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Answering The Call... Above And Beyond!

By Deborah A. Dramby

Spring 2008

On October 7, 2004, Shannon Maxwell’s husband, Lt. Col. Tim Maxwell, endured a mortar attack on an operating base outside his tent in Iraq. The traumatic injury, caused by two pieces of shrapnel in the left side of his brain, meant that Tim would have to rebuild his strength and re-learn how to walk and talk.

In the meantime, Shannon had to learn how to stay afloat while her husband started on his road to recovery. Shannon’s sister and her husband, also a military family, stepped in to help with the kids.

Throughout Tim’s recovery, Shannon noticed that while the systems set in place to help the wounded were top-notch, they tended to focus on the individual and not the entire family. She knew that a way to help the families with their immediate concerns was needed most. There were long-term needs as well, such as funding and scholarships for wives or spouses who would soon be the primary breadwinners.

A friend suggested a race to raise money, and Shannon ran with it. Her efforts evolved into the Hope for the Warriors organization, which operated under the USO before incorporating in 2006. Funds raised by its Warrior’s Wish program bring smiles to the faces of wounded servicemembers through wish fulfillment. Recently, a wish was granted to relocate a wounded servicemember and his family so that he could receive better medical attention and education. Another wish gave a young amputee the ability to watch his favorite movies between his many surgeries.

Hope for the Warriors continues to inspire these military members and their families during their most difficult moments. It has partnered with other non-profit groups to help a severely wounded Marine live in a home spacious enough for the medical equipment he relies on. The funds brought in by its Run for the Warriors events held nationwide – and even in Iraq – directly reward men and women who have made incredible sacrifices during the war.

Shannon Maxwell’s natural response to tragedy was to use her personal experiences and insights to help others; this is often where the spirit of volunteerism is born. Mix that spirit with the drive and initiative of a military family, and the sky’s the limit.

Ginger Dosedel, a military spouse and mother of three, began modifying clothing for her son, Mike, to hide the hip-to-ankle leg-lengthening external fixators that have become a regular part of his youth since radiation therapy damaged his leg growth at a very young age. After a visit to Walter Reed Medical Center, Mike asked his mother to modify clothing for the wounded servicemembers there. “I know what it’s like, Mom,” the 11-year-old said, “We need to do this.” And so began Sew Much Comfort, an organization dedicated to tailoring clothes for wounded servicemembers and comforting tens of thousands of soldiers.

In the program’s first year, seamstresses and military wives produced and disseminated 4,000 articles of modified clothing to wounded servicemembers. In 2006, they produced 15,000; this year, they expect to break 30,000. Volunteers in every state in the United States, plus Germany, Great Britain, Canada and Australia dedicate their time and skill to providing our wounded servicemembers with clothing that minimizes the visual impact of external fixators.

Today, more than 100 locations distribute the altered clothing articles to major medical centers, veterans’ hospitals and military members who have been unable to wear proper clothing for months. Ginger, her family and the Sew Much Comfort organization have profoundly impacted many lives, which was recognized by President Bush in October and again recently by the National Military Family Association.

Sew Much Comfort and Hope for the Warriors actively inspire military families across the country, but the military spirit of service and helping others extends far beyond the confines of the home base. It is alive across the country in our communities, and it spills out into countries hosting our troops.

Soldiers stationed in war-torn countries come face to face with poverty and despair, and many are trying to help. While at Camp Phoenix in Kabul, Afghanistan, Andy Duessel wrote about the poor conditions and shortage of supplies at local schools and orphanages. He realized that if he could help these children, he could show them that Americans are their friends. His mission was to build that trust and provide hope to the Afghan people that a better country was possible. Andy expressed this to his family back in Alabama. His wife Carolyn and their two children joined Andy to launch a humanitarian project that would deliver more than $26,000 in supplies to Afghan children.

They asked family and friends from across the U.S. for school supplies and received an enormous amount of donations and support. The Duessels faced some shipping challenges, yet Andy persisted. He sent back photos of the troops handing notebooks and pencils to grateful children.

