{"id":247,"date":"2018-01-18T08:29:16","date_gmt":"2018-01-18T13:29:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.kars4kidsgrants.org\/previous-grants\/?p=247"},"modified":"2024-08-26T07:10:21","modified_gmt":"2024-08-26T11:10:21","slug":"angels-americas-fallen-helps-children-fallen-soldiers-first-responders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kars4kidsgrants.org\/our-grantees\/angels-americas-fallen-helps-children-fallen-soldiers-first-responders\/","title":{"rendered":"Angels of America’s Fallen Helps Children of Fallen Soldiers and First Responders"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cTheir parent gave all for our legacy. What will we give for theirs?\u201d reads the homepage of the Angels of America\u2019s Fallen<\/a> (AOAF) website. Founder and CEO of AOAF, Lieutenant Colonel Joe Lewis, has given a great deal and certainly more than most anyone you can name. Colonel Lewis followed his 25 years in the Air Force by creating AOAF, where he and his wife have dedicated the past five years to helping the children of those who fell while serving the military or as first responders.<\/p>\n

AOAF pays for these children, whose parents made the ultimate sacrifice serving their country, to take extracurricular classes in whatever discipline they choose. That might be Tai Kwan Do or ballet, playing the piano or swim classes. It\u2019s not just about the fun, it\u2019s about developing a child\u2019s self-confidence and giving that child a means of expression. But it\u2019s also about a much-needed commodity in a bereaved child\u2019s life, and that is fun.<\/p>\n

There are so many reasons that what AOAF does is a wonderful and heartwarming concept. Kars4Kids was happy to get behind the project of helping these kids and their families with a small grant<\/a>. We thought it was the least we could do.<\/p>\n

Here we speak to Colonel Lewis so you can find out more about AOAF and its important mission:<\/p>\n

Kars4Kids: How many years has AOAF been in operation? How many children have you helped? <\/strong><\/h2>\n

Joe Lewis: Five years. 375 children, 45 have graduated out at 19 years old, and we have 330 currently supported until they turn 19.<\/p>\n

Kars4Kids: One of the videos on your website speaks of a sister and brother from a family that had fallen through the cracks. How do the families of the fallen find you? Does the military direct them to you? Do you find them<\/em> and offer your services? <\/strong><\/h2>\n

Joe Lewis: There are three main ways. The first is through word of mouth among the families of our fallen military and first responders.<\/p>\n

We have been vetted by Army Survivor Outreach Services, which supports families of all branches, and they have our brochures in their offices and direct military families to us.<\/p>\n

The last is through our website and social media. Whenever we hear of a family that doesn\u2019t know of us, we do reach out to them and invite them to register.<\/p>\n

Kars4Kids: In the video on your website narrated by Christina Goetz Bixby, she speaks of receiving a hug from your organization, while Ryan\u2019s mom is taking Tai Kwan Do right along with her son. It seems like AOAF is doing more than sponsoring extracurricular activities for the children of the fallen. It sounds like a whole-family approach. Is that typical of what you do and how you\u2019re helping? Are you helping the spouses, too? <\/strong><\/h2>\n

Joe Lewis: Yes, it is absolutely representative of what we do. We realized quickly that to have lasting impact we needed to do more than just cover the cost of activities, we also need to encourage the children and remain in touch with them throughout the year. This includes their parent.<\/p>\n

We are not counselors, but we do a lot of listening, and often that is what they need.\u00a0 For the families that have fallen through the cracks or aren\u2019t sure if their family qualifies, we try very hard to validate their sacrifice no matter the circumstances of their loss.<\/p>\n

To the child, regardless of the cause, they have lost one of the most important people in their life. It\u2019s the same for the spouse, and the sacrifice both the children and parent makes is ongoing.\u00a0 I write letters to the children when they join and again every year to emphasize we honor the loss of their parent, but we know their sacrifice is ongoing, and we exist because we care about them and want to see them succeed. It\u2019s important they know there are really good people out there who are donating to get them in activities because they care about them. We also call to see how they are doing, and encourage them to get in another activity when their season is over.<\/p>\n

We have found when we engage the child in a healthy activity, it absolutely helps the parent. We have been told it is a big relief to know their children are doing something positive, that we have taken care of that financial burden all the way through their childhood, and that the time while the child is at their activity allows the parent to have a break and know their child is taken care of.<\/p>\n