Helping Hands for Freedom is 501c3 26-3084550 that supports Veteran and Gold Star families with financial assistance.

Staff/Support

SSgt (Ret) Chris Bain
SSgt (Ret) Chris Bain
  • Development

SSgt (Ret) Chris Bain is a wounded veteran who suffered severe injuries in Iraq. He served several tours because of his love for his country. While in Iraq he was injured in an ambush where he and his team were hit by 3 mortars and he was shot twice. He actually died for 10 minutes, but was revived by his interpreter who gave him a blood transfusion on the battlefield. He woke up 14 days later in Walter Reed Medical Center where he spent 3 and a half years recovering from his injuries. Chris refused amputation of his arms and used the sheer force of his will to keep going. He is the recipient of a of a ground breaking procedure that implanted a battery in his left buttock and sensors in his spine to bring is left side back to life. Despite his injuries he is now a single digit handicap golfer.

He is here today because of his refusal to give up. After his service he went back to college and received a bachelor's degree in business management in 2019 from Penn St. He is married with three children and now resides in Phoenix, AZ. He is a principal partner/owner in a service-disabled veteran owned small business (SDVOSB) specializing in the construction sector. www.patryot.com.

cbain@patryot.com

Carrie Smith
Carrie Smith
  • Florida Board Liaison

Colonel (Ret) Caroline K.M. Smith (Carrie) grew up in Terre Haute, Indiana. She graduated from Indiana University with a Bachelor's Degree in History and a ROTC Commission as a Distinguished Military Graduate in July 1997. Later she received a Masters Degree in Business Security Management and a Masters degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College.

Her military education and duty focus were with the Military Police. During her 23 years in the Army she deployed to Panama, Iraq and Afghanistan. Among her domestic duty stations was a stint at the Pentagon. During her career, Carrie advanced from Platoon Leader to Company Commander to Battalion Commander with her final assignment as the Brigade Commander and Commandant of the United States Disciplinary Barracks and Correctional Complex at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

Among her many awards and decorations are the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Combat Action Badge and Master Parachutist Badge.

Newly married Carrie chose to retire from active duty and start a new life with husband Jonathan in Holmes Beach, Florida (Tampa area)