Thank you for an Amazing Year!

As we look ahead to the coming year I am thrilled for all that lies ahead and very grateful for what we were able to provide this past year.  We continue to offer all of our programs for spouses and children but are adding some new ones too.  Specifically, I am very happy about our upcoming retreat in North Carolina. Working with Eagle Rock Camp is a perfect fit for us for many reasons. I easily connected with their founder who is also a widow, she understands loss, grief, trauma, is from a military family, and has been working within the community for years. We have a robust curriculum in place for this event as well as providing time for our spouses to enjoy this beautiful location and form some new friendships. If you know a spouse who might benefit from this retreat please share or reach out to us for more information as we hope to grow this program.  Such work would not be possible without the financial support we are receiving.

I was excited to attend Merry Margarita this year. It has been two years since the last celebration and it was definitely a joyous event. I am so grateful for this support, not only financially, but for the toys they donate and the opportunity to speak and share our work.

I would be remiss if I did not thank our amazing scholarship sponsor, RF-LAMBDA for their continued support, not only during the holiday season, but throughout the year. Their recent Holiday Open House was a wonderful event and a great opportunity to connect with our San Diego families. Additionally, RF-LAMBDA once again provided support for us to deliver gift cards and presents in San Diego too.

Thank you to all who contributed to our annual Gift Card Campaign. As a result, we were able to send gift cards for the holidays to our spouses from our Financial Assistance Program.

For our families, be on the lookout for a new STEM program that we have been working on as well as our Surviving Spouses Network which will provide some great information, resources and the opportunity to interact in a live forum. We are also working on employment opportunities for our spouses that would adhere to their busy and demanding lifestyle as surviving spouses. More to come.

Again, we could not do any of this without all of the incredible support we are receiving.

The new year will also bring in our 2022 Sugar Bear Virtual Run Fundraiser efforts. We will have sign-up information soon, but are always looking for Ambassadors to help us grow this program. This is a wonderful opportunity to share Sugar Bear’s story, our work and get involved with our mission. Any and all help is greatly appreciated.

For our spouses, a new year can bring new opportunities. Six years ago I received a gift with the opportunity to form this foundation. Although it has been a lot of work I would not change anything as I knew there was a need for more resources for families like ours. We hope you will reach out if you would like more information about one of our programs, are interested in employment opportunities, or if you have a need that has not been addressed. We are here to serve you! So please contact Admin@thesugarbearfoundation.org.

Thank you for making this a truly blessed year and thank you for supporting the spouses and children who have given their all! 

Jennifer Carazo
Gold Star wife/President

A Time to Give Thanks!

The holiday season is still my favorite time of year but that was not always the case. After losing Sugar Bear I was not sure how there would be any more celebrations nor holiday festivities. I did not want to celebrate anything, and I did not think I ever would. Despite the incredible support from so many friends (that are still standing by us to this very day) what truly got me to the proverbial “other side” of such a horrific loss was the very person I was grieving. As ironic as it may sound, it was several pivotal conversations we had throughout our marriage and before Sugar Bear left for Afghanistan. His words and spirit kept me going and reminded me to embrace life, smile, feel joy, count my blessings, and celebrate everything. I have made it a point to do just that and instill in our children that same mindset. And while I reflect this month on the Sugar Bear Foundation, I feel so much joy and gratitude.

I recently had the opportunity to tour the Pentagon. It was an incredible experience, especially from a historical perspective. My friend and guide was able to share a lot of the details from 911 which had a profound impact on me and my visit. I was reminded of loss and it inspired me to continue to give back especially during this holiday season, and reinforces why we continue to work hard to provide the many programs offered by the Sugar Bear Foundation. From our amazing memorial scholarship sponsor RF-Lambda and the upcoming Holiday Open House at their site, to the spouses we have been able to provide financial assistance as they regain their footing and start rebuilding their lives. We feel incredibly blessed for the Merry Margarita Party where the Sugar Bear Foundation will be the recipient of a silent auction. The funds raised from this event will go directly towards our programs such as  Financial Assitance, Coaching, Holiday Gift Card Campaign, and our first retreat for spouses.

We have so much to be thankful for and this provides me an incredible sense of joy as I know Sugar Bear would be happy with our work. I am also grateful for my incredible board, their time, continued service, and the opportunity to welcome Tony Gallardo to our team. 

Not only is this a beautiful season, but a very busy time too and we appreciate all of your continued support. We hope you will reach out if you feel compelled to donate an item for the auction or make a contribution to our Holiday Gift Cards Campaign or any of our programs. We appreciate any and all assistance as we give back to the spouses and children who have given their all. 

