Please take a moment to read this letter from Debbie Busch. She is the director and founder of Helping Unite Gold Star Survivors, HUGGS, and she is a good friend. This is a very special organization for me and the members do a lot for our community.
Dear Fellow American,
The families of our fallen heroes need your support. When a service member gives the GREATEST SACRIFICE, what happens to the family? I am writing you on behalf of HUGSS Helping Unite Gold Star Survivors. A Gold Star family is a family who has lost a family member due to war.
HUGSS’ mission is to serve the needs of families who have lost loved ones during the War in Afghanistan & Iraq. These families have paid the ultimate sacrifice for our Nation. The War on Terror has changed so many lives of our fellow Americans. There are many complicated grief issues for a military family that many of us do not consider. Such as:
- Having their loved one die a violent death?n
- At times, not being able to view the body (It is how the family accepts the death and how they say good bye. Too, some cultures and religions have special ceremonies they cannot practice without a body.)
Making decisions in the middle of their most difficult stages of grief
- Where to bury their loved one (Their family may be from the South and spouse from the North, etc.)?n
- Having to decide where to move
- Removing children and themselves out of their environment?n
- Financial decisions
- Losing not just their loved one, but their entire way of life?n
- News and public opinion, often negative, of the war effort constantly in the news (No matter where the family is on the war issue, negative public sentiment hurts.)
Our Nation's war on terrorism has made many young women & men widows/widowers. It has left all too many children without a parent and many parents and siblings without their loved one. These young Americans, many of whom joined the service after 9-11 or after the war, started to defend our Nation, have lost their lives. As a result, their families’ lives have been changed forever. Many Gold Star families wonder:
- “Will anyone remember what my loved one died for?”?n
- “Does anyone care that my dad died in Iraq?”?n
- “Did my son give his life for this country just to be forgotten?”
You can easily make a difference in these families’ lives. We need to show them that we appreciate their sacrifice.
In an article by Glamour magazine, “A Town of War Widows,” the widows of Fort Hood express the turmoil they go through every day. These women in the Gold Star families are remarkable in the fact that they can all support each other despite what they have been through. This is why we are asking you to help out these families in need. They cannot solely depend on each other and the government to support them. These families need you.
As an army wife of 26 years, with a husband and son deployed, I feel strongly that it is not just our government’s responsibility to care for these families. It is our responsibility as Americans. I believe it says something about who we are as Americans whether or not we extend a helping hand to these families.
HUGSS coordinates many programs for the Gold Star families. We offer grief camps & retreats for children and adults, support services, and community training. HUGSS’ main focus is to continue to reach out to families during holidays and difficult days such as birthday or date of death of their loved one to show support and offer assistance as needed. We offer resources and community support services no matter where the families may live across this Nation. The concept of HUGSS was designed and approved in part by Gold Star families. Currently, three Gold Star Families serve on the HUGSS’ board of directors.
To keep our focus strong, HUGSS’ has another goal. We want to be able to open Gold Star Support Centers across the country. Eventually, we want to be able to have a support center at every military installation where there is a need. We have been in contact with several military installations that would love to have our support and partner with us to care for this Nation’s fallen heroes families.
HUGSS is a non-profit, charitable organization and is located on the largest military base in the world, Fort Hood, Texas. To achieve this goal would be a tremendous feat for the organization. Each new center will cost over $250,000 while partnering with military installations to provide the facilities and contact information on their families. Though this may seem like a great reach, nothing is impossible for Americans who believe in supporting those who sacrifice so much for our Nation.
Our organization relies on the donations of supportive Americans. We do not receive any federal money. That is why we are only asking for a donation of $25 or $35. This tax-deductible gift will greatly impact our efforts to support our Gold Star families. Not only will your donation help our cause, but it will also show the families that we appreciate them and the bravery of our fallen heroes. With your help and that of other fellow Americans, we can all make this possible.
Thank you and God Bless,
Director & Founder of HUGSS
P.S. Your special donation will do far more than you can imagine. Not only will you help a family get through perhaps the roughest time they will ever experience, but you'll let our other servicemen and women know that you're behind them 100 percent! Please go to www.goldstarfamilysupport.org to make your donation and learn more about HUGSS.