Military Friends Foundation to Offer Support to Local Military Families Impacted by Tornado Disaster
BOSTON – The Military Friends Foundation, a non-profit organization serving Massachusetts National Guard, Reserve and Gold Star Families, is offering emergency financial support for local families of deployed Guard and Reserve and families of Fallen Service Members who were impacted by Wednesday night’s tornado.
“We are grateful that while our service members are sacrificing for the greater good of our Commonwealth, especially our Guardsmen who are serving our Nation overseas, the Military Friends Foundation is there to assist our military families in their own time of crisis,” said Major General Joseph C. Carter, the Adjutant General of the Massachusetts National Guard. Preliminary estimates indicate that more than a hundred families of deployed Citizen Service Members may be impacted.
“I commend the Military Friends for their efforts to aid military families who have been affected by these devastating storms. Their quick response to help these families will go far in the recovery efforts for the Commonwealth,” said State Representative Harold P. Naughton Jr., House Chair of the state’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee. “As a veteran of the Iraq War, I can say with confidence that the efforts of the Military Friends Foundation will be a great comfort to those overseas who are worried about loved ones at home. As we rely on members of the National Guard to protect us in times like these, it is important that we follow the example of the Military Friends Foundation and do our part to help protect their families as well.”
Immediate family members who face damages from the storm and live in Hampden, Hampshire, Franklin and Worcester Counties – areas deemed disaster zones by the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency – are encouraged to contact the Military Friends Foundation at (617) 733-7994, via email at info@militaryfriends.org or online at MilitaryFriends.org/911.
“The initiative being shown by the Military Friends Foundation is an excellent example of how Massachusetts citizens come together to help each other quickly during times of need,” said Treasurer Steven Grossman, who oversees the state’s Veterans Welcome Home Bonus Program and manages the Mass. Military Family Relief Fund. “I offer my deepest condolences to all families that have been impacted by the recent storm and extend my sincerest wishes that these funds can play a small part towards getting veterans families back on their feet.”
Support for this emergency relief program and other Military Friends Foundation 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.
“We are pleased to be able to partner with state and local agencies to assist families of deployed service members who are struggling to deal with the aftermath of the tornadoes,” said Military Friends Director Richard Girard, an Air Force veteran, of Agawam, an area impacted by the recent storms.
For more information on how to apply for assistance or to make a donation to support a local military family, please visit www.militaryfriends.org.
