November 10, 2014

In This Issue:

November is Warrior Care Month

November is Military Family Month

2014 Veterans Day Discounts

2014 Marine Corps Marathon Recap

November 1 Pack Day Recap

Do You Know a Federal Employee?

Greetings!

Thank you for joining us for this issue of Marine Parents News. If this is your first time receiving the newsletter, welcome aboard, we're excited for you to be here!

On this day 239 years ago, the Continental Marines were established, and we'd like to begin this issue by wishing all United States Marines a very happy birthday! Happy birthday Marines!

Tomorrow is Veterans Day, so we'd also like to thank all service members, past and present, for their service and sacrifice on our behalf.

November is Warrior Care Month and Military Family Month. Learn more in this issue.

Thank you for joining us and especially for your continued support of our brave men and women in uniform.

Semper Fi Marine Families!

Tracy Della Vecchia

Founder and Executive Director
MarineParents.com, Inc.

Happy Birthday Marines!

The Marine Corps' birthday is a day of pride and respect, and its celebration is one of the most revered traditions in the Corps. Each year, on November 10th, Marines around the world celebrate what they see as their "second" birthday, the day the United States Marine Corps was born.

The tradition runs deep. For years, Marines have been telling each other "Happy Birthday" on November 10th and attending Marine Corps Birthday Balls in cities across the globe. Each year, the Commandant of the Corps reads his "Birthday Message" to all Marines, and they "...reflect upon the legacy of [the] Corps and upon the awesome responsibilities lying ahead." (Warrior Culture of the U.S. Marines by Marion F. Sturkey)

To watch the Commandant's 2014 Birthday Message, please click on the image to the right or follow the link below.

Click here to watch the Commandant's 2014 Birthday Message!

November is Warrior Care Month

Learn About Our Outreach in Action!

November is Warrior Care Month, and here at the Warrior Support Team, we would like to take this opportunity to highlight some of the care and assistance we've provided and are able to provide for wounded, ill, and injured service members, as well as their family members and caretakers.

Click here to learn more...

November is Military Family Month

Thank You Military Families!

While the sacrifices made and hardships endured by our service members are well-documented, a related aspect that many people may not think about as often are the sacrifices made and hardships endured by military families as well. Maintaining a family in the civilian world is challenging enough, and military families may also face additional, unique challenges, such as frequent moves from base to base, having a loved one deployed for months on end, or dealing with long-term physical and/or emotional wounds, that can make the task of maintaining a family seem almost overwhelming.

Click here to learn more...

2014 Veterans Day Discounts

America Gives Back to Those Who Sacrifice on Our Behalf

Each year, in honor of Veterans Day, a number of restaurants and businesses around the country offer free or discounted goods, services, and meals to both veterans and active-duty service members.

Click here to learn more about this year's Veterans Day discounts...

2014 Marine Corps Marathon Recap

Thank You TMP Members!

We would like to thank all of our Team Marine Parents and TMP supporters for helping make the 2014 racing season a success! Months of hard work, determination, and blood, sweat, and tears culminated Sunday, October 26, in the 39th running of the Marine Corps, or "People's", Marathon.

Click here to read more...

November 1 Pack Day Recap

Marine Corps Birthday Pack Day is a Success!

November is here, and so is the Marine Corps' birthday on November 10. In honor of this special day, 27 volunteers from Missouri, Kansas, and Tennessee, including members of the Evans Scholars and the Beta alpha Psi Fraternity from the University of Missouri, arrived our corporate office in Columbia, Missouri on Saturday, November 1, 2014, to participate in our final pack day of the year. Of the 27 volunteers, approximately 10 were new, and it was great to see some new faces and give them a chance to participate in a fun new experience.

Click here to read more...

Do You Know a Federal Employee?

Help Spread the Word!

In the spirit of giving back to others, we invite you to support us this year as we join in the world's largest and most successful annual workplace charity campaign, the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC), and help us give back to the Marines who sacrifice so much on our behalf.

The CFC is comprised of almost 200 charity campaigns throughout the country and overseas. All Federal civilian, postal, and military employees have an opportunity to choose from the CFC charities and pledge donations to the cause/s that matter most to them. In 2013 Federal employees contributed over $200 million dollars to CFC charities. While not all of you are Federal employees, each and every one of you can help this campaign succeed!

Click here to learn how you can help today!

MarineParents.com, Inc. is an IRS-approved 501(c)(3) public charity founded on January 21, 2003 to provide support, information, and services to Marines and their family members, and to create opportunities for individuals to support our troops. In over 11 years of service, Marine Parents has made a huge impact in support of Marines, military personnel, and their family members.

Marine family members are encouraged to support one another through activities and networking provided by the organization and guided by trained volunteers. Outreach to injured troops is volunteer-centered with in-person contact. Additional troop-support centered programs are designed to actively engage individuals and communities across the United States while maintaining the privacy of military personnel. All services are offered free to family members, Marines and military personnel.

In 11 years of service, MarineParents.com has:

Invested over $2 million delivering direct support to Marines, their families and other military personnel.
Provided information and a Place to Connect & Share� to more than 250,000 family members through a network of communities and educational websites.
Processed over 1200 support requests each week from recruit and Marine family members.
Collected materials and shipped over 38,000 care packages to Marines and military personnel in combat zones.
Involved thousands of Americans in sending over 87,000 cards and letters to injured troops.
Served over 35,000 meals to injured troops and their families at military medical facilities on the east and west coasts.
Planned and carried out recreational events for hundreds of injured troops and their families.
Delivered materials and resources to aid in the recovery process to hundreds of family members of injured troops.
Provided support and networking to hundreds of Gold Star families.

Tracy Della Vecchia, Founder and Executive Director, leads the operations from the corporate office in Columbia, Missouri with staff, volunteers, and a volunteer Board of Directors. In addition to the moderated, OPSEC-compliant Marine Family Network (MFN), chat rooms and informative websites, several outreach programs to support Marines and families before, during and after the Marine Corps are provided by the organization. Funding for the programs is through donations, grants, fundraising and store sales. In 2009, the 15-item online store began expansion, eventually becoming the EGA Shop. In 2010, the production facility was established on-site to design and develop custom product, dramatically boosting sales and providing additional funding for the outreach programs. The organization is an official Marine Corps Trademark licensee.

Statistics updated August, 2014.