The mission of DSFF is to lift the morale of deployed soldiers by encouraging their families while they’re gone through family wellness retreats and other resources from the civilian community.
 

In March of 2003, the idea of getaway weekends for families of deployed soldiers was born. Immediately after a telephone conversation with
David Cansler in which he had mentioned he would like to treat soldiers’ families to weekend retreats, Jill Boyce received a call from Mary Martinez from Fort Hood, Texas. Mary had ordered Psalm 91 bandanas from Jill before and wanted to order some for her Family Readiness Group to sell to raise money for a weekend retreat for the group. At that point, Jill shared about the previous conversation and suggested it might be a good idea. Mary and Jill brainstormed for almost an hour, and Jill determined that somehow she would get this idea going. As she shared the details with David Cansler and his wife Sharon, they all decided they wanted to be a part of this work. Within a short period of time, the organization was formed and ready to begin business as a Texas non-profit corporation. The board members—David and Sharon Cansler, Jill Boyce, Mary Martinez, and Lisa Combs— began to work hard to prepare for the first weekend getaway in May in the Dallas/Ft. Worth metroplex. The idea was met with support from several local companies and organizations, and the weekend began to gel into an unforgettable time of refreshing and encouragement planned for the spouses of the 303rd from Fort Hood, Texas. Following the May Getaway Weekend, the company will host similar retreats each month, working to make things a little better for the Fort Hood families of deployed soldiers.