We are so happy for Jennifer and her new position which she found through our partnership with Hiring Our Heroes. Jennifer's experience and words truly reflect the intent of this program and process. If you are a Surviving Spouse thinking about employment a great place to start would be our upcoming Virtual Information Session with HOH.
San Diego/Virtual College Planning Workshop
For our San Diego Gold Star and Surviving spouses/teens who are looking to attend college, you won't want to miss this workshop! Come learn about the process, educational benefits, and resources available to your family. Not in San Diego? Not a problem! Join us virtually!
Lunch will be provided to our San Diego families.
To Register - Please contact or complete the Registry if not already on file and provide supporting documents to Admin@thesugarbearfoundation.org.
August Veteran's Coffee for our North Carolina Families
Although the September meeting will be dedicated to Gold Star families, Sugar Bear will have a representative at the August meeting. For those spouses who would like to join us at the August meeting and connect please RSVP at Admin@thesugarbearfoundation.org. Questions may also be directed to this address too. We hope to see you there.
Richard Childress Racing Banquet Hall - 425 Industrial Dr. Welcome/Lexington NC
Better Money Habits Virtual Workshop
We are so fortunate to work with Bank of America and their Better Money Habits Experts and Volunteers. This is a wonderful new opportunity we are excited to share with our spouses. This workshop will provide a wealth of information no matter where you are in your post-loss journey. Additionally, we will have our new Financial Counselor and Gold Star Advocate - Erica Brophy joining us for this event providing support resources for our spouses.
To Apply, please send the following Required Documents to Admin@thesugarbearfoundation.org (if not already on file):
Attach a copy of the DD1300 or a letter/document showing you qualify for VA benefits due to your spouse’s death from military service (PDF Files or legible photos are acceptable). You cannot move forward in this process without submitting your DD 1300 as well as signing the waiver.
There is Still Time to Register! Sugar Bear Virtual Run 2022
Check out this important message from Sugar Bear's son about this year's Virtual Memorial Run and make sure to register! We would love to see your pics! Photos to be shared can go to our Admin@thesugarbearfoundation.org.
Welcome Erica Brophy to Our Team!
We are thrilled to welcome Survivor Advocate, Erica Brophy to our team. Erica, is a Gold Star Wife, Certified Personal Finance Counselor, and the creator of the Gold Star Family Resources website to help centralize resources for Gold Star Families. Formerly the Director of the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society onboard MCAS Iwakuni, Japan, Erica is honored to continue sharing her expertise and passion for connecting our spouses with financial counseling and the resources available to them. Spouses will now have the opportunity to work with Erica when they apply for a financial grant (Financial Assitance and Employment Program) or by simply setting up an appointment to review personal resources that meet their individual family’s profile.
Thank You, MCAA
We are grateful for MCAA’s ongoing belief in our mission and support of our work with Gold Star/Surviving Spouses!
Mind-Body Mental Fitness
Sharing for our friends from the Navy's Gold Star Program…
Greetings Gold Star Families,
I am inviting you to attend a series of virtual classes called Mind Body Mental Fitness (MBMF) starting in July 2022. The goal of this series of classes it to enhance the mind, body, spirit and social domains in your life. You will learn proactive pathways to improved mental fitness and gain skills that can be used in your daily life. These classes are completely free of charge and offer a wealth of skills to help you navigate your specific life journey. This is the first of such virtual learning opportunities. These classes are live (not recorded) and are taught by highly trained instructors. Through our partnership with the Fleet and Family Services Programs and Zeiders Learning Management Systems (LMS) we hope to be able to increase the catalog of offerings based on your needs and attendance.
If you wish to attend you will need to create an LMS account the instructions for this process are enclosed. In the drop down menu, there is a Navy Gold Star Family Member option that has been created especially for you. Once you have created your user account you can use the link below (by cutting and pasting it into your browser) to access the special Navy Gold Star Family Portal where you will see the listing of class dates.
(Remove the NO Click added by the Navy network)
https://learning.zeiders.refineddata.com/course/view.php?id=12393
For any questions or more information please contact- Erick.C.Roberts@navy.mil
Ice Cream Fundraiser!
Thank you to our friends at MALAMA KAUHALE for their recent fundraiser! We wished we could have been there for some of their delicious homemade treats! For those of you in Hawaii please make sure to check them out. You can learn more through their Instagram. malama_kauhale
Thank You to Viasat and the Viasat Veterans Alliance
Our President and Gold Star wife, Jennifer Carazo had the honor of addressing the Viasat Veterans Alliance during their recent Memorial Day Observance Event. Jennifer was grateful to not only share Sugar Bear's story but also the mission of the Sugar Bear Foundation. We greatly appreciate this opportunity as well as the BBQ Fundraiser they held to support our work.