In the past 35 years, tens of thousands of military dependents have been left behind after the death of an active duty parent. The Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation believes that a college education is the single most important gift we can give to children who have paid such a heavy price for their parent’s service.
Mission and Vision
The official mission of Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation is to provide scholarships and educational counseling to military children who have lost a parent in the line of duty.
The organization is dedicated to serving the families of service members from every branch of the Armed Forces who died as a result of combat, military training accident, service related illness, suicide, or other deaths that the Department of Veteran Affairs determines are duty related.
It is CFP’s vision to ensure that Gold Star children receive all necessary college funding; a vision they view as an important investment in the future of America. According to the foundation’s website, “This is one of the best ways we can honor those who died defending our country.”
How Children of Fallen Patriots Began
Five days before Christmas of 1989, Sergeant William Delaney Gibbs was killed in Action during Operation Just Cause in Panama. He left behind a young wife and unborn daughter.
Children of Fallen Patriots Founder and CEO David Kim served with Sergeant Gibbs, whose ultimate sacrifice inspired Kim to do something meaningful for Gibb’s daughter.
Kim returned to the U.S. and founded the Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation in 2002. Since then, CFP has grown in its mission and vision to provide peace of mind to Gold Star families through college scholarships for their kids. To date, CFP has awarded college funds to Gold Star families in every branch of the military and all 50 states.
Filling a Need
Research conducted by the Lucas Group on behalf of Children of Fallen Patriots determined that nearly 25,000 dependents experienced the death of an active duty parent in the last 35 years. Many of these surviving families struggle to make ends meet, with 63% of surviving spouses making less than $50,000 a year.
Impact
Despite no central database of information, the foundation works diligently to find every single Gold Star child to encourage their future success through college funding.
In 2021, Children of Fallen Patriots raised $11 million through donations and corporate sponsorships to provide qualified beneficiaries with college scholarships and financial assistance. To date, they have assisted more than 2,100 bright and motivated students with their undergraduate studies.
When it comes to scholarship recipients, “Their story and how they came to work with us may begin with tragedy, but each one of our scholars is a shining example of how honoring legacy results in inspiring success.”
Participants have graduated from hundreds of reputable colleges across the country, including Harvard, Penn State, Drexel, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical, Louisiana State University, Texas Tech, University of Arizona, Stanford, UC Davis, and Washington State University, just to name a few.
Scholar Resource Center
Children of Fallen Patriots website offers a resource center that includes:
- The CFP application for student enrollment
- FAQs for families, including who qualifies, which documents are required, how scholarships are awarded, and which expenses are covered
- A list of other organizations that may be able to provide additional resources, from scholarships and grants to family support and children’s camps
Coffee for a Cause
S3 believes in supporting the Military Family Community, and the Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation works hard to provide invaluable resources to present and future generations of Gold Star children. To support their mission, we’d like to offer Turtle, one of our blended medium roasts, as our June #coffeeforacause. During the month of June, buy our Turtle coffee and a portion of the proceeds will be donated directly to the Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation.
To learn more about Children of Fallen Patriots, please visit their website and follow on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.