April 13, 2015
In This Issue:

Greetings!

National Volunteer Week is April 12-18, 2015 and this newsletter is dedicated to reflecting on what our volunteers have accomplished over the last year. 
 
Our network of volunteers numbers in the thousands, all across the country, and thanks to your support and dedication, we've done some great work over the last year.

If you like what you see in these articles, make sure to visit our 2015 Volunteer Appreciation website to learn more!

Semper Fi Marine Families!





 
 
Tracy Della Vecchia
Founder and Executive Director
MarineParents.com, Inc.

Thank You Volunteers!
April 12-18 is 2015 National Volunteer Week

National Volunteer Week is April 12-18 this year. Organizations around the country this week are committed to recognizing the hard work and dedication of those who volunteer, and I want to take this opportunity to thank the volunteers of MarineParents.com, Inc. for their hard work and dedication over the last year. You are the backbone of our organization and nothing we do would be possible without you.



Mendy (R) and Tracy Della Vecchia (L)
Marine Parents Volunteers of the Year 2015

 

Volunteers are the backbone of our organization and nothing we do would be possible without thousands of dedicated volunteers across America helping us further our mission of providing support to Marines and their family members. 
 
This year, we selected three volunteers for our "Volunteer of the Year" award. With so many volunteers working with Marine Parents around the country, each of whom is exemplary in his or her own way, it's tough to choose each year.

  

Dale L.

We selected a volunteer from each of the following three categories:

  • Local Volunteer
    Melinda Q. from Columbia, Missouri
     
  • Outreach Programs Volunteer
    Dale L. from San Diego, California
     
  • Online Support Services Volunteer
    Keri C. from Roeland Park, Kansas
Keri C.
 
We extend a huge Ooh Rah and congratulations to each of you for taking support of our Marines and families at home to another level. Thank you Mendy, Dale, Keri!
 
To learn more about our Volunteers of the Year, please click here...
Thank You to Our 2015 Online Support Service Volunteers!

As an organization that was founded online, the internet has always played a significant role in what we've been able to accomplish over the years, particularly in terms of providing people "a Place to Connect & Share�. 

 

  

Maintaining the standards we've set, ensuring Operational Security (OPSEC) compliance, and providing accurate, up-to-date information is an incredibly time-consuming task, and would be impossible without the hard work and dedication of our Online Support Service volunteers. 

 

Click here to learn more...

The collage to the right features a few of our Facebook Group Volunteers!
Volunteers at a pack day. 
Thank You to Our 2015 Outreach Programs Volunteers!

One of the tenets of the Marine Parents mission statement is to, "create opportunities for the public to support our troops through the organization's outreach programs," and this would not be possible without the hard work and dedication of our Outreach Service volunteers across the country. While our Outreach Service volunteers may show their support in different ways, their goal is the same - support Marines and their family members in any way possible - and it's truly inspirational to see people from all walks of life come together to achieve that goal.
Barb (L) and Sandy (R)
Bidding Farewell to Two Longtime Volunteers
 
We'd like to take a moment to recognize two of our longest-serving volunteers, both of whom retired this year - Barb Patterson and Sandy Robinson. 
 
Over the last twelve years, one thing I've learned is that every volunteer is unique, and each has a huge heart. Barb and Sandy are no different and their commitment to serving Marines and their family members is second to none.

To learn more about Barb and Sandy, please click here...
Read and Write Thank-You Notes to Our Volunteers   

Marine Parents is grateful for the time, energy, skill, dedication and Esprit de Corps offered by so many generous and hard-working volunteers.
 
Please take a moment to write a note of thanks to our volunteers. If you have a personal experience to share, please tell the volunteers how their service impacted your life. 

To write a thank-you note to our volunteers, please click here...

To read a thank-you note to our volunteers, please click here...
Volunteering at MarineParents.com

Volunteering at MarineParents.com, Inc. is a rewarding experience and opens many doors to new friendships, levels of support, and provides you an opportunity to lend support to other Marine Corps families as well as our Marines and Sailors. Volunteers at MarineParents.com are not compensated either monetarily or with benefits.
 
To learn more about how you can volunteer with MarineParents.com, please click here...
President's Volunteer Service Award Recipients 2015

Volunteer's hours are tabulated for a calendar year. In January of the following year, we turn those hours in to Presidential Volunteer Service Awards. We present the awards for hours served in 2014 in April of 2015 as part of National Volunteer Week.
 
During 2014, our volunteers contributed 10,655 hours to the pool of volunteer service hours. We are proud to be presenting 49 awards to 40 volunteers and 9 groups this year. The awards help signify the importance of their work at Marine Parents. 
 
To see the full list of Marine Parents volunteers who earned PVSAs this year, please click here... 
Thanking Local Volunteer Groups

While we greatly appreciate our amazing network of volunteers across the country, we'd like to also take this opportunity to also thank those that support our organization closer to home. Columbia, Missouri may not be the largest town, but we have a number of local supporters who do everything they can to help us further our mission across the country and around the world.

 

To learn more about our local volunteer groups, please click here... 

Thanking Our Interns

In addition to the amazing volunteer team across the country that supports our organization, there's another smaller, yet just-as-dedicated group of people that we'd like to thank for their hard work this year-our team of interns. This year we've had three interns from the University of Missouri-Columbia (MU) and Columbia College who have worked tirelessly to help us further our goals.

To learn more about our interns, please click here...
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 12 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 12 years of service, MarineParents.com has:
  • Invested over $6 million delivering direct support to Marines, their families and other military personnel.
  • Provided information and a Place to Connect & Share� to more than 311,000 family members through a network of communities and educational websites.
  • Collected materials and shipped over 39,000 care packages to Marines and military personnel in combat zones.
  • Involved thousands of Americans in sending over 93,000 cards and letters to injured troops.
  • Served over 40,000 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 January, 2015. 







Outreach Programs of MarineParents.com, Inc.:


Warrior Support Team

Operation Prayers
and Letters

The Care Package
Project

Gold Star
Family Support

Luminary Initiative
Gold Star Family Day
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