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| Operation Homefront and CinCHouse.com Showcased on Yahoo! |
SANTA ANA, CA - Operation Homefront, a national nonprofit that assists military families, and CinCHouse.com, a web-based community of nearly 900,000 military families, became part of Internet history yesterday while being featured as part of Yahoo!'s Netrospective: 10 years, 100 moments of the Web.
 The interactive display located online at http://birthday.yahoo.com/netrospective/birthdayd.html, was designed by Jonathan Harris as part of Yahoo!'s 10th Birthday celebration.
"We're deeply honored by this recognition," said Meredith Leyva, chairman and co-founder of Operation Homefront and CinCHouse.com. "Our military and their families need our support now more than ever, and it is our job to be there for them."
Founded by military spouses and retirees in San Diego shortly after the 9/11 attacks, Operation Homefront has grown to be one of the largest nonprofits in the country dedicated to assisting military families, especially families left behind by deployed service members.
In 2004, the organization has assisted more than twelve thousand military families (and about 10% of the military population in Southern California) with emergencies ranging from home and auto repair to providing news and information.
Operation Homefront also connects families with loved ones overseas through an extensive communications program that provides free phone cards, computers and, most recently, digital cameras through a national drive called Operation Photo -www.operationphoto.us.
To address the demand for assistance, Operation Homefront opened more than 30 chapters nationwide that link military families with 2,000 volunteers and countless businesses and civilian individuals who want to show their support for the troops.
CinCHouse.com was founded in 1998 as a web-based community of military wives, girlfriends and women in uniform. The site now attracts up to 900,000 unique visitors per month and features more than 1,000 news articles to help families learn about military life.
"With all the news and information that Yahoo! provides, being featured as part of the company's 10th anniversary means a lot to us," said Ernie Leidiger, Operation Homefront's executive director.
For more information, please contact any of the individuals listed below:
Meredith Leyva, Chairman, 850-233-8887, cinc@cinchouse.com
Amy Palmer, East Ops, 800-779-5921, amy@operationhomefront.net
Meri Rettinger, Editor, 800-779-5924, meri@cinchouse.com
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| CinCHouse.com/Operation Homefront Launch “The Jacey Eckhart Show” for Military Families on KCBQ 1170 AM in San Diego |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SANTA ANA, CA – CinCHouse.com and Operation Homefront are launching “The Jacey Eckhart Show” on Sunday, July 9, at 8 am on KCBQ 1170 AM in San Diego. The weekly show is hosted by Jacey Eckhart, the popular nationally syndicated columnist and author of The Homefront Club (Naval Institute Press 2004).
Like her writing, Jacey’s show will feature provocative discussion, interesting interviews and listener call-ins on today’s military lifestyle topics ranging from marriage and parenting to Tricare benefits and even legislative issues. Additionally, Operation Homefront, which provides emergency assistance to military families, will provide a weekly update including community outreach requests for specific services to assist military families with unmet needs.
“We all find it really easy to love someone in uniform, but it’s always a lot more complicated to build a life with them – especially with this generation,” said Jacey Eckhart. “The good news is there are so many people inside and outside the military community who have great ideas and are willing to help.”
“The Jacey Eckhart Show” will launch with the generous support from founding sponsors USAA, the Military Officers’ Association of America (MOAA) and TriWest Healthcare.
Although “The Jacey Eckhart Show” is based in San Diego, the topics are not location specific so that the program may be easily syndicated to other military communities. Even the Operation Homefront update is designed to be easily edited and interchanged with an update from another chapter. KCBQ plans to assist CinCHouse.com in promoting the show to sister stations in the Salem Radio Network, while Operation Homefront will promote the show to its partner stations at each chapter location.
Those outside of San Diego can listen live to Jacey’s show at www.kcbq.com, or hear the podcast and read Jacey’s blog at www.cinchouse.com.
“No one but Jacey can be so hysterically funny about the serious topics we deal with in the military,” said Founder Meredith Leyva. “We are proud to have Jacey as a host and know the program will be wildly successful with military families stationed in San Diego and around the globe. There’s no other show like it.”
