Together We’re Stronger®: Brandon Boswell
Brandon doesn’t come from a military family, but he has lived around the military his whole life in Jacksonville, North Carolina, home to Camp Lejeune.
Brandon is a legally blind gas station attendant at the local Sam’s Club. He often pumps gas for Marines in uniform who can’t get out of their vehicles due to Marine Corps policy. He calls that service his small way of giving back.
“I can’t fully comprehend what military families go through, but I’ve lived here a long time and had a lot of military friends come and go. I’m just grateful for their sacrifices.”
Brandon had a tough year taking care of his mother, who was very ill. He couldn’t drive due to his vision and felt helpless, not being able to drive himself to the hospital to see her or bring her flowers to brighten her day. Brandon wanted to end 2023 on a positive note—by giving back to the community that checked in on them when times were tough and did so much for them over the years.
Brandon uses writing as a way to cope with hard times and tries to find the humor in all things and the joy in life. He had the idea of giving a percentage of proceeds from his books sold over the holidays to the National Military Family Association.
“This past year was rough, and this helped to end it on a good and really fun note!”
You’ll Laugh a Little, You’ll Cry a Little, Running on Empty: The Life and Times of a Gas Station Attendant, Confessions of a Professional Gummy Bear Giver Outer, and My Personal Journey on the Road to Life are all available on Amazon, and his latest book is coming out this summer.
Brandon was able to raise $600 dollars through book sales and the connections he made throughout his fundraiser.
“NMFA has a great reputation, and I knew the money would go to a great cause.”
There are many wonderful organizations to support, and we are grateful that Brandon chose the National Military Family Association.
Research shows that giving improves self-esteem, lowers depression, and even leads to a longer, healthier life. Brandon says he has certainly felt a boost from his efforts.
“This gave me a lot of joy! I pray God’s continued blessings on NMFA.”
At an organization like ours, even a little bit can go a long way. His donation can send a deserving military kid to Operation Purple® Camp for three days, support a military spouse’s education through our Joanne Holbrook Patton Military Spouse Scholarship program, or strengthen a military family’s financial security by helping us cover a spouse’s professional relicensing after a PCS move. Every dollar counts.
