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| WELCOME |
| Dear Friends,
Through this quarterly newsletter, Military Friends Foundation will keep our community updated on our activities and how we are helping our Massachusetts National Guard, Reserve and Gold Star Families.
Today in Massachusetts, our National Guard and Reserve members are facing some of their highest deployment levels in history. Many families have a loved one facing a second, third and even a fourth deployment.
In times of need, Military Friends steps in to offer financial assistance. Through generous donations, we have given hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants to Massachusetts military families.
We hope you will take a moment to read our newsletter and hear some of their stories.
With appreciation, |
Sarah Keller-Likins
Executive Director
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SGM Jim Kelly (Ret.)
President & Iraq Veteran
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SHOW YOUR SUPPORT
 
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This Tax Season Support
Our “Take 5, Give $5” Campaign |
| State Income Tax Form Question 32e – Mass. Military Relief Fund |
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Every year, thousands of people across the Commonwealth take five minutes to make a voluntary contribution under Question
32e on their Massachusetts State Tax Form. Question 32e is the Mass. Military Family Relief Fund which was created by the state legislature after September 11, 2001 to recognize the unique role and sacrifices Guard and Reserve families were making.
This year, when completing your 2010 Massachusetts State Income Tax Return, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution of $5 or more to the Massachusetts Military Family Relief Fund (Question 32E). You can learn more about
the Fund and the work of the Military Friends Foundation online at
www.MilitaryFriends.org/takefive
The Military Friends Foundation is proud to administer this Fund for the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts. We have seen nearly a 50% increase in grant requests over last year. |
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| Boston Blazers and Military Friends Foundation “Heroes Night” Honors Local Fallen Hero Lieutenant Scott Milley |
The Boston Blazers recognize the family of Scott Milley during a pre-game ceremony on February 12, 2011. |
The Boston Blazers, Boston’s own professional lacrosse team, joined with the Military Friends Foundation to honor the memory of First Lieutenant Scott Milley on Saturday, February 12, 2011 at the TD Garden in Boston.
A 2005 graduate of Lincoln-Sudbury High School, Lt. Milley was an avid sports fan and talented athlete who played key roles on both his hockey and lacrosse teams, but his top priority was to serve to his country. After graduating with honors from the University of New Hampshire, he became a U.S. Army Ranger. Lt. Milley had just begun his tour of duty in Afghanistan when he was killed after his platoon came under attack last November.
In honor of Lt. Milley, the Boston Blazers donated $5 from each “Heroes Night” ticket sold in advance to Military Friends programs for Massachusetts’ fallen heroes and other local military families.
Additionally, the Blazers have dedicated the remaining part of the season to Lt. Milley. Each player will wear a special patch on their helmets designed by the Milley family to commemorate their son. |
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Military Friends Foundation
Announces 2011 Adopt-A-Unit Winner |
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State Legislators present $10,000 Adopt-A-Unit grant to the commanders for the 182nd Infantry Battalion |
The Massachusetts National Guard’s 182nd Infantry Battalion has been selected as the Military Friends Foundation’s 2011 “Adopt-A-Unit” Recipient. The 182nd Infantry Battalion, made up of more than 800 Soldiers including Companies from Melrose, Middleboro, and Braintree, recently deployed for a year-long tour in Afghanistan. As the “Adopt-A-Unit” recipient, the 182nd will receive a $10,000 Military Friends Foundation grant towards multiple programs over the next year to support unit morale during their deployment.
“The Military Friends Adopt-A-Unit program and our other grant programs exist today because thousands of citizens across the Commonwealth take a few minutes every year to make a donation under Question 32E on their state income tax return,” said SGM Jim Kelly (Ret.), President of the Military Friends Foundation. “As an Iraq, veteran I can tell you firsthand that giving $5 or $10 truly makes a difference because it lets our military families know that friends and strangers a like support them.”
For the first time, this year all four Adopt-A-Unit runners-up including Reading’s 26 Yankee Brigade, Worcester’s 181st Infantry Battalion, Otis’ 102 Security Forces Squadron and Bourne’s 3/126 Aviation Battalion, will each receive a $3,000 Military Friends Foundation grant to also support unit morale. |
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Suggest “Military Friends Foundation”
to your Facebook Friends |
| Help us help other military families! Increasing our Facebook numbers helps us continue to fund the grant programs that serve military families. We need your help in increasing our FB Friends. Please take a moment to “Suggest” our page to your Facebook Friends. |
| VISIT OUR PAGE ON FACEBOOK |
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| Military Family Spotlight: The Pinard Family |
Recently, we had a chance to meet Private Second Class Nick Pinard-Johnson of Fairhaven, MA at the MFF/Highland Hoops night at the Celtics. Nick attended the game with his father, Wayne, and younger brother, Nathan. Nick is the first member of his family to join the military. He finished basic training last December and is deploying with the 182nd Infantry Battalion, D Company out of Middleboro “We’re the HOB – ‘Home Operating Base’ – for Nick! We’re so proud of him,” said mom Bethany.
Nick, Wayne and Nathan Pinard
“I would like to give a huge thank you to the Highland Hoops and the Military Friends Foundation for providing this opportunity to spend time with my two sons. It is a very difficult time for our family, with Nick’s deployment to Afghanistan beginning soon. As avid sports fans, we had a night where we left our cares behind, had fun, and really enjoyed each other’s company,” said dad Wayne.
Nick and members of the 182nd Infantry Battalion will have a year-long tour of duty in Afghanistan. We wish Nick and all our service members a successful mission and
safe journey! Share your family’s story by visiting
www.militaryfriends.org/share. |
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Military Friends Foundation’s Patriot Scholar
Program Helps Students Achieve |
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The Military Friends Foundation Patriot Scholar program is for Massachusetts residents who are high school seniors and college freshmen with a parent/step-parent/guardian who has been activated overseas in the Massachusetts National Guard or Reserve components since September 11, 2001.
The Military Friends Foundation is seeking to award a $1000 scholarship in each of the Commonwealth’s ten Congressional Districts. These scholarships will be awarded based on merit as determined by the Military Friends Foundation’s Board of Directors and with consultation from the Honorary Scholarship Committee.
Applications are now available online at MilitaryFriends.org. |
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| Military Friends Welcomes New Board of Directors |
| This spring three new Directors have joined the MFF Board.
Meghan Slack of Arlington brings to our Board her expertise as an attorney and a fundraiser. She is also involved with the Boston Bar Association’s Military and Veteran’s Program that provide essential services to veterans whose legal needs are uniquely impacted by their military service.
Meghan also brings a special perspective to the Foundation as a Gold Star Family member. Her brother, SPC Wade Slack of Waterville, Maine, was killed in Afghanistan in May 2010 on his first tour-of-duty.
Richard “Richie” Girard of Russell is a veteran of both the United States Air Force and the Air National Guard. Today, he serves the Director of Veterans Services for the Western Hampden District, serving Agawam, Southwick Granville, and Tolland. As immediate Past President of the Massachusetts Veterans Service
Officers Association, Richie has continued to be a strong advocate for veterans and military personnel across the state. He continues to run a care package program that has sent thousands of pounds of care packages to Guard and Reservists from Western Massachusetts in recent years.
Dr. Raymond Guillette of Cape Cod is the Dean of Doctoral Program Admissions for The National Graduate School in Falmouth, Massachusetts. As the son of a World War II veteran, he has continued to find ways to support military families through his 25 years of teaching and was recently awarded the “Patriot Award” from ESGR for being a military friendly professional. |
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