Comment

Comment by 1~lcs1925 (Susan) on November 28, 2011 at 8:24pm

Julie, that is such a wonderful story.

Comment by 1~17smom (Julie) on November 28, 2011 at 8:05pm

I look forward to a financial update, but in the meantime I'll share a lovely story that might inspire you all . . .

 

Those of you reading this blog may recall that I "adopted" PHFS as my program of choice during my company's annual United Way campaign a few months ago.  I was lucky enough to be able to partner with our CWA locals, talking to many groups of union employees about PHFS.  As a result, I collected quite a bit in immediate donations, and was told that quite a few employees specified MarineParents as their recipient of their 2012 regular payroll deductions.  But that's not all . . .

 

About a week ago, I got a message from one of the CWA representatives who helped organize the presentations during the United Way campaign.  She said one of the call centers where I spoke had won $400 to donate to a charity of their choice, and they remembered PHFS and wanted to do something for them!  Joyce, our West Coast PHFS manager suggested they could buy small items to put in "care package" bags for family members who sometimes sit for days by the bedside of their wounded Marines.  The call center liked that idea, went shopping, and just called to let me know I can come pick up the items this Thursday.

 

I was so touched to get the call, and so grateful that there long-term impact to the conversations I'd had.  There is really no end to the generosity of folks if they are only given the chance!

 

Julie

3/3 Weapons Co

Deployed

Comment by Marine Parents Inc on November 28, 2011 at 10:41am

We have not updated since the last date; we've been focusing our fundraising efforts on specific goals, for instance the Purple Heart Marines Birthday Ball and the Knott's Berry Farm. 

 

Let me check with Eric today and see if we've got another update. Thanks, Tracy

Comment by 1~lcs1925 (Susan) on October 14, 2011 at 6:46am

17s mom, that is wonderful. And it's a coincidence that coffee is involved, because PHFS was just asked if we could help provide coffee pots and toasters for wounded warriors moving into the new residential facility at Walter Reed NMMC-Bethesda, called Building 62, Tranquility Hall. We haven't worked out the details yet, but it looks like it's going to happen.

Susan, PHFS East manager

 

Comment by 17smom on October 13, 2011 at 6:40pm

Just a quick update -- I had donated two items to our company's United Way on-line auction, with the proceeds to be sent to MarineParents.com.  One items was 6 months' of Peets' Coffee delivered to your door (a pound a month) -- retail value $133; and professional transfer to DVD of 10 hours' worth of video from other media, courtesy of my of-so-patient husband who lets me sign him up for things like this -- retail value $350.

 

The Peets' went for $86, and the video transfer service went for $345!  So, MarineParents should be getting a check for $431 direct from my company within the next month.  I don't know that they will designate it for PHFS, but that was the intent.  Oooorah!

 

So, I'm curious about any good $5 stories anyone has on this topic.  Somebody must have been doing something, because I see that PHFS has raised another $300 or so since the last update on 9/28! 

 

 

Julie

3/3 Weapons Co.

Comment by jevmom on October 3, 2011 at 9:10am

In defense of Pepsi, if all big corporations donated so much money to worthy causes, what a wonderful world this would be! Don't know why this doesn't work for us, but we are big enough to donate to wounded warriors directly and make a big impact!!! So keep the donations coming and God Bless our Military! 

Comment by 1~lcs1925 (Susan) on October 1, 2011 at 4:40pm

Our latest report about serving dinner to Marine and Army families at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (aka "Bethesda") on September 18 has been posted on our PHFS group page on this website. http://marinefamilynetwork.com/group/purpleheartfamilysupport. 

