Service and celebration: Bread Financial® associates honor service veterans in recent Honor Flight
The Veterans Associate Resource Group (ARG) at Bread Financial®, which fosters connection among associates with military ties and is open to all associates, reached new heights in June when it participated in a recent Honor Flight. The special opportunity allowed associates Kayla Bollinger and Amy Hillman to serve as guardians and accompany two veterans to Washington D.C. for a day of reflection, healing and connection.
Honor Flight Network is a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to honor and celebrate veterans through the Honor Flight experience, which sends veterans on a free trip to Washington, D.C. to visit memorials dedicated to their service. The goal is to provide veterans with appreciation for their service and a chance to reflect on their experiences with other veterans. During the Honor Flight, each veteran is paired with a guardian to ensure the day runs smoothly and to provide necessary support throughout the trip.
For the past several years, members of the Veterans ARG in Columbus have participated in Honor Flights, but this year, a nationwide call for participants expanded the opportunity to Kayla, an apprentice on the output services team, and Amy, an account manager in client partnerships, both of whom work from home in Florida.
“Damian Giammarco, the Veterans ARG president, originally reached out to me and some other associates in Florida last year,” said Kayla. “I immediately knew I wanted to do it. It sounded like an amazing opportunity to volunteer, and the more I read about the Honor Flight, the more I felt excited to be part of it.”
Kayla and Amy’s journey began with a training day the Saturday before the trip that allowed guardians to meet their veterans ahead of the flight. On the day of the June 10 flight, Kayla and Amy arrived at the airport at 3:45 a.m. to prepare for their trip.
“My veteran, Greg, was supposed to arrive at 4 a.m.,” said Amy. “However, he was so excited to go that he was already there when I arrived.”
When the group landed in Washington D.C., they toured Arlington National Cemetery and the WWII, Korean War, Vietnam Veterans and Lincoln memorials. For Kayla and Amy, the day was filled with reflection and many emotions as they listened to the stories their veterans shared about their respective time in service.
“Greg had three friends with their names listed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial,” said Amy. “I had been to the wall several times, but I’d never been with someone who had people they cared about memorialized there. It was very somber, but you could also see some healing taking place as he told me about his friends.”
Reflecting on their time as guardians, Kayla and Amy shared that the most rewarding part of the journey was having the chance to spend meaningful moments with their veterans, ensuring the day was truly unforgettable for those they accompanied.
“My veteran, Eddie, was so excited to share stories of his time serving in the Navy,” said Kayla. “He took so many pictures to send to his wife - of the memorials, of himself and with a friend who was also on the flight. I felt I added to his experience by making sure he was cared for and that his only concern was to enjoy his visit.”
During the trip, Kayla also reflected on her familial connection to the military. With a partner in the Air Force and a veteran father, Kayla understands the experience of supporting loved ones in the military.
"When you’re supporting loved ones in uniform, it really informs your perspective on how different their experiences are from civilian life and how you can best show up for them,” said Kayla. “I saw the positive emotional impact of the veterans who were able to visit memorials dedicated to their service, and I want to make sure my dad is able to experience that as well.”
The pair also noted the excitement of connecting with other Bread Financial associates on the trip.
“The Honor Flight introduced me to Amy, and I discovered she lives five minutes away from me,” said Kayla. “It was a great way to meet somebody else working remotely and make a new connection.”
When the group arrived back in Florida that night, hundreds of supporters lined the airport walls – from families and friends to local youth groups – all cheering for the veterans.
“I was not ready for all the people who were there just to say, ‘thank you’ to the veterans,” said Amy. “These veterans were not welcomed as enthusiastically when they first came home from their service, and you could see how much being celebrated during the trip helped heal them after the pain they had experienced.”
About Bread Financial®
Bread Financial® (NYSE: BFH) is a tech-forward financial services company that provides simple, personalized payment, lending and saving solutions to millions of U.S. consumers. Our payment solutions, including Bread Financial general purpose credit cards and savings products, empower our customers and their passions for a better life. Additionally, we deliver growth for some of the most recognized brands in travel & entertainment, health & beauty, jewelry and specialty apparel through our private label and co-brand credit cards and pay-over-time products providing choice and value to our shared customers.
To learn more about Bread Financial, our global associates and our sustainability commitments, visit breadfinancial.com or follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn.
