BOSTON, Mass. - A new charity called Miles for Military is helping active duty service members reunite with their loved ones without worrying about the high cost of flights.

At Boston's Logan International Airport, Marine Corporal Mama Love Darwulo reconnected with her best friend as she visits home from serving as a mechanic at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina.

“It means a lot that I have this flight because if I didn’t, I probably wouldn’t come home,” Darwulo said. “For them to pay for it and everything…”

With Miles for Military, active duty service members can trade in volunteer hours with a charity of their choice for flights they otherwise might not be able to afford.

Founder Maureen Byrne got the idea several years ago when her son was also stationed at Camp Lejeune.

“I would fly him home for holidays, vacations, that sort of thing, and one particular Thanksgiving, the flight cost an exorbitant amount of money,” Byrne said. “I said to him, ‘How do the other kids get home?’ And he said, ‘Mom, nobody goes home. I’m the only one that gets to go home, because of you.’ And you know, it really broke my heart.”

Darwulo joined the Marines after graduating from North High in Worcester in 2021. She was born in Liberia as one of six siblings, emigrating to the U.S. with her father at age 9. She is working with her family to bring her mother to the U.S. legally.

For this trip, she’s visiting with her best friend, and said after she adjusts to the cold New England weather, she’s excited to go on a few hikes.

“It means a lot because we’ve been friends for like almost seven years,” Darwulo said. “We talk a lot on the phone, but seeing her in person, it’s totally different.”

After her service, Darwulo wants to finish college and pursue a career in nursing. Miles for Military has helped 50 service members come home, but in 2025, they’re hoping to work with anywhere from 500 to 1,000 service members.