Of respect for those who have dedicated their lives to their country, the National Benefit Authority (NBA) pledged $150,000 to Canadian Military families with children with special needs.

The gift was presented to the True Patriot Love Foundation, a national charity for the Canadian Armed Forces, in Ottawa on Sunday morning.

“Military families who move frequently are impacted greatly from both an emotional and financial perspective,” said Bronwen Evans, President, True Patriot Love Foundation. “Frequently moving location affects children and families in a variety of capacities, including increased costs for therapies for children with special needs, tutoring for children who have to adjust to new curriculum, and the anxieties of having to make friends in a new community.”

The TPL directly disbursed a portion of the funds to the Toronto Military Family Resource Centre (TMFRC) for their Casual Care program. With this donation, the TMFRC will care for two children with complex special needs one day per week for one year.

The rest of the donation will be used for a variety of services, including tutoring, assessments, respite care and essential therapies.

After meeting the TPL and the TMFRC, the National Benefit Authority knew exactly who the recipients of their donation would be.

“As soon as we were introduced to these two phenomenal organizations, something immediately clicked that these were organizations we wanted to support – to assist in our small way – for them to continue the work that they do,” said Akiva Medjuck, Founder and CEO of The National Benefit Authority.