I may have created this, but I wouldn’t be here 10 years later if it wasn’t for the support of hundreds of thousands of families from around the country who sit down with their kids and take a few minutes to explain gratitude and giving something to someone you will never meet.  -Emily Spencer

This week’s story takes us to Florida where we meet Emily Spencer, the Founder & President of Heartillery Group, heartillerygroup.org, a non-profit with a simple mission: to spread love and gratitude for those who serve through cards, letters and gift boxes. A graduate of Manhattan College with a master degree from Harvard in Operation Management, Emily has spent her career as an advocate for soldiers, veterans, and their families. The proud wife of a former United States Army captain who served two tours in Afghanistan and one in Kuwait, she knows only too well the toll a deployment takes not just on troops but on their families. And then, there are our veterans who we must never forget…and to whom we owe so much. For over 10 years, Emily has been growing her non-profit by creating community based strategic partnerships in order to enhance fundraising efforts and to build robust services for our nation’s troops, veterans, and families. In this interview, Emily shares how far Heartillery Group has come and what this noble work means to her. #military #veterans #heartillerygroup #valentinesforveterans