Thank you,

Jennifer Carazo
Gold Star wife/ President 

Preparing for the Holiday Season

This year has flown by and I cannot believe we are starting to prepare for the holiday season. Despite all the sadness, anxiety, and uncertainty during the pandemic we have remained vigilant in sustaining our programs and expanding our opportunities. So, as I reflect, I feel incredibly blessed since we reached our goals and more. This comes from the amazing support we have received from our donors, our educational sponsor, RF-LAMBDA, and our partner organizations.

I recently had the opportunity to tour the future site of our first retreat for spouses in North Carolina. We are partnering with an amazing organization, Eagle Rock Camp which serves veterans and their families struggling with trauma. Lynn, the founder, and President is a fellow widow with whom I instantly connected through our shared experiences, faith, an immense desire to give back.  This will be Eagle Rock’s first retreat for the Surviving spouse community, and I am excited for the curriculum we are creating as well as the possibilities to grow this program.

Additionally, we have two new opportunities for our spouses. First, from a dear friend and another fellow widow. Susan Hannifin-McNab, an author, educator, and social worker is offering both personal and group support sessions for our spouses dealing with trauma and grief. Susan created the A2Z Toolbox to assist survivors dealing with loss. Susan will join our free Coaching Program with Sarah Davis as a means of providing career, educational and emotional support to our spouses.  Additionally, we are working with Patriots Path to provide a Career Transition course specifically for Gold Star/Surviving spouses. This is a wonderful addition to our work because it will serve as an excellent resource for our spouses looking to rejoin the workforce, contemplating a career change, or simply exploring employment options.

With the holiday season approaching, we are very grateful to share we will once again be the recipient of the Merry Margaritas Auction Fundraiser. If you or your business would like to contribute with an auction item, please contact Admin@thesugarbearfoundation.org. Additionally, we are also seeking donations for our holiday gift card drive. Funds will again be used to purchase gift cards for our families that are in need this holiday season.

Finally, we are thrilled to announce Gold Star daughter, Sarah Lee is our 2021 RF-LAMBDA Memorial Scholarship recipient. We are so happy to assist Sarah with her educational endeavors. Please make sure to check out Sarah’s story. If you are a Gold Star son or daughter needing assistance with your educational goals, make sure to check out the requirements. None of this would be possible without the incredible support we receive from RF-LAMBDA.  Aside from the scholarship, they help us provide virtual tutoring, college consulting, and this month’s College Planning Workshop among other opportunities.

As always, thank you for helping us continue Sugar Bear’s legacy of service while giving back to the families who have given their all. If you would like to provide some specific support or have an idea to assist us with our mission, please contact Admin@thesugarbearfoundation.org.

Thank you,

Jennifer Carazo
Gold Star wife and President/CEO

Thank You to Our Military, Veterans and Gold Star Families

As I am writing this note my heart is breaking with the attacks in Afghanistan. I know what lies ahead for the families of these heroes and the pain they will endure. Our team is praying and will continue to do so, and we stand ready to assist in any manner to help, not just today, but tomorrow and in the months and years ahead.  We also want to say thank you to our veterans who have served and have kept our nation safe. We are very grateful! 

As we continue to work to provide more programs and opportunities for our families, we are thrilled to offer these two upcoming virtual events (Online College Planning Workshop and Online Career Transition Course) and our college consulting for Gold Star teens and spouses.  

As such we are also happy to now partner with Patriots Path and for the Online Career Transition course, they have put together for Gold Star and Surviving Spouses. This class is not only for those who have identified their career goals, but it is also for spouses who would like to explore employment opportunities and how to best achieve future endeavors. Patriots Path will provide additional virtual events for us such as networking opportunities, as well as career coaching and personality assessments. 

As part of our Virtual Tutoring Program, we also offer college consulting. This program is available to spouses and children (8th grade and up) and will enable our families to work with an experienced consultant with years of experience helping families with the college planning process. 

We are also excited to announce that we are working with Eagle Rock Camp and co-hosting our first retreat in North Carolina for Gold Star and Surviving spouses. The retreat will take place at the end of March in 2022 and will focus on providing these spouses with four days to focus on themselves, their healing, health, and well-being. Applications will be available soon and we look forward to sharing soon. 

All these programs and opportunities are free to our families thanks to the generous support we receive from our educational sponsor, RF-LAMBDA, donors, and grants.  Our mission has been and will continue to focus on providing educational, career, and financial assistance to the families we serve so they might know an easier path after the loss of their service member. Now more than ever we need to provide such support and we thank you for helping us do so. I am personally so grateful that we are able to continue to grow and do more and we are working to do just that.  

If you are a Gold Star/Surviving spouse and are interested in the above opportunities or any of our programs for your children or yourself, please contact our Admin@thesugarbearfoundation.org. Also, make sure to sign up for our newsletter and complete our Registry as we are working on several new resources and programs such as our Surviving Spouses Network and Virtual STEM Club.  

Thank you,

Jennifer Carazo 
Gold Star wife/Chairman