Military Friends Foundation Brings Massachusetts National Guard Soldiers Home for Thanksgiving

BOSTON – The Military Friends Foundation, a non-profit proudly serving Massachusetts National Guard, Reserve and Families of the Fallen, is helping bring home a group of local Guardsmen just in time for Thanksgiving. These soldiers, who all sustained injuries during their service, belong to the Massachusetts National Guard’s 101st Field Artillery, Battery E out of Rehoboth and are completing a year-long tour of duty in Iraq.

The Military Friends Foundation “have supported our mission, and more importantly our families, from our mobilization in December 2010 thru today. We have received thousands of dollars in grants and reimbursements to pay for or defray costs related to airfare, heating bills, and many other expenses that burden our Soldier’s families during a deployment. To all who support this program, we can’t thank you enough,” said 101 First Sergeant Kevin Thompson of Gloucester.

Support for the transportation assistance program and other Military Friends programs for local military families comes from thousands of citizens across the Commonwealth who make a voluntary contribution through Question 32E (Mass. Military Relief Fund) – on their Mass. State Tax Form.

“I haven’t spent time with my family in nearly a year. On behalf of my family and especially my little boy-thank you thank you thank you!,” said SGT Silvio Torres Dejesus of Lowell.  SGT Torres plans to enjoy the holiday with a home cooked meal with his 5-year old son.

Through generous donations, the Foundation has given hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants to Massachusetts military families. To make a donation to bring a Service Member home, please visit www.militaryfriends.org/donate or call (617) 733-7994.