Part of our mission is raising awareness about our troops, reminding people we still have men and women serving in combat. It is easy to forget we are still fighting a war now that the media has moved on. Our goal is to keep Matt’s and other soldiers’ stories current by visiting schools and interacting with students.

Storytelling has always been an important way to teach younger generations the morals of a society and the history that life lessons are learned from. It is an important mission of the YRSC to share a story of giving with students. We want them to appreciate the importance of offering our time and contributions to the men and women protecting our nation’s liberty.

Keith and the YRSC team have visited some of our local schools this year to share stories and keep the troops relevant to new generations. We have visited daycares, preschools, and elementary, middle and high schools. Regardless the age group, discussions are always lively and informative. Every visit has been a positive learning experience for everyone and we always leave with new messages for our troops and a renewed faith in our future.

The YRSC often takes requests for a school visit from teachers, counselors, or principles, or even students or parents wishing to organize a donation drive. Many students and schools use these drives as community service projects and we attempt to support as many requests as possible. Keith is a valued member of our community and enjoys continuing the message of support for our military members. He covers topics, typically directly from student questions that range from what the soldiers who receive care packages are like to how the soldiers live, eat, and feel while being away from home.

Some questions are even more poignant: “What did you think when Matt went missing?” “How did you feel when you learned your son’s remains were found?” And although the questions are sometimes tough, each one gets an answer.

School visits are easy to arrange and the format is simple and usually informal. Teachers are asked to present a short history of Matt and the Yellow Ribbon Support Center and The students are tasked with writing questions for Keith. By so doing so, the students have a chance to consider what they would like to know and what is important to them. When Keith arrives, just give him a cup of coffee and he’s ready to go.

If you would like to schedule a visit to your school or group, give us a call to make arrangements.