Photo Credit to Bands4Courage.com
Elsa Zarate has been educated and working in the medical field for a good number of years. She’s tapped into the social media scene and enjoys a cup of coffee each morning. She is also an Army veteran from a rich military background, with a Marine son who was deployed for duty.
On the surface, she is a typical American woman. Elsa, however, has done a great deal to help those in the military, like her son, by giving to charities through her cause called Bands4Courage.
Recently featured on The TODAY Show’s website, Bands4Courage is an accessories line of bracelets made from military uniforms that have been retired and donated to her as production material. “When my own flesh and blood, my Marine son, was deploying,” Elsa tells us at VA Home Loan Centers, “it was a way to keep busy and keep a part of him always with me.”
Through the catalyst of fashion, she is sparking conversation with her wrist pieces. Each bracelet, with the first ever one made in 2012, comes with a card about the person whose uniform the bracelet is made out of. “We create a bond with civilians and service members, one bracelet at a time.”
Since the company was founded in 2013, Elsa handles many orders on a daily basis. She still finds a way to put heart and different touches into each one and works with everything from fabrics, to metal, to leather.
“I make the bracelets by myself, but also have a volunteer staff of 5 to help with emails, social media, processing, packaging and postal runs,” Elsa tells us. “It’s quite the challenge and I’m grateful for those who offer assistance.”
Photo Credit to Bands4Courage.com
One of her main units of volunteer support is an Army veteran named James. Though he works a graveyard security job, he still emails her each day on orders, questions and requests that need her attention. She then gets to work on making her bracelets and will often be balancing orders and online duties until well past midnight.
“I stop only to eat and interact with my grandchildren,” Elsa shares, on her work ethic. “The last few months have been pretty crazy with orders, but I’m glad customers are patient.”
The bracelet maker was in the Army for four years, with her father a veteran of the Korean War, a brother-in-law in the Idaho National Guard, and her aforementioned son who is actively serving. With her other children considering joining the service, and her growing business, military culture will be steeped in her daily life for a long time.
Elsa is not going to get rich from running Bands4Courage, and she is glad about it. She finds more value in the stories of people she is helping.
“I made a bracelet for a WWII Veteran by request from his daughter,” she recalls. “She emailed me to inform us that her father had passed away and thanked me for making him smile every time he glanced down at his bracelet, which was made from his WWII uniform.”
“She also said that he requested to be buried with the bracelet, as a symbol that he had never forgotten his fallen brothers and sisters,” she continued. “Talk about an emotional email that brought tears to everyone I read it to.”
With Bands4Courage catching a lot of attention, even celebrities have taken notice. “I met Mel B. from the Spice Girls while she was promoting her new single in Boise, Idaho,” Elsa recalls. “I made a special bracelet for her made from my son’s uniform, and she still wears it from time to time on America’s Got Talent.”
“With the high demand from our recent national exposure, our wait time for a bracelet is now 8 weeks out,” Elsa laments. “If I didn’t require sleep, I would work 24/7.”
Photo Credit to Bands4Courage.com
Elsa’s incredible work ethic comes from being raised by her migrant worker father. “He was an honorable man, a veteran, and a loyal father to us six kids,” she says. “He’d give his last dollar to the homeless and then go work another 16 hours straight to give us kids our favorite books or toys.”
Bands4Courage is gearing up for a big event this year. Elsa told us that Bands4Courage will be at RawBoise September 3rd, at the PowerHouse Events Center. Click this link for tickets and select “Bands4courage” at the ticket popup screen.
Other than the big September event, being mentioned in big news sources, and an upcoming endorsement in the works, Elsa has a message for other veterans. “I’m just a Sister in Arms building a bridge of connection between civilians and service members.”
For veteran benefits like the VA home loan program, Elsa is adamant that those who served educate themselves on them. “Doing your own research on what is available to you in the civilian world sure makes life a whole lot easier,” she says. “Once you are grounded, taking advantage of VA home loans is the path to go in purchasing a home. I know I did! Protect yourself, your belongings, your future, your home and you won’t go wrong with VA home loans.”
To order one of these amazing pieces, visit Band4Courage’s site, follow on Twitter @Bands4Courage and like them on Facebook.
If you want a VA home loan, be sure to contact us by chatting with a rep on our site, calling 888-573-4496, or tweet @VAHomeLoanCtrs.
