For U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Dillon Albrechtsen, service is a calling.

“I’ve fallen in love with service. I wake up each morning and I know I can take care of myself, but at the end of the day, there are things that need to be done. There are higher callings and there are challenging things that only certain individuals can take care of,” said Sgt. Albrechtsen.

That being said, when the Mesa native fell on tough times, it was hard to swallow his pride and ask for help.

“It’s definitely a challenge, because in the Marine Corps, specifically, they tell you that you can do anything. You are capable of being given a mission and seeing it through, and Marines, our biggest assets are the Marines to our left and our right. But it’s very hard to be selfish because we’re so often focused on being selfless towards others,” Sgt. Albrechtsen explained.

However, he was able to turn to the Military Assistance Mission, or MAM, for help. The organization provides financial assistance to military families in Arizona.

“Military Assistance Mission literally let us stay in our home, our little apartment. And like I said, I had a baby on the way, and it was just a rough period. Work was slowing down. Things were going to pick up, but she was able to lift such a huge weight off my back because I didn’t know how I was going to pay rent that next coming month,” Sgt. Albrechtsen recalled.

“Murphy’s law happens to any of us, civilians or military. It can be, you know, downright excruciating. The nerves and the stress and all of that to make sure the bills are paid. Happens to all of us and it really happens to them and so we need to be there for them. We as civilians, because we get to enjoy our freedoms because of them,” said Margy Bons, the founder of Military Assistance Mission.

Bons is a Gold Star mom who started MAM after her son Michael Marzano, a marine, was killed in action in 2005.

His death left her determined to help.

“I realized that there was another mom who had a son or a daughter in uniform, and they may have the same need like my son had. And that’s why it’s important for me to make sure that I can help with that need. That’s what my son would want,” said Bons.

After receiving help from MAM, Sgt. Albrechtsen is now paying it forward by helping the organization.

“I’ve been able to be in contact with some other individuals who said, ‘Hey, I took military assistance mission up, and they’ve been able to help me with x, y, z,’ and it’s been so nice to know that my story has been able to help others,” Sgt. Albrechtsen said.

He says it’s important to let other service members and their families know that the help is there for them, especially around the holidays.

“It’s supposed to be a time of comfort. It’s supposed to be a time of family and joy and giving, but when you have something weighing you down, it’s hard to disconnect from the problems of life and to relax,” Sgt. Albrechtsen explained.

Military Assistance Mission is one of five charities that benefit from ABC15’s annual holiday donation drive, Operation Santa Claus.

If you’re interested in donating, head to GivetotheClaus.com.

GLENDALE — The Arizona Cardinals finally found victory again in 30-17 fashion over the New England Patriots in Week 15.

One play stood above all in their win at State Farm Stadium, however.

OL Jonah Williams, who hustled from the other side of the field, recovered a Greg Dortch fumble in the end zone to score the game’s first touchdown.

It was a play that could have made the difference between a win or loss, and afterwards he spoke with reporters about the play in the locker room:

“I was pulling around for a linebacker and sort of blocked him, and then saw the corner out of my eye the ball come out and just mad-dashed to try to get on it. Didn’t really realize what happened till after, when Paris [Johnson] told me I scored a touchdown,” he said.

Williams was actually questionable ahead of game time due to illness but ended up playing.

The play was very close for Williams, who was just inches away from landing out of bounds when he recovered the ball in the end zone.

“Yeah, I was very worried about that. That’s why I wasn’t really sure what happened till after, it was like did I go out? But I guess I didn’t,” he said.

Williams also told reporters the ball would be painted and he’d put in on display somewhere in his house.

You never truly know what’s going to happen on an NFL football field, and Sunday’s win in Arizona was just the latest evidence of that.

PHOENIX – Drones spotted on the East Coast are leaving some on edge amid similar reported sightings in the Valley; a head-on crash left two people dead in west Phoenix; and more – here’s a look at some of the top stories on FOX10Phoenix.com for Sunday, December 15, 2024.

1. Drones spotted in the Valley?

2. Deadly crash in Phoenix

3. Teen allegedly kills family members

4. Jamie Foxx attacked

5. Cards end losing streak

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