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

Happy Holidays!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season and looking forward to the new year. As always, this is a time for me to reflect on our work this past year and the incredible support we have received. None of our programs, events, or opportunities for our families would be possible without the amazing sponsors, companies, organizations, and donors who believe in and understand the importance of our work. If you haven’t already we hope you will consider the Sugar Bear Foundation for your end-of-the-year giving.

RF-LAMBDA continues to support our mission through our educational programs and their yearly Holiday Open House in San Diego. This December they provided a festive afternoon of holiday cheer and fun. Their generosity is seen throughout the year with all of our families as they truly make a difference in their lives.

This year has also been another year of growth for our team as we added a new consultant our tutor Aaliya. Aaliya brings a wealth of experience to our team with her teaching experience. We are very grateful to have her join us and assist our families with their educational needs. 

Thank you to our Board and Team. None of our work would be possible without you. Your dedication to our families and Sugar Bear’s legacy is evident in all you do. 

To our families, as always I urge you to reach out and inquire about all of our programs and services as we know needs are always evolving. If you haven’t already, complete one of our surveys as it provides another voice for your family. I cannot stress enough we are here for you and it is our honor to serve you.

Thank you,

Jennifer Carazo 
Gold Star Wife/President