Dear Members & Supporters of MFSO,

As Military Families Speak Out faces major organizational changes, we want to thank you for your support and participation over the last 9 years. Together, MFSO members, supporters, and donors have made a difference in the lives of our troops, veterans and families:

• We worked every day to change attitudes towards the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. With our efforts, along with so many others, those wars are drawing to a close and the soldiers are coming home.
• We participated in local, regional and national events to bring our focus and mission before the public.
• We visited Congress members at home and lobbied them in Washington, and sponsored post cards campaigns and email campaigns to speak clearly to our elected officials.
• We wrote editorials, gave interviews and educated the American public on the true costs of the wars, including the needs of soldiers and families to heal from the trauma of war.
• In 2011 we held our first healing retreat in South Dakota for veterans and their families.

Due to the economic situation that many progressive organizations are currently facing, Military Families Speak Out has been forced to change our structure. Under the advisement of the MFSO’s co-founders, Charley Richardson and Nancy Lessin, as well as past Board members, it was decided that for the foreseeable future, we will no longer have paid staff or national office. Effective August 1st MFSO became an all-volunteer organization.

MFSO will continue as a virtual organization, run by the all-volunteer Board of Directors. We must now ask more of our members to help us speak out against the war in Afghanistan, possible unjust future wars, and to make sure our nation takes care of our troops before, during and after their deployments. This organization is too important to lose. We count on your continued support to continue to keep MFSO and its mission viable via the website and Facebook, as well as the activity of members at the local and national level.

After losing significant foundation funding in the past few years, we are now relying almost exclusively on individual donations from our members and supporters to keep the organization going. If you value MFSO and want to see the organization continue, please give as generously as you’re able. Click here to make a donation.

The Board of MFSO values ALL contributions, ideas and feedback from members and supporters, and we’d like to hear from you about these recent changes. You can provide feedback through our online form, an all-member conference call on September 10th, or by emailing the Board at mfso@mfso.org

• Click here to fill out our online feedback survey and let us know what you want from MFSO and how you’re willing to be involved.
• Join us for a conference call with MFSO Board members, open to all members of MFSO, on Monday, September 10th at 8pm EST. Conference Call information: Call-in number 605-477-2100, access code 226816#.

We invite you to join with us as we change with the times. Our presence may be different, but the dedication of MFSO and its place in the community of support for soldiers, veterans and their families is unchanged.

The MFSO Board of Directors
Katy Zatsick, Board Chair
Mary Hladky, Vice Chair
Rosalie Donatelli, Treasurer
Diana Clements, Northwest Representative
Maureen Casey, West Coast Representative
Dottye Ricks, At-large