East Coast Wounded Warriors

The East Coast Purple Heart Family Support program served over-stuffed burritos, salad, chips and salsa to families of Wounded Warriors at the National Naval Medical Center at Bethesda on August 8, 2010. The meals were generously provided by California Tortilla in Bethesda. Volunteers Cheryl, Becky, Jim, Peggy and Joe kept busy serving food and drinks to the grateful family members and their injured service members.

Click here for California Tortilla website.

People were lining up before PHFS volunteers could even unpack the meals. Corpsmen escorted their patients down to the 5th floor conference room and assisted them as they chose Havana, honey lime chicken or beef burritos. The conscientious corpsmen helped carry their patients’ meals and got them settled back in their rooms.

Rene, Jim and Becky were in constant motion taking suppers to Wounded Warriors on the 7th floor PTSD ward and to families in the ICU waiting rooms. Jim and Becky made a run to Mercy Hall with goodies for the long term recuperation patients there. Cheryl was a gracious hostess, greeting everyone, answering questions about the food and describing the work of MarineParents.com, all while keeping the line moving and preventing traffic jams. Joe poured drinks with lightening speed while Peggy kept the supply of ice coming from the ward pantry.

The food went very quickly—all 150 burritos were gone in less than an hour—but the volunteers thoughtfully set aside burritos for two Wounded Warriors who were just arriving from Germany.

As things quieted down, a young Marine arrived in a wheelchair. One foot was bandaged, and the other leg was amputated just below the knee. His wife helped him navigate his wheelchair into the conference room as they helped themselves to the last two burritos. Before they returned to his room, the young wife—not much more than a girl herself—retrieved their baby who was being held by another patient. It reminded all of the volunteers of why they are there: to support families with food and compassion while they go through this difficult time.

Also at Bethesda was new PHFS volunteer Mary Jane. Mary ­­­Jane raises dogs that are destined to become service dogs, and she brought a beautiful black Labrador puppy named Dave to visit the Wounded Warriors on the 5th floor. Mary Jane will be joining other volunteers again on August 29th to serve dinner to our courageous Wounded Warriors and their equally courageous families.