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About Operation Homefront
Operation Homefront is a non-profit organization that provides assistance to military families while service members are deployed. With 26 chapters nationwide, we support our nation's troops by allowing military personnel to focus on the demands of their duties abroad. Operation Homefront also operates CinCHouse.com, the largest online community of military wives and women in uniform. For more information, please visit www.operationhomefront.net
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| Power Board of Directors, CEO join Operation Homefront & CinCHouse.com |
Other grassroots charities look to merge with Operation Homefront
SANTA ANA, CA – Operation Homefront/CinCHouse.com announced the induction of 12 new members of the Board of Directors, all of whom are senior executives in Fortune 1000 companies or successful business owners. The Board of Directors now includes:
¨ Paul Stanislaw, Group Vice President, Ameriprise
¨ Stephen Harrington, President & CEO, Operation Homefront
¨ Richard Cabrera, Vice President, California Bank & Trust
¨ Jacey Eckhart, Military Spouse, Columnist& Talk Show Host
¨ Joanne El Kareh, Attorney, El Kareh & Associates
¨ Mike Hall, General Manager, Westin Hotels
¨ Marc Hedde, President, California Office Systems
¨ Mark Kuehn, Managing Partner, Scott’s Seafood
¨ Cathy McCarthy, President & Chief Operations Officer, SM&A
¨ Richard Porras, Executive Director External Affairs, AT&T
¨ Leslie Seigel, President, California Closet Company
¨ Jim Trunick, Sr. Director Corporate Training & Development, Allergan
¨ Michael Villanueva, Vice President, Wells Fargo Bank
¨ Tony Williams, Senior Vice President, IBM
¨ Rob Wolford, Managing Director, Hollencrest Securities
The new Board members joined Operation Homefront at the personal request of Steve Harrington, Operation Homefront’s new president and chief executive officer. Nearly all the new members have worked with Steve as board members during his 20 years as a nonprofit executive.
“The business community knows when Steve Harrington gets involved in a cause, it’s going to be powerful and successful,” said Paul Stanislaw. “Sure enough, our first board meeting not only demonstrated how Operation Homefront is genuinely helping our troops and their families, but we also saw a truly efficient and effective organization.”
With the new composition of the Board of Directors, founder Meredith Leyva turned over chairmanship to Paul Stanislaw and assumed the role of Chief Creative Officer.
“I am extremely pleased to hand over the reins to Paul and the board because I am confident they see things the way I do: Our military service members and their families come first,” said Leyva. “Business leaders understand that client-centered approach. If we can leverage technology and community goodwill to be the first to help in a family crisis, then everything else will fall into place.”
The ‘professionalization’ of Operation Homefront by Steve Harrington and Executive Vice President Amy Palmer, including the re-composition of the Board of Directors and the recent hiring of Development Director Michael Donohue, has not only improved the effectiveness of Operation Homefront but attracted other grassroots military charities. Several smaller charities with a strong regional presence have recently merged their organizations into Operation Homefront, including “Ukes for Troops” and “4 the Troops” in California and a community of churches in Northwest Illinois. These charities indicated an appreciation for the professional approach and competent administration of Operation Homefront so that they can ‘focus on the mission’.
“Operation Homefront and CinCHouse.com have a powerful impact in the military community” said Steve Harrington. “With the new Board of Directors, we will ensure it continues as long as necessary.”
For more information, please contact Meredith Leyva at (850) 438-5710 or cinc@cinchouse.com.
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About Operation Homefront
Operation Homefront is a non-profit organization that provides assistance to military families while service members are deployed. With 26 chapters nationwide, we support our nation's troops by allowing military personnel to focus on the demands of their duties abroad. Operation Homefront also operates CinCHouse.com, the largest online community of military wives and women in uniform. For more information, please visit www.operationhomefront.net
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| Local America Supports You Member Meets with President Bush at the White House |
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Jorge Martinez
March 10, 2006
Tel: (202) 414-0780
jmartinez@susandavis.com
LOCAL AMERICA SUPPORTS YOU MEMBER MEETS
WITH PRESIDENT BUSH AT THE WHITE HOUSE
President Expresses Support and Thanks for Group’s Work
on Behalf of Men and Women in Uniform
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WASHINGTON, DC – “Operation Homefront/CinCHouse” was one of fifteen America Supports You grassroots organizations invited by President George W. Bush to a private meeting at the White House today to discuss the importance of their work, and to thank them for their support of the military at home and abroad.
CinCHouse is a Santa Ana, California-based nonprofit organization made up of military wives that helps other military wives and women in the military manage their daily lives. The CinCHouse website is a valuable resource that provides important information, a community of women to talk to and learn from and e-commerce partners that help military wives. CinCHouse also has a philanthropic component, Operation Homefront, which provides assistance to military families with loved ones deployed overseas. Operation Homefront was founded in 2001 and has 26 chapters in 20 states.
“It was an honor for me to be invited to the White House for this important meeting with President Bush,” said Amy Palmer, Executive Vice President of Operations for the organization. “He recognized how important our work on behalf of our men and women in uniform is, and that this nationwide support is critical to their morale.”
