Supporting the Wounded
The political campaigns, sky-high gas prices and mortgage crisis are keeping our minds focused on surviving the economic downturn in our country. The suffering of our fellow Americans who have lost jobs or homes as well as the poor populations struggling to get food are worthy of our attention.
Yet, men and women who served and came home wounded are battling to overcome challenges most of us will never have to face in our lifetimes. That is why I was glad to hear about some people in our area who are paying attention to the needs of wounded servicemen and women.
I received this e-mail and wanted to share it with others who have an interest in supporting people trying to make a difference for wounded warriors. Thanks to Annisa Rainey with the American Legion Auxiliary National Headquarters, you can learn more about the dedication of some local folks.
Hello, Phyllis.
I recently came across your blog and wanted to thank you for the support of our military men and women who sacrifice so much to protect our freedoms. I thought you might be interested in hearing about some Virginia residents who do so much to provide support and comfort to wounded soldiers.
Marian Chirichella and Jay Edwards, of Vienna, founded the Angels of Mercy program in 2003 to support wounded Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom (OIF/OEF) service members and their families, primarily out of Walter Reed Army Medical Center. While Marian served on her American Legion Auxiliary Unit’s Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation committee, she and Jay (a retired naval officer) became American Red Cross volunteers at Walter Reed to support OIF/OEF combat casualties.
Marian's father had spent many months recovering in the original Walter Reed hospital after he was wounded in the Battle of the Bulge in 1945. While volunteering, she was inspired when she learned of a recent amputee who was being released from the hospital. The nurses had only a regular backpack for him, which presented an additional challenge for the soldier who could no longer carry a pack across both shoulders. Marian not only went out and purchased a slingback one-shoulder style backpack for him, but she also filled it up with items adapted for a person with one arm.
When Marian and Jay saw how little emotional and material support was available for combat veterans, they retired from their day jobs (as a market researcher and computer consultant, respectively) and used their years of professional project management experience to build the Angels of Mercy program. They visit the wounded every Wednesday at Walter Reed and help meet the needs of family members staying at Fisher Houses. They shop for groceries and diapers, provide t-shirts, shorts, and weight-lifting gloves to recovering soldiers, and pass out items like phone cards, cd players and cds, electric razors and hand-held games. They have worked tirelessly to spread the message about the needs of troops in combat hospitals and garnered support from across the nation.
The Angels of Mercy Program has also received the Newman’s Own Award for being the best volunteer program in the country supporting our active duty military and their families, and in 2006 Marian was invited to the Oval Office and thanked by President Bush and Mrs. Bush for her work with the Angels program. For more information about Angels of Mercy, visit http://www.supportourwounded.org/.
Karen Grimord, of Stafford, founded the non-profit Landstuhl Hospital Care Project (LHCP) to provide comfort and relief items for military members who become sick, injured or wounded from service in Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan. Her effort began after visiting her daughter and son-in-law at Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany. She learned Landstuhl Regional Medical Center - where many wounded military personnel require long hospitalization and rehabilitation - had only a small collection of movies for patients to watch while recuperating. Upon return to the States, she rallied her family, friends and community and collected 485 DVDs and videotapes for the injured men and women at LRMC. A hospital chaplain informed Grimord that patients often arrive with no clothing other than the hospital garments that they are wearing. With only a $250 voucher for clothing and personal hygiene items, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom (OIF/OEF) patients often find themselves in need of additional items.
The goal of LHCP is to provide support and comfort for the wounded by contributing quality of life items service men and women need to convalesce. The project provides sweats, pajamas, boxers, socks, and seasonal coats for patients and sends sheets, blankets, pillows, and towels to Combat Support Hospitals. Because needs often change, donations are critical to making a difference in the life of those service members hospitalized outside the United States. Visit http://www.landstuhlhospitalcareproject.org/ to learn how to help her effort.
Marian and Karen were recently recognized for their efforts with the American Legion Auxiliary's prestigious Public Spirit Award. The award, established in 1983, recognizes outstanding individuals and organizations for contributions that positively impact our communities, especially those efforts that benefit our military, veterans and their families. Previous recipients of the Public Spirit Award include General Colin Powell (Ret.), Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, former President Ronald Reagan, Jeanne Kirkpatrick, Ann Landers, and Miss America 2000 Heather Renee French.
Would you be interested in sharing their program information with your readers, or linking to their websites from your blog? Please let me know if you are interested in the American Legion Auxiliary, and keep up the good work!
