It was a warm August night on the lawn of an amphitheater in August. The year was 2001. My husband, Robert, and I locked arms and joined in singing the lyrics to our favorite song, performed live by our favorite band, Matchbox 20.

​That night still holds precious memories for me, but those lyrics have an entirely different meaning today. On Tuesday morning September 11, 2001, like many other families I learned our family’s future would be forever altered. Eventually, Robert, a member of the Ohio National Guard, was activated and sent to Iraq. 

I was working in a restaurant several years later when I missed a call from Robert. After waiting on a table, I ran to the break room to listen his voicemail. I fell to my knees with tears flowing down my face when I heard: “Honey, I know you are at work, but I have to tell you the unit has been extended and placed on a new mission. Therefore, we will not be coming home as scheduled.”  

Later that evening he called me back to explain that his unit had been assigned to convoy mission duties and he had no idea when they would be home. I knew I had to hide my heartbreak and be strong, but it wasn’t easy. His anguish must have been so much worse.

During our conversation out of the blue, he asked if we could renew our wedding vows when he got home. “Will you marry me?” he asked. “Will you marry me again, when I come home?” “Yes.” I exclaimed.  

​On Military Spouse Appreciation Day and throughout the month of May, ThanksUSA will recognize special military spouse scholars who have shared their stories and life lessons with us. Thank you to all of the spouses who remain committed to the well-being and readiness of our service members.

​When Navy spouse Josefina Howard became the primary caregiver for her elderly mother, she began relationships with numerous social-service agencies on her mother’s behalf. Inspired by her parents and those who helped her find the necessary resources, Josefina decided to pursue studies that would allow her to help others in the caregiving community. With the assistance of $9,000 in ThanksUSA scholarships from 2013-2017, this Dallas native is completing Gerontology studies at Fort Hayes State University. 
 
Josefina’s life was forever changed after completing 450 hours of service through AmeriCorps National and Community Service Program last year. She said that her eyes were opened to the social problems in Dallas and the resources available. This experience inspired Josefina to expand her curriculum, and she is in the process of completing a Substance Abuse Counseling Practicum. Ultimately, Josefina envisions herself working for the VA Hospital or a non-profit organization to serve Veterans and their families, the disadvantaged, or disabled individuals.
 
This drive to help others who are struggling stems from her upbringing as part of a family of seven children in the poor section of Manila, Philippines, where money, jobs and other resources were scarce. The family found ways to make money as a show band in the 1980s, but Josefina’s parents always dreamed of higher education for their children.

​Josefina currently attends school part time while caring for her chronically ill veteran spouse who suffers from Gulf War Syndrome after serving for more than 23 years as a Naval Aviator. Like many military spouses, Josefina’s career and educational pursuits were often set aside as she homeschooled their two sons – the eldest is now a Naval Aviator himself and the youngest is intending to commission as an Army officer through ROTC and the Texas National Guard. She is proud to say that she is only nine courses away from earning a Bachelor of General Studies with concentrations in Human Services and Gerontology and will graduate in 2019.

Army spouse Leslie Caleb was awarded a full-tuition Purdue University Global/ThanksUSA Associate’s to Bachelor’s scholarship valued at over $33,000. Leslie currently majors in Industrial and Organizational Psychology at Purdue University Global.
 
Leslie’s journey as a military spouse is unique in that she was born outside the U.S. and came to this country with no transferable education. Knowing that education would be a valuable asset for her future, she began with a GED program and has continued to advance her education through personal determination and financial assistance from various scholarships. Leslie found out about the ThanksUSA scholarship program through connections made within her community. Having completed an Associate degree in Business Administration in 2016, Leslie qualified for the full-tuition Associate’s to Bachelor’s scholarship and ultimately transferred to Purdue University Global to complete her degree.

As a military spouse of six years, Leslie encourages other military spouses to be open to starting fresh, even letting go of a past way of life, to make a better situation for yourself and your family. She has also found it beneficial to enlist the help of mentors, whether it be another military spouse, service member, or a respected member of the community.
 
Outside of school, Leslie is currently employed in a leadership position at Amazon. She looks forward to graduating next year, fulfilling a lifelong dream made possible by generous donors of ThanksUSA. 

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For weeks, 16-year-old Haley Childress watched as her best friend, confined to a hospital bed, succumbed to a rare autoimmune disease. As there often is in such circumstances, there were blessings in the tragedy. The two had time to talk about their dreams.
 
“Our biggest goal was to graduate college and she was within a couple of months when she passed,” Haley remembers with fondness and what resembles joy in her voice despite losing her friend. After all, because of that friend with whom she shared so much, Haley discovered her career path.
 
“I spent a lot of time in the hospital,” she says. “And watching the care that she received…I knew that I wanted to do something in service of people.”
 
That service began in March with Haley’s first job in her chosen field – healthcare administration – after graduating online from Liberty University with the help of a ThanksUSA scholarship. Haley’s husband, Air Force contract specialist Mckenze Childress, is stationed at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland. Haley worked as a nanny on base, but the couple’s combined income made college costs a challenge. Haley’s $3,000 ThanksUSA scholarship eased the burden.
 
“I definitely would not have been able to graduate debt free and that blows my mind because a lot of people don’t have the opportunity to do that and I’m just grateful for that,” Haley explains.
 
Haley is also thankful for another opportunity that led to her new role supporting the recruiting team of MHM Services, a Vienna, Virginia based company that fills health care positions in government. As a 21-year-old military spouse, Haley worried that potential deployments risked her career path.
 
“I think that is something a lot of military spouses struggle with, that they will move in a few years,” says Haley. “MHM took a chance on me.”
 
Her chance to work with the company came through networking. ThanksUSA invited Haley to its annual gala, seating her at table with corporate sponsor Centene Corporation. Centene has a joint venture with MHM called Centurion. One discussion led to another ... to a job interview … to MHM.

Dear ThanksUSA Supporter,
 
After nearly 28 years of service to our country in both the U.S. Army and the U.S. Marine Corps, I was forced to retire due to service limitations. Shortly thereafter, while pursuing a second career in the federal service, I was diagnosed with a degenerative and disabling disease connected to my service that soon made it impossible for me work any longer. With two daughters approaching college age and possessing meaningful dreams for their future, it was an extremely distressing time.
 
Fortunately, when my eldest daughter, Addie, was accepted to one of the world's premier aeronautical sciences universities, ThanksUSA and its generous donators were there to cover my back. Thanks to the scholarship Addie received from ThanksUSA, she is now attending her "dream school" and is proving ThanksUSA's confidence in her was well-placed. She is excelling in her studies and is well on her way to achieving her ultimate goal, which is to be a U.S. Air Force officer and become the first woman in her family's over two-hundred years of military service to serve her country.
 
ThanksUSA has helped make that possible, but only through the largesse of Americans who appreciate the many sacrifices—emotionally, mentally, physically and financially—made by their veterans and their families. I therefore respectfully ask you to consider donating to ThanksUSA, so they can help make the hopes and dreams of our children reachable stars.
 
Semper Fidelis,
 
Keith Alan Hulet
Lieutenant Colonel
U.S. Marine Corps (Retired)

Legal & General America's Charitable Giving Campaign kicked off October 23rd and was followed by two weeks of fundraising events as well as donation collection from local businesses.

​LGA employees, with help from the community and their vendors, raised approximately $486,000, exceeding the $380,000 goal. Employees were able to pledge to the charity of their choice, while in-house fundraising events benefited the featured charities.
​
Legal & General America matched the amount raised, so in total $972,000 was donated to hundreds of different charities.