America Supports You is a worldwide outreach program, launched by the Department of Defense, to recognize citizens’ support for our military men and women and to communicate that support to members of our Armed Forces and their families at home and abroad. By communicating these local and national initiatives to our military members and their families, America Supports You helps boost the morale of men and women in uniform. This effort also provides Americans with a venue in which to show their support and appreciation to our Armed Forces and their families.
Messages of support are posted to the website, www.AmericaSupportsYou.mil, and shared with members of the military wherever they are stationed. Americans can register their activities of support on the site and learn ways they can join the team.
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| ThanksUSA Announces Collaboration to Promote $4 Million Scholarship Fund for Military Families |
| ThanksUSA Announces Collaboration
to Promote $4 Million Scholarship Fund
for Military Families
CinCHouse/Operation Homefront and MilitaryConnection.com Join Forces with ThanksUSA to Promote Scholarship Awards in Advance
of May 30th Deadline
WASHINGTON, D.C. – ThanksUSA, a non-partisan, 501(c)(3) organization, announced today a partnership with CinCHouse.com/Operation Homefront and a sponsorship by Militaryconnection.com to encourage military spouses and children to apply for the organization’s $4 million college, vocational and technical school scholarship fund in advance of the May 30, 2006 application deadline.
ThanksUSA was founded by two Virginia elementary public school children, Rachel and Kelsi Okun, ages 10 and 8. The scholarships are funded by federal, corporate and individual contributions. Additional donations for the scholarship fund are expected to come from the first-ever nationwide treasure hunt staged to support military troops. In this treasure hunt, participants of all ages will navigate their way through 12 challenging puzzles, each based on a U.S. state, with clues rooted in American history, culture and geography. Information and applications for both the scholarships and the treasure hunt can be found at www.ThanksUSA.org.
“We wanted to show that we care about military families,” said Kelsi, who, along with her sister Rachel, is the primary architect behind the treasure hunt. “They make sacrifices for our country just like our troops, and we wanted to say ‘thanks,’” added Rachel, ThanksUSA’s co-founder.
Scholarship Application Enrollment Open – Ends May 30
ThanksUSA intends to award at least 1,000 scholarships in amounts of up to $5,000 each. These need-based scholarships will be awarded on a competitive basis to the spouses and children of active-duty military personnel who plan to pursue a post-secondary education, including college, vocational and technical training. Winners will be selected on the basis of financial need, academic record, demonstrated leadership and participation in school and community activities. Preference will also be given to students who have studied a foreign language. Interested applicants can find more information, eligibility requirements and the official application form at www.ThanksUSA.org. Applications will be accepted through May 30, 2006.
“CinCHouse.com and Operation Homefront support and endorse ThanksUSA and its mission of providing educational scholarships to military spouses and children,” said CinCHouse.com Founder and Chairman Meredith Leyva. “We’ve been impressed and inspired by the patriotism and creativity of Rachel and Kelsi, their family and the entire ThanksUSA organization. We’re proud to be associated with such a good and worthy cause.”
Debbie Gregory, President of Military Connection.com, added “MilitaryConnection.com is delighted to be a sponsor of this extraordinary project benefiting military families. Rachel and Kelsi, ThanksUSA, CinCHouse and Operation Homefront demonstrate the heart and soul of America.”
“Our partnership with CinCHouse.com/Operation Homefront in combination with our sponsorship from Militaryconnection.com will help spread the word about this important scholarship opportunity,” said Kevin Dowdell, Executive Director of ThanksUSA. “This cooperative effort will facilitate ThanksUSA’s goal of thanking military families with the invaluable gift of education.”
ThanksUSA Scholarship Application - Click here to download .pdf
Click here to learn more about the scholarship at ThanksUSA.org/Scholarships
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About ThanksUSA
ThanksUSA, a 501(c)(3) organization, is a unique national effort to thank the men and women of our armed forces and their families. Founded in the fall of 2005, ThanksUSA is dedicated to providing educational opportunities through competitive scholarships to the children and spouses of active-duty military personnel. An acronym for Treasure Hunt Aiding Needs of Kids (and spouses) of those Serving the United States of America, see www.ThanksUSA.org for more information.
About CinCHouse.com/Operation Homefront
Operation Homefront is a non-profit organization that provides assistance to military families while service members are deployed. With 26 chapters nationwide, we support our nation's troops by allowing military personnel to focus on the demands of their duties abroad. Operation Homefront also operates CinCHouse.com, the largest online community of military wives and women in uniform. For more information, please visit www.operationhomefront.net.
