East Coast Wounded Warriors
On September 20, 2009, Purple Heart Hero Support volunteers served supper at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.
Burritos, salad, chips and salsa were distributed to family members on the 5th floor, ICU waiting room and in the PTSD/TBI ward. Recovering wounded warriors in Mercy Hall also enjoyed the food delivered by California Tortilla on Cordell Avenue in Bethesda. California Tortilla has graciously offered to reduce the price of their dinners by twenty-five percent. Such generosity will allow our organization to increase the food order as the patient load at Bethesda increases, a sad trend we are already seeing.
Volunteer, CDR Rene Hernandez, MSC USN, delivered the meals to the PTSD/TBI ward and noticed a young woman sitting forlornly on a bench just inside the doors of the ward. Her eyes were red as if she had been crying. When a staff member on the ward brought in the tray of burritos, her face blossomed into smiles. She waved appreciatively at Rene through the window in the door.
A young woman came into the conference room on the 5th floor where the buffet was set up. In a sling in her arms was a tiny, brand new baby. The young mother tucked her foil wrapped burrito into the sling next to the baby. The burrito was almost as big as the baby. The mother told the volunteers, when she received word that her husband had been wounded, she went into labor. When she and the baby had recovered sufficiently, she joined her husband at Bethesda. Experiences such as these underscore the need for the weekend meals, served on the wards at Bethesda.
Suppers are scheduled to be served again on October 25th, November 29th and December 20th.
West Coast Wounded WarriorsFat Ivor's Rib Rack in Valley Center, Ca. will be cooking their famous ribs, beans, cole slaw and potato salad for 125 Wounded Warriors. Dinner will be held in the Liberty Room, Thursday Sept 24th.
All the volunteers are so excited! They have been bantering back and forth by email regarding what desserts they will be making for our heroes, ok, not just talking but bragging on them! Desserts get quite competitive with the volunteers. Woe to the Wounded Warrior who tries to make it out without trying at least one, lol.
West Coast Purple Heart Hero Support Manager, Joyce Orrell, speaks about their September meal, one Marine's going away, two very special Corpsmen and more. Read her letter for an inside look at Purple Heart Hero Support, Click here...
We'd like to extend a huge thank you to Sabre Systems, Inc. for sponsoring and paying in full for the meals provided this month, at both Bethesda and Balboa.
Thank you for your contribution to Purple Heart Hero Support!
