HARTFORD – Our military sacrifices is all for our freedom and safety. While our troops take care of us, The Connecticut National Guard Foundation is determined to take care of them.
The Connecticut National Guard Foundation is a private nonprofit corporation created in 2003 that provides temporary, need based, financial assistance to Connecticut military members and their families.
“If we can help them not have the stress and strain - especially when they’re in the middle of combat - of worrying about what's going on at home with their families, that’s kind of the least we can do,” Foundation Treasurer Kimberly Hoffman said.
Assistance is need-based and can include anything from clothing to food and emergency home care.
Hoffman said they’ve responded to very sad cases, such as providing financial assistance to service members that couldn’t afford to bury family members.
The Connecticut National Guard Foundation also provides scholarships to military members and/or their families.
“The federal government does the very best they can to provide for our service members and families and they do a great job, the benefits and entitlements for being part of a military family are wonderful, but they don’t fill all the gaps,” she said.
The Connecticut National Guard Foundation is completely funded by the community.
“I like to think of it as the community helping the community to do what we need to do to support one another,” Hoffman said.
A 13-year veteran of the Connecticut National Guard, Major Michael Peterson, said he is grateful for these organizations.
“Regardless of whether or not you’re deployed or here training in the states, there’s a lot of stress, especially on the family back home who has the hard job of picking up all the slack while we in uniform are gone,” he said. “You never know when a hardship of any sort might strike so to have an organization like the Connecticut National Guard Foundation there with the dedicated volunteers and service members that work for us is really comforting to know.”
The National Guard responds to crisis at home and answers the call when our country needs them around the world.
You can help recognize Connecticut’s men and women in uniform, and show your support by attending a Cookout for the Troops on Saturday, July 15, 2017!
FOX61 Expect More Hope, Full Power Radio and the Connecticut Automotive Retailers Association are partnering up for the statewide event.
Your hometown car dealerships will serve up free food and beverages courtesy of Bozzuto’s Hometown Foundation, take donations, and offer special savings on vehicles and services all day long, benefiting the Connecticut National Guard Foundation and the USO Connecticut‘s military programs and services.
Out of state on July 15th? Click here to make a direct donation today!