiness Group, a support network for families of the deployed Massachusetts National Guard troops.

In this latest round of funding, the HHB 1/101st FA Unit in Brockton received $500, the 164th Transportation Company in Dorchester received a $1,000 grant, the JFHQ Forward LRCAG in Milford received $500 and the 379th Engineers Detachment 1 in Pittsfield received $500. The grants are based, in part, on the deployment status of the Guard unit. Since Guard Support's inception in 2007, it has awarded 42 Family Readiness Group Grants totaling $43,000.

Family Readiness Groups are support networks for families of deployed National Guard soldiers and airmen, and they often use the grant funds to hold send-off and homecoming ceremonies, support group meetings, educational programs and special events for children.

"The value of a Family Readiness Group cannot be over-emphasized. Knowing that there is such a strong support system in place to care for the myriad of concerns that our family members have allows my unit to concentrate fully on their mission. The FRG is as integral a part of our force as the soldiers themselves. We're blessed to have such support," said 1st Lieutenant Stacey Williams-Beaton, Detachment Commander for the 164th Transportation Battalion.
Awards
SBA Recognizes Guard Support's founder, Nate Dalton as the Mass. Veterans Small Business Champion Award Recipient 
 
SBA LogoGuard Support's founder, Nate Dalton will be receiving the Massachusetts Veterans Small Business Champion Award at the SBA 2010 Small Business Awards Breakfast to be held on June 8, 2010 at the DCU Center in Worcester, Mass.
Guard Support is awarded the Massachusetts Committee Award for Outstanding Support by the Department of Defense ESGR
Guard Support Banner Nate Dalton, Guard Support's founder and President accepted the "Massachusetts Committee Award for Outstanding Performance" from the Employer Support for the Guard and Reserves Massachusetts Committee at their Annual Awards Dinner held on May 15, 2010 at Hanscom Air Force Base.
Entrepreneurs' Funding Program
Entrepreneurs' Funding Program Announcement
Stayed tuned next month for our Entrepreneurs' Funding Program announcement.
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In This Issue
Grants Aid Families of Deployed Soldiers
SBA Award
DOD Award
Entrepreneurs' Funding Program
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