 Welcome back to Geeks are sexy. I'm Jason Laduke filling in for Michelle Davis on the fourth Thursday of every month talking about business And how to be successful here in Las Vegas? And of course one of the things we always talk about is business is great making money is great We love that here But we also want to use our businesses to help make our communities a better place and my next guest is sunny Shabro from the Douglas J. Green Memorial Foundation. Did I get it all right? You got it All right, great sunny as a gold star mom and founder of the the foundation the Douglas J. Green Memorial Foundation And it's a volunteer nonprofit dedicated providing comfort and support to service members and their families And we're gonna talk about the great things you do for our folks up at Nellis and our garden reserve guys and even the Families and spouses in the area, but before we get into that You named this foundation for your son Doug and I want to I want you to tell us about Doug and How we got to having this foundation today sure well Again, my name is Sunday I'm a gold star mom and not everybody out there knows what that is but it's someone that if you have a son or daughter who's been killed in action and Unfortunately, that's what happened to my son Doug in August 28th 2011 Right after he was killed. I decided to start a non-profit organization after him and I thought there was no better way to honor him was to do something that he loved and What he loved was getting care packages sent to him on each tour that he was on and Every time he was on tour. He would say mom. I need this. I need that I need this and I need that and I would have No problem sending him and his other brothers and sisters that he was deployed with as well so I was sending him up to 10 to 15 boxes a week and he loved them so much and so starting the non-profit and Actually taking care of the other men and women that are still deployed. It's no better way to honor him and so his actually his anniversary of Being killed in action is this month. It's actually next week August 28th And so I just enjoy doing it and the men and women that are over there right now deploy especially from this area Appreciate it so much and I can tell you from my time in Iraq That coming in and having a care package in my little area, you know Even if it wasn't from a family member, but the things that that your organization other poor organizations put together having something to open up and having a couple of snacks and Just you know some some fun things from back home when there's a magazine or a book or something or a DVD to watch is I mean it means so much to us when we're over there It's so true and I was telling Jason as well that not only are they getting their favorite snacks But when their name is called and they go up and they get that package and they open it up And not only is it what they want, but it represents home It represents we're thinking about them in the USA that we haven't forgotten about them We know they're over there and that right there means so much to them And so that's another reason why it's important to Keep sending them until the last one comes home, which I don't think it's going to be a very long time That's okay. We'll keep sending them exactly and right now. I'm sending them everywhere from Iraq Afghanistan Syria Africa Romania on ships on the Marines on ships So it's just it's just never ending in there over there fighting ISIS and it's again It's so important to know that we're thinking about them and of course giving them what they want the magical munchies I call it. Yeah, well, thank you so much. Thank you for doing that And so that is primarily what the foundation does is put into these care packages so tell us a little about how you do that throughout the year how you bring to the community to do this and Especially how you're supporting our deployed folks out of Nellis Air Force base because Nellis is a good-sized base But it's not a huge Air Force base, but we have 300 people currently deployed out of Nellis right now So it's a rotation of 300 people 300 men and women I should say and can't forget about the women because it's almost half women as well and What 300 will go over there overseas either Iraq Afghanistan and then when those 300 come back It's a rotation the next 300 they go and they're deployed as well. So I'm I make sure that I send them what they want and When they come back, I have events mostly during Christmas Thanksgiving Memorial Day and In a September as well and a lot of them come out and help us Package the care packages and it's so great because not just the men and women from Nellis that come out and help but we have people come from all over the Las Vegas Valley and When we have events People come and call and they email me and they ask if they can volunteer and they all come out like an hour before to Tape the boxes because I use the priority boxes. So they tape them. They go into the assembly line they help me package them and What I love about it so much is that people bring their children that are two years old up to their grandparents who are 90 You're never too old and you're never too young. I think to do community service. So it's really a family affair and Always afterwards, I'll get an email or they'll call me and they'll say it was so much fun When are you having the next one? So I encourage Everybody to come on out across the valley and help and it's just a great rewarding experience to to give back And to keep that awareness out there with the community that there's still so many men and women that are deployed And that they they want the support. They need the support and I like to keep that out there And so the care package is wonderful Will you do more for the community and and you told me a wonderful story when we sat down for coffee the other day About a young woman in the post office, right? And can you tell us her story and the kinds of things you're trying to do to help these young these young women or Or even young men who are military spouse in the community. Absolutely, you know I was at the post office a summerland post office and I was in my little area And I was boxing up care packages and I looked over and there was two other girls I'm calling them girls because they were in their 20s and I overheard what they were doing and it looked like they were Packaging up something it looked like they might have somebody deployed I interrupted their conversation and I said are you having to be packing this up for someone deployed and She said yes, my husband. He's deployed. He's a Marine. He's on a ship And I said well first of all you're using the wrong kind of box and she laughed and I told her what I did I told her I had a nonprofit and what we do is send care packages and I showed her the right box I showed her how to fill out the custom form and I took that box and we actually pay for it because that's what We do that's what my foundation does is we pay for shipping and She was just Dumbfounded she just couldn't believe it. So we went up there We paid for her box and I said anytime your husband wants anything. Please call me. We'll send it and you know She felt you know alone, you know in this community and I want people to know that they're not alone If they have a husband spouse brother sister friend deployed to reach out to me and I'll make sure that they can come to our events and customize their own package for their loved one and That's what we like to do and another reason it's expensive for some people and it can add up If you want to send your loved one or a friend a care package even three a week That could add up to over you know over a hundred dollars a week So that's what we like to step in and really help the community and know that they're not alone If they have someone deployed that we're there to talk to and support them as well And one of the reasons the story is so compelling is this a young woman who grew up here. She did but her Husband when he's not deployed is stationed somewhere else. And so she's living here with her family And so she she doesn't have the squadron or the the unit back at the home base To help her out with those things and that's that's the way that your organization is really helping fill in some of the gaps Nellis is a great job You know all of our support organizations do a great job But this is this is one more way you're really helping out And I know you get a lot of support when you do your care package events But you need help throughout the year to do another things How can someone who wants to get involved in addition to coming and helping pack up care packages and ship care packages How can how can someone who wants to get involved and stay involved be part of the organization? Well to volunteer sure they can come on out and help me throughout the year if they'd like to volunteer if they want to Give back They can reach me on our website the Douglas J. Green Memorial Foundation and leave me a message We welcome volunteers all year long to help us do Correspondence to work in the storage to organize all the munchies because we like to store a lot of munchies because we have to Be ready for our events, but yeah, we always welcome all the volunteers all year long and that's always welcome all right well, that's great and You know so so coming out help the Douglas J. Green Memorial Foundation sunny Tell everyone how they can get a hold of you and the foundation and if you have any events coming up sure Next few weeks or few months. Absolutely. Well, we're partying up with and spirata and that's gonna be for president's day And we always do you want to November? Going towards the holidays, but if anybody would like to donate to our cause meaning that the government Yes, does not pay for care packages So we strictly pay 100% of the profits goes to the postage So if anyone would like to donate we're 501c3 we're right off they can go on and message me Or if you have a company and you want to Have a non-profit to donate to you over the holidays or work with us We can partner up with a company and we can do all sorts of great things. So yeah, they can go on www.douglasjgreen.org or they can find us on Facebook as well That's great. Well, thank you for Doug's service. Thank you for your service and all the things you're doing for this community as well So thank you He's a veteran so thank you for his service and sacrifice Yeah, so we are gonna have you right back for our panel discussion. Just stay right there. Don't move We'll be back in just a few minutes remembering Chris and Greg back. This is Geeks are sexy I'm Jason the Duke stick around we write back