About Militaryconnection.com
MilitaryConnection.com offers one of the most comprehensive online directories of military resources and information featuring over 800 pages with over 10,000 valuable links. Focusing on connecting top corporations with outstanding military and military spouse candidates, the web site features over 7,500 corporations in their Directory of Employers. MilitaryConnection.com also supports military families and encourages their clients to make direct donations to many worthy military non-profits through their Charity Connection. They are providing valuable services to this project. See www.militaryconnection.com or contact Debbie Gregory at 800/817-3777 or debbieg@militaryconnection.com for more information. |
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| Rallying Forces for the Troops |
By Brian Kelly
The Herald
February 9, 2005
Janice Buckley began by supporting a Snohomish-based National Guard unit. Now she heads a state organization that helps military families.
Some people show their support by putting a yellow ribbon magnet on their car.
That was never enough for Janice Buckley.
Buckley is the one-woman force behind the state's chapter of Operation Homefront, a nonprofit organization devoted to helping military families. The single mother started the Washington branch from her home in Snohomish.
"It was a wake-up call for me. To just realize how great our nation is, and those who are defending it 24-7," she said. "I thought, 'I can't sit here and not do anything.'"
She found out that an Army National Guard unit in Snohomish, Alpha Company, 898th Engineer Battalion, was leaving for Iraq. Buckley began visiting businesses in Snohomish, asking restaurants and other places to donate gift certificates to the families of the soldiers who had been deployed.
"From there, I thought, 'I can't stop now,'" Buckley said.
She joined the troop-support rallies at Exit 122 on I-5 near Fort Lewis. At one of the rallies, she met a soldier's wife who asked her to come to a family readiness meeting.
When the group asked for someone to look for donations of gift certificates for a unit that was coming home, Buckley stepped up.
"I raised my hand," Buckley said. "They said, 'Sure!'"
Buckley cast a wide net, looking for help from Bellingham to Auburn, Orcas Island to Edmonds, Snoqualmie Pass to Federal Way. The gifts poured in.
"It just stirred up my passion even more," she said.
While that donation drive was under way, Buckley was sending care packages of cookies, CDs, homemade bread and other goodies to sailors in the Persian Gulf.
She then heard about Operation Homefront from a Web site for military wives and talked to the organization's executive director, who encouraged her to set up a chapter in Washington. Buckley opened the chapter last fall.
Operation Homefront has been lining up local businesses to help military families with everything from car repairs, appliance overhauls and veterinary services to food donations, refurbished computers and baby care items.
"We appreciate the sacrifices the service people and their families are making, so we felt like the least we could do was sacrifice some profits and time to help these people out," said Brian Millhuff, service manager for Brien Ford in Everett.
Brien Ford has done two free repair jobs, including one woman's van that needed several thousand of dollars in repairs. But the woman was driving a Chevrolet van, so Millhuff called Everett Chevrolet, and they donated about $500 worth of parts. Bucky's Muffler also donated parts, and Enterprise Rent-A-Car loaned the woman a vehicle.
Millhuff was impressed with Buckley's ability to press on.
"To keep a positive attitude when you're faced with 'no, no, no' ... to keep plugging away, that's pretty impressive," he said.
Buckley has set up drop-off locations for people who want to donate CDs, DVDs and other item for care packages for the troops.
"They are my heroes," she said. "And to be able to assist them, it is very fulfilling." |
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| Charity's Homefront Operations |
Grass-roots Groups Raise Millions to Help Members of the Military
By Nicole Lewis
The Chronicle of Philanthropy
September 1, 2005
Soon after Sgt. Christopher M. Tomlinson left the springtime chill of his Army base in Kansas last year for
the blistering heat of Iraq, he called his mother with an unusual request: Could she send his unit some air conditioners to keep cool?
The answer was yes -- 9,000 times over. His mother, Frankie Mayo, decided to start Operation AC, a charity in Bear, Del., that has helped scores of service members stay comfortable by sending more than 9,000 air conditioners to Iraq. The charity also sends plenty of other items that help troops cope with the hardships of war, from sorely needed combat boots to luxuries like inflatable pools, beef jerky, books, and Hot Tamales candy.
Even small items, like the flip-flops the charity sent in May, can make a big difference. When several male marines got hold of the brightly colored shoes intended for female troops, the men paraded around in them as if they were participating in a fashion show.
"You think, 'Gosh, we made them laugh,'" says Ms. Mayo. "If you raise morale and you do something good for someone, that's what it's all about."
Motivated by worries about a deployed family member or simply a desire to support the military, more than two dozen grass-roots charities, such as Operation AC, have formed in the wake of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and the ensuing conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. The new groups have raised millions so far, largely through word of mouth and other informal fund-raising approaches.
