DECEMBER 2017 44 | FRONTDOORSMEDIA .COM {stories of perseverance} A 2ND ACT Judy Pearson | CONTRIBUTING WRITER On April 1, 2005, Margy Bons's son, Michael Marzano, called from his deployment in Iraq. He had just been promoted to sergeant. “Michael took a financial hit when he left his job to serve his country with the Marines,” Margy says. “But as a sergeant, he was going to make $1,800 a month. He was so excited about that.” Then came the unfathomable phone call on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 7, 2005. Michael had been killed by a suicide borne vehicle filled with IEDs. That date also happened to be his birthday. Margy continued through her grief as a volunteer with an organization that delivered care packages to deployed troops. But service to the country, Michael’s passion, was the work that lived in her heart and her head. In that spirit, in 2012 she proudly launched Military Assistance Mission (MAM). At the heart of MAM’s work is their financial assistance program, allowing them to meet the financial needs of lower ranking service members and all Purple Heart recipients, regardless of rank. While injured service members receive medical care through the Veteran’s Administration, many need caregiving. This complicates a spouse’s employment, and impacts overall household income. Now, mainly through word of mouth, service members find MAM, fill out an online application, and receive grants to pay for MAM MILITARY ASSISTANCE MISSION AIDS SOLDIERS, HELPS GRIEVING PARENT FIND PURPOSE

DECEMBER 2017 FRONTDOORSMEDIA .COM | 45 items like rent, car payments and repairs, insurance, food and utilities. Although Margy rarely has the occasion to meet the recipients, there are times where paths cross. Such was the case with a soldier named Aaron. He, too, had been victim of an IED explosion. Now, facing incredible physical challenges, his home’s gas was about to be shut off. Because of his disabilities and additional upcoming surgeries, his wife was unable to work. During her conversation with Aaron, Margy heard children laughing in the background. “Do your kids have what they need to go back to school?” she asked. As expected, Aaron replied they were having difficulty just putting food on the table. “That was all I needed to hear,” Margy said. “Not only did we pay their gas bill and get them food cards, I told them about a Back to School event we were having. We were full, but I made sure I set aside extra backpacks for that family. When they saw the backpacks, those kids’ eyes lit up like it was Christmas morning.” Better still, after Aaron’s surgery, he got a job, his wife got a job, and they’re now back from the brink of losing everything. Aside from giving service members and