Temecula Donates: $11,600.00

Our local Big Brothers Big Sisters is dedicated to mentoring youth and changing futures. We believe that the solution to prevent future child abuse, reduce violence and delinquency all the while increasing academic success for children is by providing them someone to stand in their corner – a mentor. Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Valley is the bridge for kids to find a safe and trusting mentor that can ignite their potential. Since we opened their doors in 2013 we have been a backbone to kids slipping through the cracks and vehicle for community members to become mentors to these youth. This December 1,200 youth are being mentored by 1,200 professionally supported mentors region wide. With the support of their mentor, the mentees are developing confidence, reclaiming their childhood and seeing a path away from violence and towards resiliency and success. 99% of BBBS’ youth graduated high school with 74% being the first in their family to graduate high school and 80% enrolling into enlistment, education or employment. Big Brothers Big Sisters is doing “BIG” things one child and one mentor at a time that is making lasting change to the child and their surrounding community.

10 years ago, my wife Denise and I started a Christmas Tree and Wreath Fundraising company helping schools, churches and other non-profit organizations raise much needed funds for their programs. To date that company has helped these groups raise over $7,500,000 dollars for their efforts. As a way to give back to our military families, in 2013 we began supporting the Trees for Troops© program. This provided an additional fundraising opportunity while supporting our heroes who serve and their families at Christmas time. Over the last five years, our groups have donated over 16,000 real Christmas trees to the national Trees for Troops© organization. In 2016, our team launched a non profit organization, CORE-934, Inc. Our dream is to increase the number of Christmas trees provided to our military, eventually reaching as many as 50,000 additional families per year. Our joy, is to “Bring Home the Spirit of Christmas” and a gift of gratitude to all those who serve in honor of their sacrifices for our nation’s freedom.

Krystle and her family were like any other military family in The United States, until tragedy struck in 2012 and their world was turned upside down. William was soon attached to Wounded Warrior Battalion on Camp Pendleton for treatment. He was being treated for muscular skeletal injuries as well as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Not long after treatment began, he endured a horrible flashback and was admitted to the Naval Medical Center in San Diego, CA. Krystle knew life was going to be more challenging, but she was determined to stick by William’s side, no matter what. Krystle and the kids spent the next three years trying to adjust to a new way of life while William went through intense psychological therapy using eye movement and desensitization reprocessing. Krystle quickly took on the role of caregiver for William and has found herself at times neglecting the care that she needs. Most of Military and Veteran Caregivers would not seek help simply because they did not know where to turn for help. Krystle’s motivation behind starting this foundation is to give these unique caregivers the opportunity to not only seek help to make sure they are meeting their own needs, but also to show them that they are not alone.