Reuniting Military Families

The Ben Jackson Foundation is a non-profit organization founded by Larry Jackson dedicated to reuniting military families through financial assistance. Founded in memory of Ben Jackson, a former member of the military, the foundation aims to alleviate the financial burden faced by military families during deployments and provide them with the means to spend quality time together.

The foundation is named after Larry's son, Ben, who served in the Air Force and faced financial barriers to visit his family in Wisconsin while stationed in Japan. At the time, Larry used his airline miles to help Ben travel home and surprise the family, but tragically, Ben passed away in an accident six weeks later.

After Ben's death, Larry and his family decided to use the money donated in Ben's memory to help other military personnel facing similar situations. They initially started by assisting friends of Ben who were joining the Navy and expanded their support to other young individuals in Wisconsin entering the military after high school.

To listen/watch to the full podcast interview hosted by Greater Than Zero Percent (GTZP), visit our or Spotify or Apple.

Larry explains that there is a misconception that the military provides flights for enlisted personnel to visit their families, but the options available are often impractical or insufficient for their needs. The Ben Jackson Foundation aims to fill this gap by offering financial support for plane tickets, especially for those who want to visit their families during their leave.

The conversation highlights the personal motivation behind the foundation and how it has grown over the years. Larry and I discuss the challenges he initially faced in finding individuals who saw the long-term need and convincing them to apply.

After reaching out to connections at Air Force bases, the program gained significant attention, leading to an overwhelming number of applications. They had to implement a selection process due to high demand and limited resources. Currently, they can only approve a small percentage of the applications they receive each month. The Ben Jackson Foundation provides a set amount of financial assistance towards travel expenses.

Larry emphasizes the emotional impact on military personnel who are unable to travel back home and the importance of their program in providing support and connection to their support structures. The foundation plays a crucial role in addressing the mental well-being and maintaining relationships of military personnel while serving.

Larry shares two stories that highlight the difference the foundation has made in people's lives, including a Marine who was able to visit his grandfather in hospice care before he passed away and a woman who hadn't seen her family for four years but was able to surprise them with a visit.

We discuss the potential for airlines and individuals with extra miles to donate to the foundation and how it could help fund tickets for military personnel. (American Airlines, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines we need you!).

Larry mentions that the foundation has given out a total of 477 ticket Home Awards, with over 300 of them paid for. He expresses his hope to be able to say yes to more applicants and provide funding for approximately 300 applications per month, which would require around $3 million in funding per year.

Additionally, Larry mentions that he would like to expand the foundation's mission to support families who have members graduating from basic training in the military, as many families cannot afford to attend these significant moments.

The conversation then focuses on the type of engagement Larry is looking for, including monetary donations and sharing their mission on social media platforms. Larry highlights the impact of sharing stories and photos of the people they have helped as it raises awareness and allows them to help more individuals.

$500 helping someone stationed in the US and $1000 aiding someone stationed internationally.

Larry suggests checking if employers offer donation matching programs as another effective way to contribute. Larry also mentions two additional ways to support the foundation: purchasing their wine called "Bring Me Home" online from a local vineyard and participating in their "Home for the Holidays" campaign during November to fund more tickets for the holiday season.

If you are inspired get engaged! Whether through donations, airline miles, or connections with airlines to support these young men and women in the military.

To listen/watch to the full podcast interview hosted by Greater Than Zero Percent (GTZP), visit our or Spotify or Apple.

-Joseph (with help from ChatGPT!)