Soldiers’ Angels Give Hope and Support to Veteran and his Family

“Every day ten to 15 letters are coming in from people all over the country. It’s just been one blessing after another,” Beau Stecklein described. Just a few months ago, Beau and his family were struggling to make ends meet and keep up on all the bills. Beau hasn’t been able to work since October 2008 because of a traumatic brain injury (TBI) he suffered while in the Army, and the family needed help on rent and making vehicle payments. “We were about to lose the truck. I was fighting to keep it, but we were three payments behind,” Beau said. “We had to sell some of our stuff to get money, which lasted us a month, and then the next month we’d have to do something else. Eventually you run out things to sell.”

Thanks to Soldiers’ Angels though, Beau and his family have received donations to get them back on their feet, and the support and letters of encouragement continue to roll in. Soldiers’ Angels is a non-profit organization that supports military families and veterans. Beau, who receives services through Operation TBI Freedom (OTF), first heard about the organization through John Lenz, his OTF care coordinator. “John Lenz has been the biggest help we’ve had,” Beau stated. “He’s the one who pointed us toward Soldiers’ Angels.”

John originally contacted Soldiers’ Angels on behalf of the Steckleins to find out if the organization could donate holiday gifts to the family. “We work with case managers in different agencies to find families who need Christmas presents and help for the holidays,” Caren Vink, Vice President at Soldiers’ Angels, explained. “We pair the families with donors, and then they go buy the presents and send them to a family, all at their own expense. This is the second year we’ve been doing this, and we paired 150 families with donors.”

When Caren learned about Beau and his wife, Carrie’s situation, Soldiers’ Angels not only found gifts for the Stecklein’s three boys, but also put together a special team to raise money for the family. Within 48 hours of Carrie’s phone conversation with Caren, the donations quickly began accumulating. Donors contributed to the fund Soldiers’ Angels had set up for the family, and some sent money and letters directly to the family. With the money that was raised, Beau and Carrie will be able to fix their truck and catch up on bills. “It’s been amazing. I’m overwhelmed,” Beau expressed. “I definitely didn’t expect this; it’s a miracle. It really gives you hope.”

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Thank you to Soldiers’ Angels and their donors, who donated presents and gift cards for the holidays to five OTF families, including the Steckleins.