Media Kit

National Guard troops called to duty make enormous sacrifices — so do their families.

Guard Support of Massachusetts aids the members and families of the Massachusetts National Guard when deployment causes financial hardships. Guard Support provides emergency assistance to families of deployed warriors, assistance to soldiers and airmen, and grants to unit family readiness groups to prepare families for the long-term absence of a parent.

Our grant programs include:

Emergency financial assistance grants which provide help to pay for basic necessities such as rent, car payments, and utility bills. To date, we have provided emergency financial assistance to 120* families. Over 68% of our grant disbursements this fiscal year were for emergency financial assistance – the need is increasing due to the quadrupling of deployments between 2009 and 2010.
Family Readiness Group grants which provide funds to Family Readiness Groups for them to expand their capabilities to serve their units (often our grants provide the initial funding for the FRG’s to allow them to hold family events, including send-off ceremonies and homecomings). To date, we have provided Family Readiness Group grants to 43* FRGs.
Family connection grants. These grants are designed to help keep families connected, and have included buses for transportation on leave, internet connections for deployed units, and grants to families of wounded soldiers so they can travel to the hospital to visit the soldier.

Fiscal year July 1, 2009 — June 30, 2010
*As of May 7, 2010

In 2010, Guard Support expanded its mission to provide expert advice and low-interest loans to self-employed National Guard members to sustain and grow their businesses.

News Release

The Entrepreneurs’ Funding Program was launched to provide entrepreneurship training, capital and valuable expertise to both new and existing businesses founded by Guard members and their spouses. We feel this is an especially important initiative in the current economic environment.

The Entrepreneurs’ Funding Program helps Guard entrepreneurs to:

Grow their companies with needed funding, advisement and training
Create new jobs in the Commonwealth this year and in subsequent years
Employ Guard members, other military service members and veterans
Receive public recognition and media attention for their businesses

Download News Release ^(pdf)

Marketing Flyer

Download Marketing Flyer ^(pdf)

Photos

You may download the following photos for free use:

Major Helder Machado, CEO and President of Machado Consulting was awarded business funding by Guard Support’s Entrepreneurs’ Funding Program ^(PDF)
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Tina and John Scobie pictured with their son at the 104th Fighter Wing Family Readiness Group Holiday Party, Dec. 2009. Guard Support provided Family Readiness Group grant funding.
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Couple embraces at the 1060th Transportation Company homecoming celebration at the unit’s armory in Framingham.
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Family reunites at the 1060th Transportation Company homecoming celebration at the unit’s armory in Framingham.
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SGT Edward Holden meets his new baby at the Co. C 181 Infantry homecoming celebration held at the unit’s armory in Cambridge on March 19, 2008. Guard Support provided grant funding for the event.
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Six Guardsmen at the HHB 1-101 Field Artillery homecoming celebration pose with the unit’s Family Readiness Group leader. Guard Support provided grant funding for the home coming dinner held at the Marriott Hotel in December 2007.
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The Catino family spends time together before Sergeant Thomas Catino deployed with his unit for a one year deployment to Iraq. Photo taken at the 125th Quartermaster Send-off event on May 17, 2009 – held at the unit’s armory in Worcester. Guard Support provided grant funding to the unit’s Family Readiness Group to help fund this event.
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