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Our Mission Founded in 2009 by military spouses, we empower military families to thrive by connecting them with their civilian neighbors, both people, and organizations, to create strong communities of support. Our Vision Blue Star Families is establishing and fostering engagement and partnerships to create recognizable, consistent communities that support the health and resilience that military families need to succeed. We engage military families and community members by delivering solutions to the challenges faced by military families. Our Impact More than 1.5 million military family members around the world have benefited from our programs, and that number continues to grow as we expand our programs and, working with our community partners, discover innovative new ways to help.

Our Mission is to restore the true meaning of Memorial Day by connecting Americans to the sacrifices of our military, law enforcement, firefighters and rescue personnel. Carry The Load programs provide an interactive way for Americans to remember, honor and celebrate Memorial Day in dedication to those who sacrifice for us daily. Funds raised during Memorial May programs allow Carry The Load to grow its vision and execute its mission,as well as provide existing nonprofit partners with valuable visibility, resources, and meaningful connections.

Full Circle Home is a 100% volunteer not-for-profit organization that connects deployed service members with their loved ones across the country and on bases around the world. Since 2007, Full Circle Home has helped over 15,000 troops send their holiday gifts and love notes to their Heroes at Home. The simple act of giving a gift with a hand written note can bridge the gap between our troops and those who support them. The troops share with us how deserving their loved ones are. These gift packages allow them to express their gratitude and recognize the sacrifices made by those at home. The gifts are a daily reminder of the love of their service member and the appreciation of sponsors across the country. This connection provides encouragement and support for both those at home and those overseas, because the whole family is affected by a deployment.

To provide temporary lodging and support to military members, veterans, and their families, when receiving treatment through a Southern California Navy or Veterans Administration (VA) medical facility. We also fund the construction of new Fisher Houses, and ensure that our four current Fisher Houses are well maintained for our military families. We make available more than 15,000 nights of lodging, at no cost to the military/VA families, at four Fisher Houses located at VA Long Beach, Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton, and Naval Medical Center San Diego, saving families more than $2 million in savings annually.Additional support is provided to the families such as food supplies, amenities and transportation services.

Our Mission: To help those who have served our country honorably live with dignity and independence. The service dog programs of America’s VetDogs® were created to provide enhanced mobility and renewed independence to veterans, active-duty service members, and first responders with disabilities, allowing them to once again live with pride and self-reliance. Not only does a service dog provide support with daily activities, it provides the motivation to tackle new challenges. VetDogs trains and places guide dogs for individuals who are blind or have low vision; PTSD service dogs to help mitigate the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder; hearing dogs for those who have lost their hearing later in life; service dogs for those with other physical disabilities, and facility dogs as part of the rehabilitation process in military and VA hospitals. It costs over $50,000 to breed, raise, train, and place one assistance dog; however, all of VetDogs’ services are provided at no charge to the individual. Funding comes from the generosity of individuals, corporations, foundations, businesses, and service and fraternal clubs. Once they make the decision to get a service dog, applicants become part of VetDogs’ open and welcoming community. They are supported with an uncompromised commitment to excellence, from highly empathetic and certified trainers to a meticulously constructed curriculum. VetDogs teams each student with the dog that’s right for them – and the power of their bond makes ordinary moments extraordinary. Crossing the street independently becomes a moment of liberation. Traveling alone becomes a welcome adventure. Embracing new experiences becomes an everyday occurrence. America’s VetDogs launched in 2003 as a project of the Guide Dog Foundation. In 2006, it became a separate 501(c)(3) corporation; the two organizations continue to share staff and other resources to ensure people with disabilities receive the best services possible. With an assistance dog from America's VetDogs by their side, a hero is never alone. With their courage and determination, these remarkable teams reconnect us all to the highest form of freedom there is: the freedom to experience the world around us in any way we choose, and to live without boundaries.

John T. Holzum Memorial Foundation was created to continue the tradition of giving set forth by my father, John T. Holzum. He was a man of great integrity and character. He gave of himself relentlessly while being a great husband, exceptional father of six children, owning a business, serving as president of a school board, and serving as Faithful Navigator of his Knights of Columbus council. John T. Holzum Memorial Foundation produces events to raise funds for a variety of benefactors. Country Family Reunion benefits the USO of Missouri, and Mission Possible benefits Professor Craig & Shari Miner's mission trips to foreign orphanages to assist children with disabilities. The foundation funds a variety of special needs cases, including sending underprivileged children to Summer camp, buying Christmas presents for homeless children, and purchasing a violin for a young aspiring musician. The foundation will start a scholarship for two graduating high school seniors beginning in 2018. We intend to serve more causes as our foundation grows! John T. Holzum Memorial Foundation's staff have worked together for a decade to serve the needs of many in our community, and a wonderful support group of volunteers rounds out the family the makes our foundation a success! John T Holzum Memorial Foundation recently received the USO of Missouri FIVE STAR AWARD in recognition for years of fundraising and donations to USO of Missouri/Southern Illinois. Please visit HolzumFoundation.org for additional details, and support opportunities. Committed to continuing a tradition of giving, John T. Holzum II - President & Founder, John T. Holzum Memorial Foundation

After Pat Tillman's death while serving in Afghanistan, family and friends established the Pat Tillman Foundation in 2004 to honor his legacy and commitment to country. Today, through the Tillman Military Scholars program, the Foundation invests in military veterans and their spouses through educational scholarships—building a diverse community of leaders committed to serving others. To date, the Foundation has awarded $4.1 million in scholarship funds to 290 Tillman Military Scholars pursuing education at every level from freshmen undergraduates to Ph.D. candidates. Overall, our Scholars represent 90 different academic institutions nationwide. Our mission is to encourage and empower Tillman Military Scholars to make a sustainable impact globally and in their local communities, while increasing awareness of the unique issues facing veterans and military families today.

