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Dear ,
Home Front Hearts is excited to share our monthly "From the Heart" newsletter with you!
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Disney/ABC/ESPN Supports Home Front Hearts!
In-Kind Fundraising Donation to Benefit Military Families
Disney/ABC/ESPN has graciously donated theme park tickets to Home Front Hearts to use for charitable fundraising purposes. The one-day Park Hopper passes provide admission to a magical experience at Disney's unique theme parks: the Magic Kingdom® Park, Epcot®, Disney's Hollywood Studios™, or Disney's Animal Kingdom®.
Home Front Hearts would like to thank Disney/ABC/ESPN for offering their in-kind support!
Additional In-Kind Fundraising Donations Welcome!
Home Front Hearts is seeking in-kind donation items from other companies wishing to provide service members and their families with memorable vacations, including airline tickets, hotel stays, restaurant meal donations, and rental car donations. If you know of a company or an individual willing to donate in-kind items, please contact rscairns@homefronthearts.org.
Home Front Hearts thanks the many corporate sponsors and individual donors who already work with us to assist military families!
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Wish For Our Heroes Partners
with Home Front Hearts
Summer Fun for a Recently Reunited Military Family
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The first thing TSGT Ken Williams wanted to do upon his return from a 9-month deployment to Afghanistan was take his family on a well-deserved vacation. However, with eight children, TSGT Williams knew it wouldn't be as easy as it sounds. With a family of ten, it is hard to save money, making it difficult to afford a vacation. It is even more challenging for this family, because they lost everything they owned during Hurricane Katrina. A lot of family memories were lost during that storm, so each new family memory they can make is truly treasured.
TSGT Williams has deployed 5 times during his 17-year career in the Air Force. However, his most recent deployment was the most demanding and emotionally draining for him. Ken's wife, Ashley, missed him so much and just wanted to give the kids some one-on-one time with their daddy when he returned home.
Wish For Our Heroes, a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to granting wishes for active-duty military and their families, stepped up to the plate and provided this well-deserving military family with a trip to Six Flags Over Georgia in Atlanta, GA, including overnight hotel accommodations. This trip offered the Williams family a chance to relax and hang out as a family after TSGT Williams' recent deployment.
"My children have sacrificed so much this year without their daddy," says Ashley. "I want to thank Home Front Hearts and Wish For Our Heroes for all of the hard work that you have done for me and my family. We had an amazing time at Six Flags Over Georgia."
Words cannot express how grateful the Home Front Hearts team is to Wish For Our Heroes. They are truly an incredibly organization to partner with!
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Pay it Forward Fellowship Story "From the Heart" | |
In last month's newsletter, we announced the "Pay It Forward" fellowship program. This program, established by Home Front Hearts, allows caregivers of our war wounded and/or military spouses unable to work outside the home due to their own health/disability or that of a child/children, to participate in flexible service fellowship opportunities that enable them to assist other military families while earning much needed income.
The first "Pay It Forward" fellow began service with Home Front Hearts in mid-January 2011. Here's her story about how this fellowship has changed her life so far:
What is a Pay it Forward Fellow? We all ask this question. My answer is that it's a hand up, instead of a hand out, to a caregiver and her/his family. Having extra income has done wonders for our family. It not only boosted the morale of this family, but we have regained a stronger footing from which to cope with the day-to-day financial stresses that crop up in our lives on a daily basis. For awhile, we lost that tinkle of laughter usually heard in families with younger children, as well as the lightheartedness that goes with small military family life. But now it is all back, and more.
Being a Pay it Forward Fellow has helped us buy the goods our family needs to live a healthy lifestyle. Our food budget was much reduced and clothing was mostly bought from thrift stores. Now we are able to buy a few new items each month and have much healthier meals.
We are also now more mindful of the needs of others and not so focused on ourselves. I feel that being sensitive to the needs of others is one of the most important aspects of life, and that feeling empathy is a genuinely healthy way of life. With the relief this family has received with the extra income from my work as a Pay It Forward Fellow, we now feel the freedom to think of others and to live to help others in need, and each member of this family hopes to give back in some way over the span of their own life.
I can only thank Home Front Hearts for teaching us these valuable lessons of giving and for the opportunity to work as a Pay it Forward Fellow. |
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About Us | |
Home Front Hearts was born of the desire to honor those who serve and their families. At Home Front Hearts, it is our intention to give voice to the families who also serve when their loved ones are called to duty; and to call to action the communities in which they live.
The mission of Home Front Hearts is to serve the families that serve our country by: providing support and resources to the families of service members, increasing public awareness of the struggles and sacrifices of military families, and engaging both individuals and businesses in building communities that are responsive to the needs of these families. |
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Would you like to help Home Front Hearts serve military families? Then spread the word about our organization or click here to see how you can get involved!
Sincerely,
Randi Cairns
Founder/Executive Director
Home Front Hearts, Inc.
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to show your
support to our servicemembers
and their families!
Your donation of services, goods, and/or funds can make a HUGE difference in the life of a military family! | |
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Home Front Hearts, Inc. (EIN # 26-1661564) is a non-profit organization exempt under the 501 (c)(3) section of the IRS code. | |
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