In addition, several established charities, such as the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the USO, have started new programs to assist with military families' emergencies, and help them stay in touch. So many charities are now trying to help the troops that the Defense Department in November started a Web site (http://www.americasupportsyou.mil) to help donors find the groups; more than 150 established and new groups are included on the list.
Filling a Void
Some charities say their efforts resemble the swell of support Americans gave the troops during World War II. They view their role as filling gaps that the government and other support groups affiliated with the military, such as the relief societies that offer service members emergency financial aid, don't cover.
"We have tried to make our program broad enough so we can be there when they have exhausted every other opportunity and they have a legitimate need," says Rufus L. Forrest Jr., an Air Force brigadier general who helps oversee the Veterans of Foreign Wars Foundation's Unmet Needs Program, in Kansas City, Mo.
Other charity founders say the hostile way many Americans treated Vietnam War veterans plays a role in their desire to help this generation of soldiers feel appreciated.
However, officials at established charities question some of the newer groups' ability to provide solid services without much experience, and some nonprofit leaders wonder if it is wise for numerous groups to be offering similar services. "When there are so many organizations that appear to be serving the same kinds of people and appear not to be coordinating, there does seem to be a missed opportunity," says Diana Aviv, president of Independent Sector, a coalition of nonprofit groups and foundations in Washington.
'Thrown Into Chaos'
The need for help now may be greater than in other recent conflicts because of the large number of Reserve troops deployed, repeated and lengthy deployments, and the scope of the war, say leaders of the new military charities. About 35 percent of the 150,000 American troops in Iraq are members of the National Guard and reserves -- the largest deployment of Reserve troops since World War II -- and U.S. Department of Defense studies have shown that about a third of Reserve troops take a pay cut when called to active duty.
As more and more Americans are sent to Iraq and elsewhere, the emotional and financial stress on families of military troops who might need additional child care or help with emergencies, such as car or home repairs, has grown, say some leaders of new charities. When a service member is wounded, family members face additional challenges, especially when they need to take time away from jobs to be with loved ones.
"When you are talking about yearlong deployments or unpredictable deployments, when you have no idea when your spouse is coming home, suddenly the family gets thrown into chaos," says Meredith Leyva, founder of Operation Homefront, a charity in Santa Ana, Calif., that helps families of low-paid troops overseas with emergency expenses. "Finances get troublesome, the kids start to rebel, and it can get very lonely."
The best help that groups like hers can provide, she says, is taking care of families of service members so that they are not distracted by domestic worries while on duty abroad.
Officials at charities such as the American Red Cross, in Washington, which has long helped military families connect in emergencies, seek financial assistance, and secure veterans' benefits, are quick to voice support for the emerging charities.
However, the glut of new groups could be a hindrance to donors, says Eric K. Schuller, a senior policy adviser to Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn, of Illinois.
"We applaud everyone who wants to do this, but sometimes it can be overwhelming for someone who wants to write a check," he says. "We are getting to a saturation point."
Mr. Schuller helps get the word out about the Illinois Military Family Relief Fund, which was established in 2003 and raises money mainly through donations of income-tax refunds to help needy National Guard and Reserve families. Twenty-two states have started similar programs for military families, he says.
In addition, some older charities that work with the military point to their longevity as proof of their credibility with donors and question if some of the new groups will be around in 5 or 10 years to tell donors what their contributions accomplished. However, officials at many of the new charities say they don't plan to close their organizations when the Iraq war ends, as the needs of families with a wounded soldier might continue indefinitely.
"There is a long-term role for our group," says John A. Melia, who started the Wounded Warrior Project, in Roanoke, Va., which helps injured veterans with benefits and the readjustment to civilian life. "We are hoping these guys we helped today will come back and help the next generation of warriors."
Carving Out a Role
Even though many established charities serve military families, officials at newer groups say they have a distinctive role to play.
New charities say they are helping a wider circle of clients, while established organizations often have more restrictions about who is eligible for aid. Also, new charities tend to provide outright gifts of cash, while relief societies, which are affiliated with every military branch, mostly offer interest-free loans.
In addition, new groups, because they often have volunteers available around the clock, can react to a crisis more quickly than an established group, which might be more wedded to bureaucracy and bankers' hours, says Ms. Leyva, of Operation Homefront.
"We are more like the ambulance to the scene," says Ms. Leyva, whose group has 32 chapters around the country. "The family-support offices, as well as the other nonprofits, are like the hospital itself -- but you've got to deal with the immediate bleeding first."
Some officials at established charities, however, say they also do all they can to speed help to those who need it.
