Program helps children of fallen heroes

TAMPA, Fla. - Children who lose a military parent are finding comfort and support through programs designed to help kids of fallen heroes.  

It’s touching to see children hug their mom or dad as they return home from a long deployment, but not every child has that privilege.  

"That's really close to my heart because I always think, you know, what if I was in their shoes," said Toni Geronimo with the Military and Family Readiness Center at MacDill Air Force Base. 

Geronimo provides support for children of fallen heroes through a program called Air Force Families Forever.

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"Honor, remember, and connect. So, we do those things coupled with information and referral. We do a needs assessment. You know, what is it that they're looking for? Are they looking for a type of mental wellness? Sometimes it's kind of hard to talk about a loss but it's important for them to be able to share and be able to talk to somebody," Geronimo stated.

They help children cope as they grow up.

"We might have somebody who's only five years old today, but now they're going to be going into high school and now they're going to be going to college knowing what the resources are during their time of need is going to be important for them as they cope and build their resiliency," explained Geronimo. 

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Military family is there for the family that can't be.

"It means the world to them. They tell us, ‘thank you. Thank you so much for remembering us. Thank you so much for remembering my fallen hero’", said Geronimo.

LINK: Click here for more information about Air Force Families Forever.

LINK: Find more information about the Military and Family Readiness Center here.