July is Bittersweet

July is a bittersweet month for me. Thirty-six years ago, Sugar Bear and I met at a dive bar on Pensacola Beach. He was a Midshipman at the Naval Academy, and I was home from college. It was a fun night and one I will never forget. Fifteen years ago this month, we lost him! Both events drastically changed my life. The first was obviously for the better… we got married, had our beautiful children, made incredible friends (including our Board and Team, whom I consider family and am so grateful), and had many adventures. I would not change any of it! But losing him, although awful, also had a profound impact on me and our children. The friends we made through the Marine Corps and military are still by our side, and many new ones have joined this circle. I am much stronger today and now have greater insight into his desire to serve. I get it! I know without a doubt he continues to watch over and take care of us. I have so many signs and see so much of Sugar Bear in our children. Their mannerisms, drive, humor (his sarcasm lives on), intelligence, interests, and they share his love of learning as they are both pursuing advanced degrees. I consider it another blessing that he had this time with them to instill such traits. Sugar Bear would be incredibly proud of them. As a widow who was terrified about rearing a nine and almost seven-year-old after that horrifying knock at the door, I now feel an incredible sense of relief as I can safely say we have made it to the other side. His love and strength (along with a great deal of support from many) have carried us through and provided for us when life seemed very bleak.

It is still hard, and we miss him dearly (and always will), but nine years ago I received a gift to form the Sugar Bear Foundation, and that too changed the trajectory of not only my life, but my hope is that of the families we serve. At the time, I was so focused on helping my fellow Surviving Spouses and their children, just as the kids and I had received an outpouring of support. Although this is, and always will be, one of the primary goals, I had no idea in those early years of the SBF that it was helping me heal, providing a platform to continue Sugar Bear’s legacy of service, and creating programs that can and have helped others move forward in life. For me, that brings such joy and hope. It has even strengthened the bond that Sugar Bear and I have, and my ties within the military community. Our children have seen and felt it, and it has helped in their healing. They, too, are more resilient and have a greater sense of gratitude. All of which would make Sugar Bear happy. 

We have several updates to share, and I hope you will take the time to read those, as well as two important fundraisers (Sugar Bear’s Virtual Memorial Run and the Raising Cane’s Fundraiser in Chapel Hill, NC). If possible, I ask that you take part, even share them with your friends, professional networks, and community, or donate. As a nonprofit, we are always asking for support. It’s what we do and need. However, this month is extra special for us, and I hope my ask will help you remember Sugar Bear, me (our family’s story), or the hundreds of families across the country we are now assisting and their heroes. Their lives have forever changed, and we are on a mission to extend to them all of the love and support that my two children and I received sixteen years ago. I would be most grateful, and I know without a doubt Sugar Bear would be too. 

As always, I hope you will reach out if you want to help support, share our mission, or fundraise for us

Thank you,

Jennifer Carazo 
Gold Star Wife/ President 

Memorial Day 2025

I would be remiss if I did not send a note to our families to let them know we are all thinking of them, their heroes, and sending extra love this weekend. I know all too well what that knock at the door (or whatever the personal scenario) was when you lost your loved one, and the impact that moment has had on your life. Our Team gets it. 

To our friends who support our work, we are inviting you, especially this weekend, to review our Honor Wall, so you can learn about these heroes and the amazing spouses and children they leave behind who miss and love them. We also hope you will check out our upcoming fundraisers, including Sugar Bear’s Virtual Memorial Run, as these events help support and sustain our mission, such as our upcoming events and programs

I thank you for your continued support and the opportunity to give back in Sugar Bear’s name. It is an honor and blessing for me to do so, but I also know that these programs and support are making an impact. 

Thank you,

Jennifer Carazo
Gold Star Wife/President 

May is Always a Special Time!

May is especially a time of remembrance for me, not only with Memorial Day, but also what would be Sugar Bear’s birthday on May 25th. I always feel a surge of emotions this time of year. There are feelings, of course, of respect and somberness, as well as happiness as I think back to all of the memories of Sugar Bear during his birthday and our lives together. I also think of all the friends we have lost over the years. It is a harsh reality. However, if there is one thing Sugar Bear taught me (and there is more than one), it was always to focus on the positive and count my blessings. So that is what I continue to do with our daily work and programs for my fellow survivors

Additionally, this month is the Sugar Bear Foundation's anniversary. Nine years ago, I had the opportunity to form the foundation in Sugar Bear’s honor, which has been a blessing and led my life in a beautiful direction. As such, from May to July, we are asking for help in sharing our mission, Sugar Bear’s story, and raising funds! Any support is helpful, whether it is through a donation, a contribution from a company, a fundraiser, or sharing the Sugar Bear Foundation with your place of employment, church, or community; it all helps, and I am personally grateful. I know that celebrating Sugar Bear’s life in an impactful way is being positive and a blessing to the hundreds of families that are Registered with us across the United States. 

For our spouses and families, you are always on my mind, and what our Team directs their time and energy towards. We are here and working for you. So, if you have not already, we ask that you complete our latest survey, check out the Virtual Library, which we are always adding to, or simply reach out to us and let us know what you need. We have another Virtual Session this week with our friends from the Bank of America Better Money Habits Team. Spouses and providers are welcome to attend and should reach out to us to take part. Make sure to check out all of our updates, and do not hesitate to contact us.  

As always, thank you for the opportunity to give back in Sugar Bear’s name. To our supporters and sponsors, we could not do any of this without you. I am personally grateful.

Jennifer Carazo
Gold Star Wife/President

Happy Spring

As I am writing this, I hope you are starting to see the first signs of spring: beautiful weather, green grass, and blooming flowers. Soon, the heat and the longer days of summer will be upon us. As always, our Team is planning new opportunities, the first of which are art lessons for kids. The lessons will start early summer, so spouses, please reach out to us now, and we can add you to the list. Additionally, if you have not already done so, please take our latest survey as we are planning new programming and other opportunities, but we rely heavily on the needs of our families. We want and need to hear from you. This is your chance, so please take advantage of it. However, you can always send us an email. We love hearing from you, and we would love to share programming updates and answer any questions. We are here to help! 

Our upcoming  Virtual series with our friends from the Bank of America Better Money Habits Team is completely devoted to our spouses and their families. The first one is this Tuesday, and spouses can still sign up for it. If the times do not work for you, then again, reach out, and we can send you the link to the recording in our Virtual Library. Our Library is continuing to grow (housing topics including career, wellness, etc). Later this month, we will be adding some academic recordings, and in April, our Financial and Resource Counselor, Erica Brophy, will be adding a series for Financial Literacy Month. Spouses can work directly with Erica on anything and everything related to money. She has great tips for saving, budgeting, and much more.

Later this month, we will be hosting the Veterans Employment Resource Group from Cummins. A panel from this group will be sharing all of their programs for our spouses, teens, and young adults with a variety of topics such as their Career and Technical Education, Mentoring, Internships, service academies, and much more. Cummins offers some incredible programs that are available to our families, so please do not miss out on this event. 

Thank you to all of our supporters who make our programming possible. We could not do any of this without your help. I am so grateful for the opportunity to continue Sugar Bear’s legacy of service by giving back to the families who have truly given their all. As always, if someone would like to get involved with fundraising for us, have an idea or an opportunity for our families, or would like to share our work, contact our Admin@thesugarbearfoundation.org. Thank you. 

Jennifer Carazo
Gold Star Wife/President