"If someone walks into our office they can walk out with a check," says John W. Alexander, a spokesman for the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society, in Arlington, Va. What's more, he says, the group makes it easy for people to find a staff member or a local Red Cross to help out if an emergency occurs after the organization's offices have closed for the day. Leaders of new charities that help military families say that when they began their efforts a year or two ago, they did so because they saw no one else filling needs. But the creation of such groups has posed some challenges.
Several founders of the new charities have received e-mail messages from opponents of the war lambasting them or their charities. However, most charities try to make clear that their work is about helping troops and military families, not about supporting the Bush administration or the war in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"I do not make policy on Iraq, I just support the troops," says Ms. Mayo of Operation AC. "If our soldiers were deployed to Mars, I would be sending them things to Mars."
Beyond the emotional attacks and the hours they devote to charity work, the founders of the nonprofit groups often spend thousands of their own dollars getting their organizations started.
Susan Brewer, a former interior designer, sold her house in Texas and moved to Washington to start America's Heroes of Freedom in April 2002 in response to the terrorist attacks of September 11.
She says she has spent $75,000 of her own money so far to start her group, which first organized an event for surviving family members of those killed in the attack on the Pentagon.
The charity now solicits donated goods and organizes events such as holiday parties for wounded soldiers and occasions when military personnel and their families receive free haircuts, manicures, and other beauty treatments -- extras that the military does not cover.
"I'm a big gap-filler where the military cannot fund it," says Ms. Brewer.
Officials at the U.S. Department of Defense say they appreciate the help charities provide.
"We want to do everything we can for the military, but we can't do it all," says Allison Barber, deputy assistant secretary of public affairs at the Pentagon. "We are counting on these organizations to come alongside our military members and help them out."
(In late August, after the Chronicle went to press with this article, Ms. Brewer's charity was barred from Walter Reed Army Medical Center after allegations that the group had exploited wounded service members for publicity purposes, charges Ms. Brewer denied. For more information, see this NBC4.com article.)
Joining Forces
Now that multiple charities have sprouted around the country, several have merged forces, and some are beginning to collaborate with one another, sharing information on the people they have helped.
For example, last fall the former commander of Walter Reed Army Medical Center, in Washington, arranged a lunch for officials of the nonprofit groups that help service members there. After the event, volunteers for Comfort for America's Uniformed Services Elite, or Cause, began baking cookies for the USO of Metropolitan Washington's events at Walter Reed, and the same USO donated 300 DVD's to a digital library that Cause had created at the hospital, says Barbara Lau, one of the founders of Cause, in Herndon, Va.
The lunch "took the relationship from conversations to organizing events," she says.
And Pat Kerr, the ombudsman for the Missouri Veterans Commission, in Jefferson City, organized a breakfast meeting in February for a handful of new charities, so officials could discuss how to help one another. She is planning a second meeting in Chicago in November.
Sharing information is critical to reducing fraud and getting needy people the maximum amount of help, says Dan Kurtenbach, who helped coordinate donors and aid as chairman of a committee that formed after the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995. Collaboration "reduces time to respond and get the issue addressed," says Mr. Kurtenbach, now the president of Goodwill of Monocacy Valley, in Frederick, Md. "It eliminates the duplication of services, and it makes sure that whatever your clients' needs are, they are going to be in front of as many resources as possible."
The potential for fraud rises when charities are raising money for a cause that tugs strongly on emotions, such as helping the family of a wounded soldier, says Trent Stamp, executive director of Charity Navigator, a watchdog group in Mahwah, N.J. Such groups "get extra latitude in the public perception and get less scrutiny because they are brand-new and don't have a track record to analyze."
Leaders of many of the new charities say they are taking steps to demonstrate that they are using donations wisely.
Many of the groups provide help to clients just once and pay bills directly to the provider. USA Cares set up an internal database that lists grants to ensure recipients are only applying for the same needs once; its two caseworkers confirm that the families who seek aid are in the military, ask detailed questions about their needs, and follow up with clients after six months to keep track of their progress. But sometimes it is hard to verify every would-be client's story, says Roger Stradley, the group's founder: "You gotta believe."
Still, some leaders of established charities question whether some new groups have the skills to help service members.
"Some of these other folks are well-intentioned and their hearts are in the right place, but they in many cases are not as well-equipped and as well-trained as we are," says David E. Autry, a spokesman for Disabled American Veterans, in Cold Spring, Ky. "We are not trying to discourage them from doing it, as there are more vets out there than we can handle, so long as what they do does not wind up hurting the overall efforts of other vet services."
Ms. Aviv, president of Independent Sector, applauds the generosity that drives the creation of the new charities, but questions their long-term viability.
