We have had a busy March and there is lots to share. Two weeks ago we kicked off our first Lunch and Learn in a new series we are hosting for our North Carolina families. During the next year, we will be offering these lunches across the state as a means of not only sharing our programming, but also introducing them to a variety of regional resources. We had a great time doing so in Raleigh spending the afternoon with some new and familiar faces. It is important to us not only to host these lunches and provide these connections, but we want to take it a step further by forming social groups so the conversations can continue beyond these events. If you are a spouse in North Carolina be on the lookout for a Lunch and Learn in your area and let us know if you are interested in joining a Social Connection Group. Thank you to all the organizations, (especially Veterans Bridge Home) and spouses who attended this first event. I am also excited to share that we have partnered with Coastal Credit Union Foundation and will be providing new opportunities for our families. We are very grateful for their support of our work and recent grant. We love working with companies and organizations that share our interest in financial literacy. Thank you too to Wegmans for their support of this event and for providing us with a grant. Our next stop in this series will be in Greenville, North Carolina on Wednesday, June 26th. Details are coming soon as we are busy planning with our friends from Survivor Outreach Services.
We are also working on a new virtual group for our spouses that will focus on professional, social, and emotional well-being. We are excited to introduce some fantastic speakers and presenters to our spouses. The “Growth Group” will launch in the fall and we will also be sharing more details soon.
On April 9th in honor of Gold Star Spouses Day, some of our team will be sharing our stories and work with our friends at the Navy's Gold Star Program. This is a virtual event that we hope our families will check out. We are busy working on several new offerings for our spouses and their children as we continue to evolve our programming.
I recently had the honor of attending the Celebration of Life for Colonel Ken “Kid” Gardiner. It was a very special memorial to pay tribute to this amazing Marine, Husband, Father, and Friend. Thank you to all who donated to us on behalf of Kid. We are very grateful and continue to pray for his family.
For anyone looking for a way to give back, we ask you to check out the Annual Sugar Bear Virtual Memorial Run taking place on July 22nd. This year we would like our friends to select a hero from our Honor Wall and take part on behalf of them and the family they leave behind. Funds raised from this event will be split between our Sugar Bear Foundation and the Marine Corps Association Foundation, and will go directly towards our programs. We hope you will take part in this event, share it within your communities, and help us give back in Sugar Bear’s name. This support helps us not only sustain our mission, but also raises awareness of our Gold Star/Surviving Families and continues Sugar Bear’s legacy of service. If you would like to get more involved please reach out to our Admin@thesugarbearfoundation.org. Thank you for the opportunity to share.
We are grateful for our friends who support our work and the families and heroes who have given their all to our country.
Thank you,
Jennifer Carazo
Gold Star Wife/President
