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Yellow Ribbon Support Foundation plans to expand

50 views · Published 10 December 2018 · 2:28 · Indexed 3 October 2026

Channel: LOCAL 12 · 2018 · News & Politics

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UNION TOWNSHIP, Ohio (WKRC) - Keith Maupin is doing what his heart tells him to do. He's surrounded by pictures and reminders of his son, Matt, all while running the Yellow Ribbon Support Center.

"Fourteen years and 100-percent volunteer, ain't that crazy? Never heard of it, but it's a good cause...and to me, that's what I'm supposed to be doing," Maupin said. "People want to help the troops. They really do. The problem is they really don't know how and we're here to teach them."

The Maupin family started the center after Matt, a staff sergeant in the Army, was captured while serving in Iraq. His body came home nearly four years later.

Over the years, volunteers at the center have sent thousands of care packages full of supplies to military men and women serving.

Maupin said, "We need three things to make our stuff work. We need the items to send, the funds to send it and the place to send it to. We'll take care of the rest."

For years, the center was at a strip mall in Eastgate, but the rent went from $800 a month to more than $2,600. That's when Maupin started running the center from his home on Mt. Carmel-Tabasco Road about five years ago. So many people donate that the large garage on Maupin's property is no longer big enough.

Monday afternoon, Julia Wood from Martial Arts America-Wilder came by with an SUV full of donations from families associated with her martial arts school.

Wood said, "We have seven locations for Martial Arts America all over the Tri-State and we decided we wanted to help."

Maupin got approval from Union Township to expand so that there's more room for donations and more volunteers can help.

The center gets "thank yous" from all over the world for sending care packages. Whether it's a donation of supplies or Christmas cards, Maupin says these gifts mean the world to someone far away from home and with more space, he can help more people.

Maupin doesn't have an exact date for the expansion. He's still in the process of finalizing plans.

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