The wounded combat patients have been moved to the fourth floor instead of the fifth floor. You might think, so what?, but it does make a difference in a few small ways. There isn't a big family lounge with TV the way there was at the center of the fifth floor across from our room in the past, so it's a little harder for the families to interact and for us to announce our presence. On the other hand, this new floor is sparkling clean and new, the patients' rooms are larger and private, and our new room has space for a few people to sit and talk while they eat, so those are improvements. We met some wonderful families and patients who clearly enjoyed getting a break from sitting in their rooms. Plus, the new staff from the former Walter Reed were pleasantly surprised to see us and our burrito dinners. We'll be serving dinner again tomorrow night. Julie, thank you for your fundraising! Knowing that with the extra funding, we can order more than the bare minimum of dinners, and then share our leftovers with the recovering patients residing in Mercy Hall, is a good feeling. PHFS is also about to donate a new rolling cart to the Marine Corps Liaison Office because their old one has a flat tire that makes it very hard to use.

Susan

Comment by 17smom on September 30, 2011 at 6:52pm

I don't think this will be my final update, but I'll have to re-trench after this and come up with a new strategy.....I attended my final event for our company's United Way campaign today -- an "agency" fair where 5013c companies set up tables and shared info.  I think about 80 folks came through -- many were ones who remembered me speaking to them in smaller groups earlier in the campaign.  Two ladies pulled $15 out of their pockets and gave them to me.  Many asked how my son was.  While I did talk about the Gimme Five campaign, I talked more about MarineParents in general, and encouraged folks to take the brochures I had, in case they ran into a Marine family member who might need the support.  One lady who had written a check to MarineParents at an earlier presentation said she'd gotten a nice thank you note from MarineParents already.  Thank you for that -- it gives me a lot of credibility when they get such a prompt note.

 

MarineParents had hustled up a banner and some really cool koozies for me -- I felt very official ;>  I think MarineParents ought to sell those koozies at the EGA store, they were really beautiful.  I gave them to people who were willing to listen, and as a thank you to folks who said they had put MarineParents as their 2012 payroll deduction beneficiary.  I also gave one to the lady sitting at the table next to me -- she was representing a child care resource group.  She said her father had been a Marine for 23 years -- I gave her a koozie and said she had earned it.

 

I had an interesting conversation with a lady who said she was a certified Life Coach, and we talked about treatments for PTSD.  She was very interested when I mentioned Dr. Cantrell and her books and regular on-line chats here.  She said she'll be signing on to the MarineParents site to see what she can learn and how she might help locally.

 

All in all, it has been a wonderful month.  Yes, money was earned, but, more importantly to me, people learned about MarineParents and remembered our military.  One lady came by to tell me she had been thinking about what I had said all month -- "It can't always be someone else's child."  She said her daughter had just told her she was joining the Navy, and that comment helped her think about it.

 

Now I have to think about where I can take Gimme $5 next.  I'm not done yet, and I hope those who drop by this discussion group aren't either.  It really is one $5 at a time.  If you haven't donated yours yet -- or lately -- it's a lovely time of year to Gimme $5. 

 

I've never gotten involved with our company's Employee Veterans group, other than to donate a whole bunch of care package stuff I had left when my son returned safely last year.  Maybe it's time to connect with them and see if I can convince them to "adopt" MarineParents ;>

 

I'll keep you posted.  And, in the meantime.....hey, Gimme $5!

 

OH MY GOODNESS -- as I was signing off, I just noticed the 9/28/11 update -- PHFS has raised $9,216 in two months!  What a great birthday present (9/28 is my birthday!)!  OOoorah and Semper Fi!

 

Julie

3/3 Weapons Co.

Comment by 1~ucme (Laura), VPMM & Volunteer on September 27, 2011 at 3:03pm

Julie, your enthusiasm is inspiring and motivating.  Thank YOU for being a champion for the cause!

Comment by 17smom on September 23, 2011 at 8:07pm

Susan, thanks, but I could not tell the story if there were no story to tell.  The men and women who coordinate and support the programs on the East and West coasts, who devote a large part of their lives and their own money to these programs, are the ones who give me -- who can give all of us -- a story to tell.

 

I once tried being a sales person, and failed miserably.  But I can talk from the heart, with passion, about something I believe in.  I believe in the Purple Heart Family Support program with all my heart.

 

Julie

3/3 Weapons Co.

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