For my family and me, the best way to start celebrating the holiday season is by sharing compassion and empathy with others – and during these unprecedented times this often is conveyed by sharing one's own good fortune.

And as inflation burdens all Americans across our country, it’s having the greatest impacts on families, stretching their finances to make ends meet. The work of our charities is most crucial right now to these families in the uniformed services community.

This Giving Tuesday, the start of a worldwide giving season, I ask you to consider donating to MOAA’s charities – The MOAA Foundation and MOAA Scholarship Fund – both GuideStar “Platinum” rated charities.

I have the utmost pride in what The MOAA Foundation and MOAA Scholarship Fund have accomplished in the time I have had the honor of leading these worthwhile missions.

Seven years ago, The MOAA Foundation (TMF) was in its infancy. Today, it provides the uniformed services community, regardless of rank or branch of service, with award-winning programs and support.

With five key pillars of support – crisis relief, community outreach, career transition, military spouse professional development, and professional education outreach  – TMF makes a real difference for uniformed servicemembers and veterans, along with their families and survivors.

This year, TMF cemented our commitment to serving those in need by launching the Crisis Relief Program. This program already has helped servicemembers, veterans, caregivers, and survivors recover from extraordinary natural disasters by providing financial assistance in small grants to numerous servicemembers, veterans and their families.

The MOAA Scholarship Fund, which traces its origins back to 1948, is a well-oiled machine committed to ensuring the children of military families have access to continuing education. Determined to provide the most meaningful support to students and families, the fund is constantly evolving; recently, the board of directors adopted a new disbursement strategy allowing for more funds to be distributed as grants--$3.6M in the 2023 academic year. This change empowers students to focus on their studies and invest in their futures.

It has been my privilege leading MOAA and witnessing the positive impact our charities make on our community. Uniformed servicemembers past and present, of every rank and from every branch, continue to come together to ensure our brothers and sisters in arms have the support they need to live a life reflective of their selfless service to our country.

Giving season – the time of year when The MOAA Foundation and MOAA Scholarship Fund push to raise funds that will ensure the programs and services we provide can continue for the years to come – kicks off Nov. 29 with Giving Tuesday.

I hope all MOAA members who have the means will join me this giving season – as I conclude my tenure as MOAA’s president and CEO – in making a donation to The MOAA Foundation and/or MOAA Scholarship Fund. A gift to either charity, no matter the size, has a profound impact on the work we do.

I am confident with the help of our generous MOAA membership, our charities will have the necessary resources to provide assistance to all of those in need and continue to thrive long after my departure. Thank you for investing in our missions.

Together, we will never stop serving.