2-21-24
VFAF Veterans for Trump working with The Center for Warrior Foundation (CFWF) and Sam Redfern, CEO of the Montana Veterans Association (MVA) have been credited by the Montana Press for the development of a Green Star Veterans Families scholarship fund.
LINK TO PRESS RELEASE :
From the Article :
Legislators, veterans, and advocates united in Helena on Saturday night to support a common cause: assisting family members who have lost a veteran to suicide.
The Center for Warrior Foundation (CFWF) organized a fundraiser at Kleffner Ranch in an effort to bolster support for Green Star families. Green Star veteran families refer to those who have lost a family member, specifically a veteran, to suicide. Sam Redfern, CEO of the Montana Veterans Association (MVA), the events main sponsor, emceed and highlighted the need for support and resources for Green Star Families, emphasizing the importance of public/private partnerships in suicide prevention.
Thanks to our partnership with MT DPPHS and several organizations across the state, our Vet2Vet buddy checks, targeted rapid resourcing, and outdoor recreation events are impacting lives. Montana has moved from number 1 to number 7 in suicide rates per capita for veterans in just 2 years, and we will not quit on our statewide efforts. Green Star families suffer immensely with suicide as the war is often brought home. These public/private partnerships between Montana DPPHS and MVA are critical in moving the ball on suicide prevention,” says Redfern. One immediate program the CFWF aims to undertake is providing support for the families who have lost a loved one through suicide, the Green Star Families.
These families have received little to no help due to the lack of meaningful programs or financial assistance. CFWF seeks to change this by creating scholarships and endowments for these families. Rob Rule, founder of CFWF and event organizer, recognized the vulnerability of Green Star Families and expressed his determination to build resources for them. Rule’s goal is to work with legislators to secure a specific designation for his organization, enabling a pathway for funding and endowments. “There has to be a specific designation in law for Montana Community Foundation to create the pathway for Endowment funding. We also need this designation for grants. There are no Green Star Family Designations at this moment in law. There are Gold Star Designations, but no Green Star.”
”Green Star Families are the most vulnerable families of veteran tragedy, and it has broken my heart. I know that someone must stand up for them and help them,” says Rule. The event successfully raised over $25,000, creating a scholarship fund for surviving family members from Green Star Families. Cait Corrigan, National Ambassador to Veterans for America First, Veterans for Trump, spoke at the event, emphasizing the importance of supporting veterans’ post-service. “From crossing the Delaware River on a cold December night to the Battle of Gettysburg, which led to the Emancipation Proclamation, to storming the beaches of Normandy and ending Hitler’s reign in Europe, to the fight for national security against terrorism post 9/11, everything we are and have become is because of our military heroes”
“Our veterans are the backbone of our nation. Supporting the Center for Warriors Foundation and the work of the Montana Veterans Association is essential in Saving Our Nation,” says Corrigan. Corrigan highlighted that Montana has one of the highest per capita Veterans populations in the U.S., with about 1 in 10 residents (9.4%) being veterans, underscoring the necessity for strong veteran programs in the state.
Representative Lola Galloway, an attendee at the event, described it as a convicting experience regarding the daily reality of the needs and stumbling blocks for Green Star Families.
“Events like this remind me that the liberty I take for granted has come with a price, and now it’s my turn to step up,” says Rep. Galloway. CFWF is also raising funds for a veteran’s complex in Sheridan, Mont., with further upcoming fundraisers planned this spring. MVA is leading efforts on the next Green Star Hope event in May 2023.
To learn more about CFWF or MVA, you can visit their websites at www.mtmva.org, www.mtmvafoundation.org and https://www.centerforwarriors.org/.
