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By Jaelin Palmer United States military soldiers put their lives on the line for our freedom every day. Over 120 of those heroes call Yucaipa home and Jill Castanon, founder of the program Hometown Heroes, has made it her mission to recognize and support these brave individuals. When Castanon's son joined the military in the spring of 2011, she felt compelled to get involved and make a difference for local military men and women. She joined with other military moms and brainstormed a way they could honor our soldiers. Castanon had seen banners of military members in other cities and decided it was time to start a similar program in Yucaipa. The Yucaipa Valley Kiwanis Club jumped at the chance to get involved and the program took off. Six foot by three foot banners featuring the picture, name, and branch of military for each service man or woman were designed and put up at intersections throughout Yucaipa and Calimesa. These tributes remind residents of those who are fighting for their freedom and offer comfort to their families. Families are asked to pay for the banners, which are $175 each. "We do provide help for those families that can't afford to pay for part or all of the banners," Castanon said. "Local businesses are happy to donate money to help out the families of our local military members." However, the $175 does not cover the installation fee. Donations from citizens help to cover this cost. "The soldiers tell me they appreciate the packages and the support they have in Yucaipa. They say it's nice to have a little taste of home," Castanon said. The soldiers also write back to school classes and thank them for their support. 8 OUR YUCAIPA | OCTOBER 2013 In December of 2012, Castanon decided to do more. "The banner program had been going so well, a care package program seemed like a natural growth," Castanon said. Hometown Heroes sends out two to three care packages to local soldiers per month, and has sent out over 300 packages since the program's inception. Castanon thought the community would like to have a role in the program, so she offers children the opportunity to write letters to our soldiers. "We have a letter for almost every package we send out," she said. Both the banner and care package programs need the support of the community to continue. To make a donation, visit one of the many donation boxes around town. They are located at Stater Bros. on Bryant Street, CVS, AJ Barile's Chicago Pizza Co, Kafe Royale on Calimesa Blvd. and at every school in Yucaipa and Calimesa. Some items that are always in need are hygiene essentials such as soap, deodorant, nasal spray, and eye drops. They also need snack items such as trail mix, granola, dried fruit, and tuna. To make a monetary donation, all checks made payable to Yucaipa Valley Kiwanis Club must note Hometown Heroes in the memo section. Please mail checks to P.O. Box 691, Yucaipa, CA 92399. Monetary donations can be made to help the program purchase certain items, or can go to a specific family who needs help purchasing a banner. To contact Castanon during office hours, call (909) 797-0174, ext.116. She plans to keep the program running indefinitely, saying. "As long as there are local men and women in the military, this program will be here."

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