Women Veterans Giving, Inc. (WVG) is committed to narrowing the gap between civilian and military relations, empowering women of all leadership positions, assisting in the reintegration to civilian life, finding fulfillment in the professional world, encouraging a sense of belonging, encouraging entrepreneurs and small business owners, and building a supportive educated community. WVG is women veterans lifting each other up, for all to succeed and create a better community. WVG is committed to raising funds to provide women veterans scholarships for the Unconference and small business funding as well as other professional development opportunities.

Their common bond is the battlefield, whether it is service in the Persian Gulf, Korea, Kosovo, WWII, Vietnam, Bosnia or the war on terrorism or peace-keeping expeditionary campaigns. Their courage and sacrifice have made a difference in preserving and defending world peace. As they remember to never again leave even one Veteran behind, They continue to serve their Comrades, wherever they are or have been. They are here to help.

HONOR FLIGHT SOUTHLAND IS A 501(C) (3) NON-PROFIT 100% VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATION CREATED SOLELY TO HONOR AMERICA’S VETERANS FOR ALL THEIR SACRIFICES. WE SAFELY TRANSPORT OUR HEROES TO WASHINGTON DC TO VISIT AND REFLECT AT THEIR MEMORIALS. TOP PRIORITY IS GIVEN TO THE SENIOR VETERANS – WORLD WAR II SURVIVORS, ALONG WITH THOSE OTHERS WHO MAY BE TERMINALLY ILL. OF ALL THE WARS IN RECENT MEMORY, IT WAS WWII THAT TRULY THREATENED OUR VERY EXISTENCE AS A NATION – AND AS A CULTURALLY DIVERSE, FREE SOCIETY. ACCORDING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERAN AFFAIRS, AN ESTIMATED 860 WWII VETERANS DIE EACH DAY. IN 2015, OUR YOUNGEST WWII VETERAN IS 87 YEARS OLD, MOST ARE WELL INTO THEIR 90’S. OUR TIME TO EXPRESS OUR THANKS TO THESE BRAVE MEN AND WOMEN IS RUNNING OUT. HONOR FLIGHT SOUTHLAND IS OUR WAY OF PAYING A SMALL TRIBUTE TO THOSE WHO GAVE SO MUCH – A MEMORABLE, SAFE AND REWARDING TOUR OF HONOR!Honor Flight Southland was created for the veterans located in the Los Angeles, Orange, and San Bernardino Counties. Our tours in Washington DC consist of 3 days and include roundtrip airfare, accomodations and meals provided to our veterans. It costs approximately $2,000.00 to take one veteran back to DC. Our first trip is in June and we will be taking 20 veterans. We are currently fundraising for our next trip which is October 23-25, 2015. On this tour, we plan to take between 75-80 veterans.We are an accredited charity. Your donation will help transport veterans to Washington, D.C. to visit THEIR memorials. Our top priority is our nation's most senior heroes. World War II veterans waited patiently for over 65 years for a memorial that recognizes their service and accomplishments. The World War II Memorial also recognizes the ultimate sacrifices of their friends who never made it home. Similarly, Korean and Vietnam Veterans have been waiting for years to see their memorial as well. They ALL deserve this one last opportunity to visit America's "Thank You." Tours are simply not possible without public support. Prior to Honor Flight Network, our veterans had given up all hope of ever seeing their Memorials. Now they have hope… but time is not on our side.The time to act is NOW!In another 5-7 years almost all of our World War II veterans will be gone. This tour is their "last hurrah" - the last time they will be recognized as the conquering victors that collectively and literally saved the world. To this day most of Europe is free, most of the Pacific is free and America is free. This freedom came at a very high cost. We can never repay them for what they've done. An “Honor Flight Tour” is simply a small token of our appreciation for everything they've done. Throughout their Honor Flight Network tour, the Veterans are thanked, recognized and admired for their service. They come home personally knowing how much their country loves them and respects them. Veterans will never forget this gratitude and adoration.Please help us rewrite this final chapter of their lives. Our American Veterans deserve nothing less. Equal priority is given to any terminally ill veteran who has never visited their Memorials. If America thought it was important to build a memorial to their service and sacrifice, Honor Flight Network believes it's important for them to visit their memorial before it's too late.If you are a veteran or know a veteran that would be interested in going one of our trips, please visit our website at www.honorflightsouthland.org to fill out the application. We would love to have you join us on a future trip. We are also accepting applications for guardians to accompany and help chaperon the veterans while we travel across the country to see their memorials. Please contact us with any questions regarding these applications.