The Sugar Bear Foundation was formed in honor of Lieutenant Colonel Mario "Sugar Bear" Carazo. Sugar Bear made the ultimate sacrifice on July 22, 2010 when his AH-1W Super Cobra was shot down while conducting combat operations in Afghanistan. The mission of the foundation is to support the Gold Star/Surviving Spouses (Active-Duty and Service-Connected loss) and children of Fallen United States military personnel by providing career, educational, financial, and wellness programs to help meet their immediate and ongoing needs, fostering their personal, emotional, and social well-being.
After the loss of a service member families can feel displaced both emotionally and geographically. During active-duty life, families face frequent moves and do not experience solid connections to communities. Post-loss, many spouses will continue to move as they try to adapt and find the best fit for their "New Normal." Such dynamics decrease opportunities for personal and professional support for both the spouse and inevitability their children, thus creating even more gaps.
These challenges led to the creation of our Mentoring Program for our Gold Star spouses and college-aged teens. Based on our work within the community and consistent inquiries, we see a vast need to provide our families with a support program focused on career and educational guidance as a means of assisting them with their employment endeavors. As a result, we are seeking professional mentors who can provide support through virtual forums such as workshops, phone calls, or even in-person events.