"I suspect if the war in Iraq goes away, getting help for these groups is going to be very difficult," she says. "Ask how many organizations lately have raised money for the tsunami. We tend to be very fickle in our compassion. We go from issue to issue."
Planning for Peacetime
Despite potential management and fund-raising challenges, many groups have no plans to disband when the war ends, and some would even like to expand their reach.
For example, officials at Cause, which has raised about $100,000 to start the digital library at Walter Reed and provide other services, want to raise an additional $120,000 to install digital libraries at two more military medical hospitals. America's Heroes of Freedom hopes to make the transition from an all-volunteer organization to paying several staff members next year.
And Operation Homefront is seeking a new executive director with fund-raising experience, to tap corporate giving and wealthy individuals for support.
Mike Cash, who started Operation Family Fund, in Ridgecrest, Calif., a charity that provides financial assistance to families of service members who were seriously wounded or killed in the Iraq war, predicts the war will last at least 10 years.
He hopes to raise $250-million, the amount of money that he estimates will be needed to help families who have lost income because of a service member's injuries. So far the charity has raised $200,000. "Obviously we are way short of our goal," says Mr. Cash. "The need is far greater than we can provide."
Operation AC also plans to help at least as long as the Iraq war continues. After serving five years in the Army, Ms. Mayo's son, Mr. Tomlinson, returned home to Delaware in July and now helps his mother with Operation AC. He says working with the charity takes the edge off the difficult decision to leave his platoon, which is now back in Iraq.
"This is my way of being there for them, so I can make sure they are going to be OK and get the best of what they need," says Mr. Tomlinson, now 23.
While he and his fellow soldiers always appreciated getting goods from the charity, he says, the message of caring behind the shipments from his mother and other volunteers matters most.
"You feel like you have an undying faith back home that is making sure you are prayed and cared for," he says. "You feel like you are part of someone else's family you have never met."
Ms. Mayo says the charity's role has changed a bit -- demand for air conditioners has slowed, she says, as the military has expanded the amount of permanent housing in Iraq. But the group still sends the troops plenty of other extras to make their time overseas more bearable, she says.
Says Ms. Mayo: "Until the last pair of American boots are out of Iraq, we'll be here."
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| MOAA and Operation Homefront/CinCHouse.com Sign MOU Sealing National Partnership |
WASHINGTON, DC – October 9, 2006 The Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) and Operation Homefront/CinCHouse.com signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) today, marking their new national partnership.
Under the MOU’s terms, Operation Homefront, a non-profit organization that provides assistance to military families while service members are deployed, will promote MOAA’s mission, activities and achievements to military families on their popular CinCHouse.com web site. MOAA will promote Operation Homefront and its mission to the organization’s 360,000 members.
Under the agreement, MOAA, the nation’s largest association for military officers, also provides CinCHouse.com with a weekly “Pay & Benefits Advice Column” and “Legislative Update” tailored for military families.
“MOAA is deeply impressed at how Operation Homefront truly reaches military families, whether helping them personally through a crisis or communicating information and creating new social networks that will help families succeed during these difficult times,” said VAdm. Norb Ryan, president of MOAA.
“Operation Homefront presents the fresh perspective of a new generation of military families, and we look forward to working with them in this capacity,” he added.
“Operation Homefront and CinCHouse.com are proud that MOAA has chosen to partner with us,” said Meredith Leyva, founder and chairman emeritus of Operation Homefront. “MOAA shares our vision for helping military families and represents us well before policymakers in Washington.”
For more information on the “Ask MOAA” Pay & Benefits Advice Column and the Legislative Update, please visit http://cinchouse.com/askmoaa.htm and http://www.cinchouse.com/leg_update.htm, respectively. For more information on the partnership, please contact Meredith Leyva at Operation Homefront at (850) 438-5710 or cinc@cinchouse.com or Marv Harris at MOAA at (800) 234-6622 or MarvH@moaa.org.
About MOAA
MOAA is the nation's largest association of military officers and the 4th-largest veterans’ association. MOAA represents active duty, Guard, Reserve, former and retired military officers and their families and surviving spouses, but is also dedicated to serving the needs of the entire military community.” For more information, please visit www.moaa.org.
About Operation Homefront
Operation Homefront is a national nonprofit that provides emergency support and morale to our military troops, the families they leave behind during deployment and wounded warriors when they return home. With 26 chapters nationwide, we support our nation's troops by allowing military personnel to focus on the demands of their duties abroad. Operation Homefront also operates CinCHouse.com, the largest online community of military wives and women in uniform. For more information, please visit www.operationhomefront.net and www.cinchouse.com. |
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| America Supports You: DoD, Operation Homefront Sign Agreement |
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
ARLINGTON, Va., Oct. 13, 2006 - Operation Homefront and the Department of Defense formally agreed to cooperate on their joint mission to support military members and their families during a reception here yesterday evening.
