Summary of Able Forces Foundation 2019 Mission Support

Able Forces Foundation (AFF), founded in 2009, has a Mission to provide crisis assistance to Military and Veteran families in immediate financial crisis. Our warriors and families are referred to us by military and veteran advocates that substantiate financial need. Our programs support families in the Washington DC Metro Area from Military Bases that include Ft. Belvoir, Quantico Marine Corps Base, Walter Reed/Bethesda Naval Hospital, and area VA Hospitals.

To address needed support, AFF has established 3 support programs; Crisis Assistance, Adopt A Warrior Family For Christmas, and Flight To The North Pole. A summary of our activities for 2019 is below.

Crisis Assistance

Our Crisis Assistance fund has been supporting military and veteran families since we were founded. This program runs all year, and takes care of families referred to us by our Advocates. our “friends” needing assistance could benefit from having their fuel bill paid, a little extra for food, assistance with rent, new clothes, shoes, a haircut, a meal out. Our Crisis Fund, provides immediate financial assistance throughout the year to assist with help when in financial crisis. We could not provide this support to our families without the incredible commitment to us by our friends and business partners.

Adopt A Warrior Family For Christmas Program

Christmas Season and the time leading up to it is always a very busy and emotional time for Able Forces Foundation. This is the time of the year when my Advocates from our Military and Veteran communities reach out to us for assistance with their families unable to provide a Christmas for their children. Christmas 2019 has to be one of the most emotional and satisfying Holidays we’ve supported since our founding in 2009. I’d like to share just a few of the highlights that makes this time so special for us.

This was our 8th Annual Adopt program and once again it was a very emotional time around the office at Able Forces. As with all our programs, we work very closely with the Advocates and families to ensure they have a memorable Holiday. This year, based on input from our Advocates and military and veteran families, we have almost completely moved to providing gift cards from WalMart and Target. With these gift cards families can shop on their own and feel like it is more like Christmas shopping than having gifts purchased for them, wrapped, and delivered.

This year we took care of over 40 families with the help of our very generous donors. Support provided “a little extra” for some families, and full “Adoption” for others.

Flight To The North Pole

For the 6th year, Able Forces Foundation partnered with Kane of The Kane Show (iHeart Hot 99.5), and Chantilly Air (Manassas Airport) to provide 20 santa-believing-aged children of Wounded, Ill, and Injured military and veteran families and experience they would never forget. Meeting at the Chantilly Air terminal at Manassas Airport, children and their parents were greeted by our Foundation, Kane, and the flight Captains and staff of Chantilly Air with games, video, and activities to keep them engaged while the beautiful Lear Jet was prepared for take-off to the North Pole.

Taxiing around the Manassas Airport, the Captain would speed-up, turn, and slow down during the 7 minute flight. Upon arrival at the “North Pole” (another Hangar) the doors opened for the children to be greeted by Santa and his elves and escorted to the wonderfully decorated Santa’s Workshop.

This year we had 4 separate flights of children taken to the North Pole; an experience that each child will remember for the rest of their lives.

My deepest thanks to Kane for inviting Able Forces Foundation to bring these children and families together for this most unforgettable event and Chantilly Air for their donation of the aircraft, fuel (over 4 hours), Captains, ground crew and staff. Each year seems to be more impressive and it is such an honor to be a part of such an incredible event.

Able Forces Foundation is truly Blessed to be able to work so closely with Advocates of military and veteran families in real need. We cannot thank enough the individuals and businesses that have supported us over the years. We continue to be extremely proud to be able to say that 100% of all donations go to support our Mission. No salaries, no expenses, no administrative costs are taken out for operations. Any expenses are paid for by our sister-company Able Forces Professional Services.