GREELEY, Colo. -- Two women from Colorado are on a mission to help service members fly to be with their families, no matter the occasion.
Their nonprofit, called Helping Heroes Fly, has helped reunite military members with their families for the holidays, births, deaths and emergencies.
"If they defend our country I feel like they should be able to get home when they need to," said Terri Kenney with Helping Heroes Fly.
The organization is raising funds to continue providing free plane tickets. They buy plane tickets until the money runs out and then begin fundraising again.
In order to quality, service members need to fill out an application and submit their approved leave papers. There are no income restrictions.
Terri Keeney and Pam Matt founded Helping Heroes Fly in 2016. The two women from Greeley saw a need so they decided to pray about it and take action.
"It is a common misconception that the military will fly them from base to home for really anything," Matt said.
She said service members often can't afford to fly home, especially when they are just beginning their careers.
"There was a wife that contacted us and said, 'My husband is being deployed. It will be our last Christmas together as a family for a year. If we pay for his ticket we can’t afford to get his kids gifts,'" Keeney said.
Helping Heroes Fly is in need of donations leading up to the busy holiday season when there are a lot of requests. The nonprofit is holding a fundraiser on September 16 at Journey Christian Church in Greeley. It runs from 5:30 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Tickets are $20 online and $25 at the door. There will be music, dancing and give-aways.
