Mission Monday

Visiting Ft Stanton State Cemetery

Joyce Paulsen - Department of New Mexico, Albuquerque Chapter

The Department of NM visited the State Cemetery in Ft Stanton. We made it a point to visit and say veteran's names.

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Department of NY, Executive Meeting

Carrie Farley - Department of New York

The New York State Department of Veterans' Services proudly joined the Executive Board meeting of the American Gold Star Mothers, National (Official), New York State Chapter. Our Deputy Counsel, Benjamin Pomerance, (standing, back row) presented on DVS’s ongoing work to support Veterans, Service Members, and Military Families. A central focus was this year’s long-awaited victory: expansion of the Gold Star Family Annuity included in the 2025-26 State Budget. One Gold Star Mother from the Rochester area shared her powerful story. Her son was tragically killed in a stateside helicopter crash—yet under the old law, she was denied the Annuity. With the new expansion, she finally qualifies, receiving not only financial support but the lasting recognition of her son’s courageous service and sacrifice. With tears in her eyes, she hugged Benjamin and thanked DVS for championing this long-requested change. We are deeply humbled to walk alongside these incredible Gold Star Mothers in honoring their children and advancing policies that uphold their legacies. With the encouragement of the Gold Star Mothers, we are honored to share both this group photo and powerful story of a mother’s enduring love and sacrifice. God bless our Gold Star Mothers, Gold Star Families, and all who served.

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USO BWI Visit August 19, 2025 Baltimore, MD

Kelly Swanson - Department of Maryland/Delaware, Maryland Chapter

Members of Gold Star Mothers – Maryland Chapter, Janice Chance, Paula Davis, Theresa Karlson, and Stephanie White, provided lunch to troops preparing for deployment from BWI. The USO’s mission is simple yet powerful: to strengthen America’s military service members by keeping them connected to family, home, and country throughout their service to the nation. At BWI, that mission is lived every single day—supporting troops as they deploy, PCS, or transit through the airport. The troops expressed gratitude for the meal, and the Moms felt privileged to serve our nation’s heroes and look forward to serving again in the future.