HKennedy Veteran & Survivor Advocate

05/21/2026

Before you scroll by this Memorial Day weekend, I invite you to do one thing:
Leave the name of someone you are remembering in the comments. 🇺🇸

Whether they were lost in active duty, from service-connected injuries or illness, or from the invisible wounds carried home after service — they deserve to be remembered.

While many gather with family, travel, BBQ, or enjoy the start of summer, Memorial Day is also a time to pause for the those who never made it home, and for the families whose lives were forever changed by that loss.

Memorial Day carries both pride and heartbreak for many families, including my own. It is a reminder that freedom has a cost carried not only by those who served, but also by the families left behind.

This Memorial Day, my family remembers Tim.

Say their names.
Share their stories.
Check on surviving families.
Help ensure they are never forgotten.

They mattered.
They still matter. ❤️🤍💙

05/08/2026

"I came home from fifth grade to find two service members at our door. In an instant, my childhood split in two — before and after. My mother became a widow, left to raise three children ages 10, 8 and 5.

Just days after my father died, my mother sat through the briefing every military widow receives: Here is your flag, here are your benefits — and a quiet but unmistakable warning to not remarry...

Two weeks later, I came home from school with a “contract” I had written, asking her to promise she would never date again. That’s how deeply I believed in their love...

She didn’t sign it. Instead, she told me something I didn’t understand then: She didn’t know what the future would hold, but she hoped that someday, love could be part of it again.

But for my mother, that future never came.

Maybe she would have tried, if the cost of love hadn’t been so high. If choosing companionship didn’t mean risking the financial security that kept our family afloat. If she hadn’t been forced to weigh her own happiness against our stability.

She always chose us."

The "remarriage penalty" for bereaved military spouses is deeply misunderstood, says Ashlynne Haycock-Lohmann, TAPS Director of Government and Legislative Affairs and surviving daughter of Army SFC Jeffrey and Air Force SRA Nichole Haycock in Military Times.

"The benefits our family earned were not given out of pity or to offset the loss of my dad’s income, but to offset the decade my mom was out of the workforce...The current law does not acknowledge the true service and sacrifices our surviving spouses have made. They are not property. They are not divorced. They are people who had their futures taken from them, people who would give anything to have their loved ones back."

Learn how the remarriage penalty shaped Ashlynne’s family after her own father’s death, and why she is fighting to end it. Article link in the comments.

04/26/2026

Huge thank you to everyone who came out today for our Gold Star Spouses Ride — it was our biggest one yet! The weather was beautiful, but what made the day truly special was the incredible support, turnout, and shared purpose.

We ride to honor the fallen by remembering and supporting the families they left behind — and today, that mission was felt in every mile.

A special thank you to Michael J Alves for all of his effort and continued support.
To Kathie Blamire Cardona for traveling such a long way to be with us — it meant so much.
To Karen Dalton for always standing with us.

Thank you to all of the bike and car clubs, our families, and everyone who showed up to ride, support, and stand together. And a very special shoutout to the Gold Star Moms who came out — your presence means more than words can express.

We’re already looking ahead — next year will be our 5th Annual Ride, and we’re going all out. 💛🇺🇸

Stay connected for details on next year’s 5th Annual Ride — and invite others to be part of something that truly matters. 🇺🇸

04/24/2026

Honor the Fallen by standing with those who remain.

Join us Sunday for a 30-mile scenic ride raising awareness for Gold Star Spouses & Children.

📍 Meet behind Lincoln Mall Stop & Shop at noon

All vehicles welcome. Free event.

Come ride with purpose.

EVENT INFORMATION https://www.facebook.com/share/1CmL5DCNMj/

04/15/2026

All vehicles welcome! Engines on. Let’s roll.

Join us for our 4th Annual Gold Star Spouses Honor Ride 💛

We ride in honor of the heroes we lost
and in support of the spouses and children who carry their legacy forward every day.

all military & service-connected surviving spouses

🗓 April 26, 2026 • 12PM
📍 Lincoln Mall → Rhode Island Veterans Memorial Cemetery

🏍️ All vehicles welcome — motorcycles, cars, and trucks

Come ride. Come stand. Come remember.

Email: [email protected]

Event info- https://www.facebook.com/share/1BVzygNDnv/

03/31/2026

10/30/2025

⚠️ Shutdown Update: Day 30 for Military Families

💰 Pay & Financial Impacts: The White House has indicated that troops will be paid on or around November 1. The Department of Homeland Security confirmed that active-duty Coast Guard members will be paid on or about November 1 as well. However, pay for activated Reservists and Guardsmen on orders remains uncertain. Federal civilian employees, including DoDEA teachers and installation staff, have already missed paychecks, creating additional hardships for military-connected communities.

🍎 Nutrition & Food Assistance: Military and veteran families continue to turn to food programs in record numbers. At the federal level, WIC and SNAP programs will pause operations without intervention to fund these programs. For military families who rely on WIC programs overseas, their benefits will continue due to a different source of funding. Stateside Families who rely on these programs should stay in touch with their state or installation WIC office for the latest updates. If you need immediate food assistance:

📞 Call 2-1-1 to be connected with local food, rent, or utility resources.
🥕 Visit feedingamerica.org to find nearby food banks and pantries.

🏛️ Legislative Update: Despite ongoing discussions in Washington, no funding agreement or military pay legislation has advanced. The Senate is not currently scheduled to vote today on a House-passed measure to reopen the government, and is not expected to be in session this weekend after it adjourns later this afternoon. The shutdown will now likely stretch into its fifth week. We continue to encourage those who feel comfortable doing so to contact your elected representatives and share how this shutdown is affecting your family. Every story matters.

Education: As previously discussed, VA Ch. 35 tuition and housing payments are backlogged for more than 75,000 college and trade-school students who are the dependents and survivors of former military members after a software problem stopped automated delivery of their benefits. This issue was compounded by furloughed federal civilians who can fix the error. Military tuition assistance and VR&E support is delayed or paused due to the shutdown.

💙 It’s been a month now. Missed paychecks, canceled plans, unanswered questions, increasing anxiety; our military families are carrying a burden they didn’t choose. The frustration is real, and so is our commitment to you. MFAN will keep making sure you are seen, heard, and supported, even when progress feels out of reach.

We’re here. We’re listening. And we’re not going anywhere.
➡️ Share your story: milfam360.org

10/08/2025

This is in Massachusetts.
First PTSD Memorial to Be Unveiled in Honor of Veterans and Their Families. The community will gather on November 9, 2025, at 1:00 PM Connery Ave Bourne MA 02532 for the unveiling of the first PTSD Memorial, honoring the courage, sacrifice, and struggles of veterans, service members, and families affected by Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).