May 28, 2015
In This Issue:

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!

This past week, MarineParents.com's Warrior Support Team attended the Elizabeth Dole Foundation's second annual "Hidden Heroes Coalition" in Washington, D.C. Learn more in our first article.

To see what else is new with the organization or to learn more about the Marine Corps, check out the rest of our articles. We hope you enjoy!

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.
First Lady Michelle Obama speaks at this year's "Hidden Heroes Coalition" (Marine Parents photo)
Warrior Support Team: Elizabeth Dole Foundation 2015 "Hidden Heroes Coalition"

On Wednesday, May 20, 2015, MarineParents.com, Inc.'s® Founder and Executive Director Tracy Della Vecchia, along with Development Officer Alex Jessop and Warrior Support Team (WST) Program Administrator Krystl Stroker, attended the Elizabeth Dole Foundation's 2015 "Hidden Heroes Coalition" in Washington, D.C. This year's event marked the one year anniversary of Senator Elizabeth Dole and First Lady Michelle Obama meeting at the White House and joining together in pledging to raise awareness of, and support for, America's "Hidden Heroes" - military caregivers.

 

We learned about and were invited to the event by Melody Slusher, the Elizabeth Dole Foundation's Missouri Fellow, after Melanie met Krystl at the Salem, Missouri VA Day (link to va day page) she recently attended. Krystl and Mrs. Slusher stayed in touch after the event in Salem and, after deciding she liked the mission and goals of the warrior support team (especially in regard to our mentoring program), Mrs. Slusher invited us to Washington. 

 

Click here to learn more about the Warrior Support Team's time at the 2015 Hidden Heroes Coalition... 
Help Operation PAL™ Reach 100,000 Letters!

Will you be working at Vacation Bible School or a Summer Camp this Summer? Here is a great activity for your kids to do!

Operation Prayers & Letters™ (Operation PAL), one of the outreach programs of MarineParents.com, provides support to wounded, ill, and injured troops through prayers and letters written by individuals in communities throughout the United States.

Since 2006, Operation PAL supporters have sent 97,324 cards and letters to more than 150 recovering warriors, and it's our goal to cross the 100,000 card and letter threshold by September 1 of this year. If we can average just 750 cards and letters per month, we'll make our goal.
Marines and sailors man the rails as the USS San Antonio makes its final approach into New York, May 20, 2015. (USMC photo by Lance Cpl. Immanuel Johnson)
2015 Fleet Week New York
Marines, Sailors, Coast Guardsmen Honored

Fleet Week New York 2015, held this year from May 20-26, concluded on Tuesday. This was the 27th consecutive year the event has been held, and is aimed to celebrate the Marine Corps, the Navy, and the Coast Guard, as well as to increase the public's awareness of the work they do while serving our country. 

Almost 2,000 Marines, Sailors, and Coast Guardsmen took part in this year's festivities, which included ship tours, skills demonstrations, and other events over the course of the week.
General Kelly speaks during the Memorial Day Ceremony at Pier 86 in New York City on Monday, May 25, 2015 (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Justin T. Updegraff)
Four Star General, Gold Star Father
General Kelly Gives Memorial Day Speech During Fleet Week

General John Kelly, head of U.S. Southern Command and one of the Marine Corps' three four-star generals, is also a Gold Star father. In a poignant Memorial Day speech during the Memorial Day Ceremony at Pier 86 in New York City on Monday, May 25, spoke to the audience about what it's like lose a loved one in war. 

General Kelly became the highest-ranking U.S. military officer to have lost a child during the War on Terror after his son, Marine 1st Lt. Robert Kelly, was killed Nov. 9, 2010, while conducting combat operations in Sangin, Afghanistan.
Meet the Team!
TMP Featured Participants: Team Creech

Team Marine Parents™ (TMP) is a group of individuals, generally parents, family, and friends of Marines, who participate in athletic events nationwide to support our troops.  The mission is to raise funds and awareness of the organization's outreach programs.  Currently, there are over 50 members of Team Marine Parents™ around the country.

This month's TMP featured participants are a husband and wife team from Annadale, New Jersey--Team Creech.

This year will be Team Creech's third year of running for TMP, and the second year they'll be running in the Marine Corps Marathon (MCM), after having an incredible time last year during their first MCM. "After such a great experience running our first [MCM] last year, we knew we had to do it again," Team Creech said, "the pride and emotions we felt the entire 26.2 mile stretch is nothing we can easily describe. The men and women serving our communities and country everyday are the reason we will run again this year."

With that sentiment in mind, Team Creech will be raising money for the Warrior Support Team in support of wounded, ill, and injured warriors across the country.

 

At this point, Team Creech is almost 50% of the way to reaching their fundraising goal of $500, and with your support and generosity, we know they can reach that goal in no time!

Thanks for being a part of the team!


To learn more about Team Creech, or to donate to their campaign, please click here...
Bibs Are Still Available!

Do you want to run in this year's Marine Corps Marathon (MCM)  but missed your chance to get a bib during this year's MCM registration lottery? Don't worry, Team Marine Parents (TMP) has your back! 


As an official MCM Charity Partner, TMP has bibs available for those who want to run in the marathon, all you have to do is join the team! 

TMP currently has 21 bibs remaining for this year's race. Each bib costs $130 (a $125 registration fee and a $5 processing fee) and runners must pledge to raise at least $500 for a MarineParents.com outreach program of their choice in return for receiving their bib. 

Joining TMP is a great way to get in shape while raising money for a good cause and these bibs won't last long! Don't miss out on your chance to run in the 2015 MCM, join TMP today! 
Why Shop at the EGA Shop?

MarineParents.com is a nonprofit corporation with 80% of our income coming from the EGA shop; 93% of our income is program expense. Our outreach programs are extensive and we reach wounded warriors, families of the fallen, active duty Marines, recruit family members and troops reintegrating to civilian life. None of what we do would be possible without the sales in our online store. We know firsthand the sacrifices of our military and their family members. Thank you to all who support the mission of Marine Parents by shopping with us at EGAshop.com. 

 

Click here to visit the EGA Shop today! 

 

 
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 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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