Co-Founder, Rodney Smith, is featured in the McCormick Ranch Lifestyle Magazine
By Alexandra Duemer, Click Here to see story: MCRL – Story
Article can be found at: http://issuu.com/mcrlife/docs/winter2013
Sacrifice is a common theme among military families, even among the youngest. While parents fight for freedom, independence and peace, the children of our deployed troops take on extra responsibilities and often face life's challenges without their mom or dad directly by their side.
The sacrifices become even greater for children of wounded service members and those who ultimately give their lives. Not only does the devastating loss alter the daily home environment, but the absence of a parental figure can inhibit a child's growth, development and education.
That's where Helping Hands for Freedom (HHFF) comes in.
HHFF has helped more than 1,500 military children and families throughout Arizona with life enrichment, life needs, and sports and education programs – fulfilling immediate needs as the Veterans Administration navigates a massive backlog of claims.
Co-founder Rodney Smith founded HHFF in 2008. By trade, Smith is a wealth advisor with First Financial Equity Corporation out of Scottsdale, Arizona, yet his true passion extends beyond financial figures and formulas. He dedicates much of his spare time to assisting at-risk and military youth nationwide.
"My life has been profoundly influenced by others who had a giving heart and believed in me when I was younger," he said. "I understand the importance of mentoring children and providing encouragement and direction."
Smith has dedicated much of his life to assisting youth in need. Following three years in the NFL in the late 1980s, he gained his first exposure to the non-profit world operating football camps for at-risk children. Fast forward 20 years, 100 youth camps and 140,000 kids served, Smith shifted his charitable focus to military families after meeting Staff Sergeant Patrick Shannon.
Smith met SSG Shannon in 2007 while consulting for a military charity in San Diego that served wounded service members and their families. A Purple Heart and Bronze Star recipient, SSG Shannon was dealing with his seventh surgery and bills were piling up. He also had a wife at home raising four children. Fortunately, the San Diego charity was able to fill a gap in expenses until he recovered. Smith realized a similar charity was needed back at home in Arizona.
"When parents returns from deployment, they are not always the same. Major injuries, such as the loss of a limb, traumatic brain injury or post traumatic stress disorder, are life-altering and children often have a hard time understanding the reason for a significant change in the appearance, personality or behavior," said Smith. "We provide the vital support, encouragement and inspiration to help them deal with the challenges that are unique to military families."
HHFF offers three types of programs to assist military families:
- Life Enrichment Programs – HHFF organizes groups of kids and their parents to attend museums, zoos, aquariums, science centers, sporting events and private nights out with celebrity athletes, among other community attractions and events.
- Sports and Education Camps – HHFF partners with local professional athletes to host multiple youth sports camps, each accommodating between 50 and 300 children.
- Life Needs Programs – HHFF provides a variety of emergency financial assistance, from housing and vehicle expenses, to food, diapers, school supplies and child care fees. Smith says the requests run the gamut. Recently, the non-profit helped save several homes from foreclosure. It also provided rental assistance to prevent a mother and two infant children from being evicted prior to her husband's deployment.
Nisa Stansbarger, of Gilbert, turned to Helping Hands for Freedom after she lost her husband in 2009. Upon his passing, Stansbarger and her 7-year-old son struggled to cope with their new reality. She says HHFF helped fill part of the void.
"Any event that has been thrown has helped my son be more open about our situation and to feel he has a big support group there for him," she said. "We have met many other families and made some new friends. It warms my heart that people like Rodney are out there wanting to make a difference. They know that nothing will replace what we have lost, but their kindness has made my son and I smile a little more each time."
In addition to offering a support system, HHFF also provided Stansbarger with funding so she could take her son to Virginia to visit his father's grave at Arlington National Cemetery on Father's Day.
"I will be ever so grateful for what they did for us that day," she said. "That trip had helped (my son) open up a lot. It had been the first time he really had ever broke down completely. I don't really know how I could ever thank them enough for giving us that opportunity."
To further assist families in need, Helping Hands for Freedom recently launched "Lucky 7 for KIDS," a fundraising campaign calling for community members to donate $7 to support the non-profit's community and financial assistance programs. To learn more or donate, visit www.lucky7forkids.org