West Coast Wounded Warriors
Our January 28th dinner was a huge success held at the Liberty Room in the Wounded Warrior Barracks of Balboa.
Michael's Grill in Santee, California provided a sumptuous dinner of barbecued ribs and chicken, and owner and chef, Michael Lou, even stayed and helped serve over 150 young men and women!
Our other special guest that evening, Crista McCrea from Sew Much Comfort, bought and donated a large cambro (hot box) to use in carrying hot food to the barracks.
Thank you Crista!!
Click here for Michael’s Grill website.
Click here for Sew Much Comfort website.
All the Wounded Warriors know that when MarineParents.com holds their monthly dinners the food will be great, there will be plenty of hugs and laughter, and the volunteers are there to remind them that they are remembered and loved. There are always so many stories to tell of the evening, and it seems as though every corner we turn leads to a new wonderful encounter with one of our courageous Wounded Warriors.
Cristie and I had gone upstairs to "herd" some guys downstairs to the Liberty Center. We had gone back down to rejoin the party when we saw a Marine we had just sent down. When asked if he had gotten something to eat, he said, "No Ma'am, I don't do well with crowds." He didn't want us to get him a to-go box, but I sent Cristie in to fix him one as I stood out in the hallway speaking quietly to him. By the time Cristie came out with his box, I had managed to get him to relax a bit and flash a few smiles. Cristie and I both shook his hand before he left. No doubt we'll be hugging him soon!
Marylin Ferguson, our "caterer extraordinaire", told me of a Corpsman who had come up to her as we were cleaning up and getting ready to go. He told her that he had only been there a week and had been feeling very down. To make matters worse, that day in particular had been a poor one for him. Being so warmly welcomed by our volunteers had been an unexpected blessing and he was very appreciative. So of course, she had to send him out with a to-go box filled with desserts.
An Airman, whose arm had to be taken past the shoulder after a tragic car accident, also came in that evening. When I first met him in a wheel chair a few months ago, I truly had to hold back the tears, but now he was doing a little better. He told me he wasn't eating because he had a date, but had come down just to thank us for all we had done for him. We had made a huge difference in his life, and although he didn’t want to leave his date waiting, he just had to see us before he left. That Airman left me fighting back tears for the second time, only this time they were tears of joy.
A huge “thank you” to all our wonderful and dedicated volunteers who make our dinners so special. There are ten "core" volunteers who come laden with desserts and great spirits every month, and the boys have come to know and love them all. I’m sure the volunteers feel the same way I do when I say that I may have to come home every week, but my heart remains there.
We hear so much appreciation from our Wounded Warriors, not only in their words, but in their eyes, their smiles, and hugs. We never know who we'll touch. We can't heal them, but we can be there to support and listen to them. Three weeks ago, I had been sitting outside at a picnic table talking to a young soldier, also a regular at our dinners, who had lost his leg in Afghanistan a few months ago. The Wounded Marines were holding formation and we were watching them. The Gunny was briefing them on upcoming trips they could sign up for and one was a ski trip to Denver. I said something to my Soldier about what a great thing it was to have organizations that could put something like that together. He looked at me and said, “Joyce, what your organization brings to the barracks is much more important. You are there every week. We know and love you guys, and you bring that touch of home to us all. You're all our parents away from home.” I couldn't say anything except a humble “thank you” as I held back the tears.
You support our Wounded Warriors through your donations to Purple Heart Family Support which makes our dinners and service possible and we're so grateful. Purple Heart Family Support is a priority with all of my volunteers. Please make it your priority to donate to MarineParents.com. As we were reminded many times this month, we are making a difference.
Hugs,
Joyce
PHFS West Coast Manager
East Coast Wounded Warriors
The first East Coast Marine Parents’ Purple Heart Family Support meal of 2010 was served at National Naval Medical Center at Bethesda on Sunday, January 24th. The evening started out ominously as the suppers failed to arrive at the appointed time. A call to California Tortilla of Bethesda revealed a miscommunication as the staff was unaware of the meal order. California Tortilla immediately went into hyper-drive preparing meals for 100 wounded warriors and their families. California Tortilla’s manager, Alan Cohen, even came in on his day off to help to save the day!
Click here for California Tortilla website.
A half hour later, PHFS volunteers MaryAnn and Paul Schilling raced over to the restaurant to pick up the first round of meals, and California Tortilla delivered the second half of meals twenty minutes later. PHFS volunteers were serving meals on the fifth floor of the hospital and at Mercy Hall only a half an hour behind schedule! Way to go California Tortilla!
In addition to the patients, family, and staff on the fifth floor, volunteers took meals to the seventh floor PTSD patients. All the patients on that floor had visiting family who were delighted to be served oversized burritos and fresh salads.
PHFS volunteers also served meals at Mercy Hall, the barracks next to the hospital where the Wounded Warriors undergoing long-term recuperations live. The cold, rainy night made these Wounded Warriors, many of them mobility challenged, grateful to be eating the warm burritos provided by California Tortilla while watching the NFL playoff games in Mercy Hall’s cozy lounge.
Three young Wounded Warriors, two Marines and a Seabee, traded stories of how they were wounded with one young man revealing that he had lost a leg after stepping on an IED. The young men later asked if they could take extra burritos back to their rooms, and further explained that when they wake up with pain in the night, they like to enjoy a midnight snack. Sometimes they even get together and have a little late evening party in one of their rooms. Touched by the young men’s bravery, the volunteers gladly gave the Wounded Warriors the extra meals, and in return, the men lined up to give hugs of gratitude.
The evening had begun with a hitch, yet all memory of the rough start disappeared as both volunteers and Wounded Warriors alike expressed appreciation for the service each had provided to the other.
Peggy
PHFS East Coast Manager
A Special Thank You
We'd like to extend a huge thank you to the Purple Heart Family Support January 2010 Sponsor. The meals provided at Bethesda this month were funded by:
Individual from Severna Park, Maryland
In Memory of the 6th Marine Division
Thank you for supporting our Wounded Warriors and their families through your contribution to Purple Heart Family Support!
