Master Warrant Officer mom receives grant to help son through pandemic Programming for adults with special needs is hard to come by. This military family was grateful to have Support Our Troops to help their son through the pandemic. Military life brings many challenges for parents, especially those with children having special needs. These challenges have been exacerbated through the pandemic, as many programs have been cancelled or posed risks. Master Warrant Officer (MWO) Jennifer Bell has been a reservist with Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal (FMR) since 1983. Jennifer and her husband, Sgt. Bill Mahar, are active reservists, freelance musicians and part-time teachers at McGill University’s Schulich School of Music. In addition to her professional accomplishments, Jennifer is a mother of two adult children: 21 year-old Erin and 25 year-old Robin, who is autistic. Support Our Troops provided support to the Bell family so Robin could attend a small, four-week family-run program. “Robin had been alone at home for months. The grant gave him the opportunity to be in his community and safely interact with others despite the COVID-19 restrictions. For us as parents, it provided us respite and the confidence that Robin was in a safe, caring environment while we were working from home,” says MWO Bell. “Few programs are available for adults with special needs, so the fact this program is available to families like ours is important to acknowledge. We would like to thank Support Our Troops for their generous support.