Operation Homefront, a grassroots group headed by military spouses, is a member of the Defense Department's America Supports You program, which highlights efforts to support America's servicemembers. Operation Homefront is the first such group to sign a memorandum of understanding with the Department of Defense through its America Supports You partnership.
"We're thrilled to be here tonight to sign the very first memorandum of understanding with an America Supports You member," Allison Barber, deputy assistant secretary of defense for internal communication and public liaison, said during the signing ceremony, at the Navy League building here.
"We are deeply honored that the DoD recognizes the incredible work we do deep in the trenches with military families," Meredith Leyva, founder of Operation Homefront, said. "(DoD) recognizes our work so much that they're willing to sing a (memorandum of understanding), which signifies, essentially, a national partnership with Operation Homefront."
The memorandum eliminates obstacles that sometimes occur between a private organization and the DoD, Leyva said. Veterans Affairs Secretary R. James Nicholson was not scheduled to participate in the ceremony, attended the reception out of respect for what Operation Homefront is doing, he said. "I welcome this opportunity to say thanks to them and to the leadership and all you're doing in so many different places," he told the Operation Homefront representatives.
Barber said the agreement is just one more way to meet the mission of the American Supports You program: to highlight support to servicemembers.
"The morale of our troops is based on the support they feel from home," she said. "We're proud of what we created: a connector campaign. ... When
(troops) say, 'Do the American people still support us?' ... We can say, 'Absolutely, they support you.'
"And when the American people say, 'How can we help?' Through the America Supports You program, we can say, 'Let us tell you about Operation Homefront.'" |
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| Adopt a Service Member or Military Family with Operation Homefront’s eCarePackage! |
SANTA ANA, CA – Just in time for the holidays, Operation Homefront launched eCarePackage, an online service that allows caring citizens to send care packages to deployed troops and their families. Service members and families register on www.ecarepackage.org, which protects their identity and location, and visitors can ‘adopt’ them based on common interests. Then visitors select individual items to create a customized care package for their chosen service member or family and include a personal message. Operation Homefront’s team of volunteers takes the order, boxes the selected items and ships them directly to the service member or family – always protecting their identity and physical location.
“There’s nothing like a care package to cheer a deployed soldier or a lonely military family, especially during the holidays,” said Amy Palmer, executive vice president of Operations for Operation Homefront. “With operational security for the troops so tight, we were concerned that care packages weren’t getting through. So we built eCarePackage to ensure our troops and families continue to ‘feel the love’ from Americans.”
Items available in the eCarePackage store range from toiletries and necessities to games, books and candy. Most items were donated from generous sponsors, particularly The Dollar Tree which runs its Operation Appreciation program in most stores nationwide. Donated items are not marked up, so eCarePackage visitors often pay only the cost of handling and shipping – making eCarePackage less expensive than doing it yourself. Moreover, Operation Homefront has partnered with DHL, which provides postal service to overseas troops, to ensure direct and timely delivery of all care packages to deployed troops.
eCarePackage is an extension of Operation Homefront’s mission to provide emergency support and morale to our troops, the families they leave behind during deployments, and wounded warriors when they return home. Operation Homefront’s programs are so effective that it recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Defense Department to ensure greater collaboration.
Tours of Operation Homefront’s eCarePackage warehouse and volunteer teams may be arranged. For more information about eCarePackage or Operation Homefront, please contact Meredith Leyva at (850) 438-5710 or cinc@cinchouse.com.
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| Operation Homefront to Call for Homebuilders, Lenders to Sell Excess Housing to 100,000+ Wounded Warriors |
| Event to celebrate the Johnson Family’s new home
SAN ANTONIO, TX – At the celebratory opening the new home of Army Specialist Austin Johnson, the soldier recovering from his fifth IED explosion when his children were killed in a car accident en route to the hospital, Operation Homefront will call on mortgage lenders and homebuilders to sell entire neighborhoods of excess housing to wounded warriors as they return home. Operation Homefront will cite USAA and KB Homes, who assisted the Johnson family, as examples.
“While we celebrate the Johnson’s new beginning here, we are also reminded of what would have happened if all of us here had not ‘done something’,” Amy Palmer, co-founder of Operation Homefront, will state in prepared remarks. “The Johnson’s are part of a new generation of wounded warriors and their families who are slipping into destitution and homelessness.”
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