Since the attacks on our country on September 11, 2001…44,746 of our sons and daughters have been wounded in action and 6,132 have made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom and liberty after being killed in action*.
With plentiful support existing for military Mom’s and Wives, Fathers of the Brave was established to provide ongoing support to the Dads who often go unrecognized. While they work hard to hold the family unit together in a time of extreme stress, the needs of Dads can fall by the wayside. Our founder, Jim Kelley, found himself in this situation when his son was wounded in Afghanistan and decided that he didn’t want another Dad to have to figure out how to handle the stress and hardship of having a son or daughter wounded in action on their own.
When we were young, our Dads used to slip us a few bucks here and there when we needed it; now its time to return the favor. Besides being a place where military Dads connect and network, Fathers of the Brave has taken on the mission of helping to defray the expenses that befall military families when they have to uproot their lives, on a moment’s notice, to travel to their wounded son or daughter’s hospital bedside. Yes, the military can pay for travel expenses…but we all know that unplanned and lengthy travel can result in costs far exceeding the budget of a typical family.
Think of all the service members and their families, 44,746 to date, who have had their family turned upside down with a phone call telling them about a combat injury. How would you feel in that moment?
You can do something to help. In fact every little bit helps us help those Dads. Your affordable, tax-deductible donation, will enable a military family to cover unexpected expenses…meals, car rentals, parking, and more… and help provide essentials for their son or daughter while hospitalized. Military families must pay out of pocket for these expenses, and are later given a per-diem stipend, which is not sufficient to cover the expenses they incur. This stipend often does not arrive until weeks later, forcing a family’s finances to the breaking point. It’s a little-known fact: Combat wounds affect the family as much as the soldier, and can place a family in dire financial need.
Often when these wounded soldiers return from the battlefield, they have nothing but the hospital clothes on their back. Their personal belongings were left at their base, not taken on the operation that resulted in their injury. Think about your child coming back from a foreign land, severely wounded, perhaps still unconscious, with nothing but a hospital gown. You would want to rush out and purchase every comfort and convenience item you could! In combination with travel costs, meals, and other expenses this will add up…and fast…often breaking the family budget and loading up the credit cards. In today’s economy, many fathers can’t take time off without sacrificing pay…some have no job at all…but all still must rush to their soldier’s bedside. This is where Fathers Of The Brave can help.
Our goal is to send a $250-$500 pre-paid debit card to the bedside, to the father and family of every wounded soldier, immediately after they’ve arrived back in the U.S. to help defray the many costs not covered by the military.
Just so you know, 70 cents of every dollar donated goes directly to supporting military Dads of wounded soldiers, and the remaining 30 cents is used to continue growing and promoting Fathers of the Brave’s mission to support military Dads.
Imagine your son or daughter being seriously wounded in action; how would you react? For these families your imagination is their reality. The fathers of America’s combat wounded have borne the stress of having a child at war. Now they must bear a serious financial burden. You can help Fathers Of The Brave assist those families who have given so much to our country.
We invite you to make a difference and select a generous tax-deductible donation amount below…
Thank you in advance for your help and support…military Dads and their kids salute you!
Please note:
If you would like to donate a larger amount, set up a memorial gift or run a fundraiser for Fathers of the Brave, please contact us directly to discuss your thoughts with one of our Executive Board members.
*(Statistics as of July 18, 2011 from the Department of Defense)
