About Friends of the Brave
Who Are We
We are a group of people who have individual strengths and talents to support, encourage, and assist those who serve, have served and their families.
Why Do We Exist
Our organization is a continuation of an effort that started with a father honoring the unselfish request of his deployed son to “Forget about me and do something for the soldiers and their families back home.” In addition, when the soldier arrived home he became a firefighter/paramedic. We believe it continues with our First Responders which is why we find it necessary to include First Responders and their families in our support efforts.
Where the Funds Go
We do this by creating a variety of events and initiatives to raise funds to support our mission. Funds are directed but not limited to: rehabilitative, occupational, educational programs, individual groups and families, housing, service animal programs and non-profits that support our mission.
Mission Statement
Our mission is to use our God given strengths and talents to provide assistance and support for our Military, First Responders and their families. We do this by creating a variety of events and initiatives to raise funds which are then directed to individual groups, families and to help other nonprofits.
The mission of the organization holds these core values:
Gratitude We are grateful for the commitment and sacrifice of the men and women who have answered the call to serve our nation and provide the safety and security of our daily lives. We give thanks for their unheralded work and courage. We are also grateful for the families of these brave individuals who support them.
Honor We respect the commitment, courage and principles of our Military and First Responders. We work to serve their needs and requirements resulting from their duties in service to our country. In honoring these brave individuals, we provide support to non-profit organizations who work with our Military and First Responders providing long term, continuing support.
Remembrance We will not forget those who have given their lives for our liberty and safety. Whether on the battlefield or on our nation’s streets, we honor and remember those who bravely served this country. Remembering these heroes, we support their loved ones by providing funding to non-profit organizations who help sustain the families after a loss.
The Logo
The logo is of two arms held together with a grip of each hand on the other’s forearm. The significance is to show a bond of strength that even if one hand were to let go of the grip, the bond would not be severed. The star can be both blue or gold. Blue to signify those who serve and gold to show the support of those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice. The draping of the red and white ribbon is to show the purity of heart of those who serve and the red to signify their willingness to put their life on the line in service to others. The stripes emanating from the star can be interpreted as a heart embracing the individual, or wings signifying protection.
This forearm grip is used in the Military, and the First Responder community which helps the Friends of the Brave show the crossover support of Military and First Responders. The grip in a horizontal position shows a greeting of friendship, in the diagonal position it signifies the process of lifting someone up, and in the perpendicular position it reflects our belief for all to be ultimately lifted up.