Cordially,
Annisa Rainey Public Relations Manager American Legion Auxiliary National Headquarters
Yet, men and women who served and came home wounded are battling to overcome challenges most of us will never have to face in our lifetimes. That is why I was glad to hear about some people in our area who are paying attention to the needs of wounded servicemen and women.
I received this e-mail and wanted to share it with others who have an interest in supporting people trying to make a difference for wounded warriors. Thanks to Annisa Rainey with the American Legion Auxiliary National Headquarters, you can learn more about the dedication of some local folks.
Hello, Phyllis.
I recently came across your blog and wanted to thank you for the support of our military men and women who sacrifice so much to protect our freedoms. I thought you might be interested in hearing about some Virginia residents who do so much to provide support and comfort to wounded soldiers.
Marian Chirichella and Jay Edwards, of Vienna, founded the Angels of Mercy program in 2003 to support wounded Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom (OIF/OEF) service members and their families, primarily out of Walter Reed Army Medical Center. While Marian served on her American Legion Auxiliary Unit’s Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation committee, she and Jay (a retired naval officer) became American Red Cross volunteers at Walter Reed to support OIF/OEF combat casualties.
Marian's father had spent many months recovering in the original Walter Reed hospital after he was wounded in the Battle of the Bulge in 1945. While volunteering, she was inspired when she learned of a recent amputee who was being released from the hospital. The nurses had only a regular backpack for him, which presented an additional challenge for the soldier who could no longer carry a pack across both shoulders. Marian not only went out and purchased a slingback one-shoulder style backpack for him, but she also filled it up with items adapted for a person with one arm.
When Marian and Jay saw how little emotional and material support was available for combat veterans, they retired from their day jobs (as a market researcher and computer consultant, respectively) and used their years of professional project management experience to build the Angels of Mercy program. They visit the wounded every Wednesday at Walter Reed and help meet the needs of family members staying at Fisher Houses. They shop for groceries and diapers, provide t-shirts, shorts, and weight-lifting gloves to recovering soldiers, and pass out items like phone cards, cd players and cds, electric razors and hand-held games. They have worked tirelessly to spread the message about the needs of troops in combat hospitals and garnered support from across the nation.
The Angels of Mercy Program has also received the Newman’s Own Award for being the best volunteer program in the country supporting our active duty military and their families, and in 2006 Marian was invited to the Oval Office and thanked by President Bush and Mrs. Bush for her work with the Angels program. For more information about Angels of Mercy, visit http://www.supportourwounded.org/.
Karen Grimord, of Stafford, founded the non-profit Landstuhl Hospital Care Project (LHCP) to provide comfort and relief items for military members who become sick, injured or wounded from service in Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan. Her effort began after visiting her daughter and son-in-law at Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany. She learned Landstuhl Regional Medical Center - where many wounded military personnel require long hospitalization and rehabilitation - had only a small collection of movies for patients to watch while recuperating. Upon return to the States, she rallied her family, friends and community and collected 485 DVDs and videotapes for the injured men and women at LRMC. A hospital chaplain informed Grimord that patients often arrive with no clothing other than the hospital garments that they are wearing. With only a $250 voucher for clothing and personal hygiene items, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom (OIF/OEF) patients often find themselves in need of additional items.
The goal of LHCP is to provide support and comfort for the wounded by contributing quality of life items service men and women need to convalesce. The project provides sweats, pajamas, boxers, socks, and seasonal coats for patients and sends sheets, blankets, pillows, and towels to Combat Support Hospitals. Because needs often change, donations are critical to making a difference in the life of those service members hospitalized outside the United States. Visit http://www.landstuhlhospitalcareproject.org/ to learn how to help her effort.
Marian and Karen were recently recognized for their efforts with the American Legion Auxiliary's prestigious Public Spirit Award. The award, established in 1983, recognizes outstanding individuals and organizations for contributions that positively impact our communities, especially those efforts that benefit our military, veterans and their families. Previous recipients of the Public Spirit Award include General Colin Powell (Ret.), Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, former President Ronald Reagan, Jeanne Kirkpatrick, Ann Landers, and Miss America 2000 Heather Renee French.
Would you be interested in sharing their program information with your readers, or linking to their websites from your blog? Please let me know if you are interested in the American Legion Auxiliary, and keep up the good work!
Cordially,
Annisa Rainey Public Relations Manager American Legion Auxiliary National Headquarters
posted by Phyllis Armstrong at
12:37 PM
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