The mission went beyond school supplies. As winter approached, Andy knew that 400 kids in Allahodrin Orphanage desperately needed blankets. Carolyn and the kids gathered donations from local businesses, police departments and churches, and sent 650 blankets, exceeding their goal by 250 blankets.

Not only did these gracious volunteers make a difference in the lives of the children in Kabul, they turned the very difficult months of a deployment into a positive experience for the troops at Camp Phoenix while teaching their children and hundreds of Americans how to make a difference in the world, one child at a time.

“Andy is a firm believer that there was another reason, outside of his military career, that he was there, and this was it,” Carolyn said.

SSgt. Ricky Saldivar is a shining example of the contagiousness of kindness. Growing up on the unforgiving streets of Chicago’s south side, Ricky was never far from drug deals, gang violence and poverty. By relocating to Texas at age 16, he hoped to start anew but again confronted gangs through his older brother. Determined to take a different path, Ricky concentrated on school and eventually joined the Marines.

Ricky has served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and has brought his experience, strength and hope back to the tough streets where he grew up. He is involved with the Boys and Girls Club in Fort Worth and provides a role model of hope and encouragement. In a program called Panther, Ricky encourages teens to participate in swimming, martial arts and other recreational activities that broaden their horizons. On weekends, he accompanies convicted juveniles as they serve their community service sentences which range from stocking Fort Worth’s food bank to helping the elderly with grocery shopping and home maintenance. Many of the troubled teens have told him that they feel as if everyone has given up on them. Luckily for them, Ricky has not.

Those who have given their time and talent by serving in the United States military and their local communities represent the best of America.

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Deborah A. Dramby is an analyst and writer for the Baltimore Sun and actively volunteers with the National Military Family Association (NMFA). Some of the volunteer groups described in this article received the NMFA's Very Important Patriot (VIP) award. which recognizes exceptional volunteers where outstanding service contributes to improving the quality of life in their military and/or neighboring communities. To learn more, visit www.nmfa.org and search for "Very Important Patriot."

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Help From The Homefront

These organizations don’t just rely on the dedication of their founders; they rely on volunteers, donations and participation. If you want to help but aren’t sure where to start, here are a few ideas:

Become a volunteer in your military community. Visit www.MyArmyLifeToo.com and use the Opportunity Locator to find an organization that needs your help.

Donate to an organization you admire. Sew Much Comfort spends an estimated $2,000 shipping their adapted clothing to recipients, and the organization always accepts clothing for adaptation. Because many wounded and recovering servicemembers are returning to duty, Sew Much Comfort is looking to expand its product to include uniforms. To learn more about how to contribute, visit www.SewMuchComfort.org.

Children in war-torn countries suffer immensely, and what seems like a necessity to us may be a luxury to them. Andy and Carolyn Duessel recommend Operation Not Forgotten for delivering supplies to needy children in Afghanistan. Send clothing, school supplies, blankets or toys to Operation Not Forgotten, HHC 218th BCT, 218th Infantry, Camp Phoenix, APO, AE 09320.

Help grant a warrior’s wish. Do you know a servicemember who could use a boost? Do you want to help a military family who has been impacted by a traumatic injury? Visit www.HopeForTheWarriors.com to nominate your warrior and/or make a donation. Also on the website, find out how to organize a Run for the Warriors, and learn about fund raising events in your community.

Learn more about the Boys and Girls Club of America. Visit www.bgca.org/clubs or call 1-800-854-CLUB to find out how you can help or to locate a Club near you.

Be creative! If you have a special talent or hobby, a non-profit organization probably could benefit from your participation. Like to sew? Check out Blankets of Hope (http://SoldiersAngels.org/blankets_of_hope.php), a program where spouses make blankets for wounded troops returning from war. Cell Phones for Soldiers (www.CellPhonesForSoldiers.com) was started by young Brittany and Robbie Bergquist of Norwell, Mass., to make it easier for troops overseas to phone home. For descriptions and links to these and other groups supporting servicemembers, visit www.TroopsSupport.com.

Spread the word. If you already volunteer or are thinking about volunteering, tell your friends and family – and ask them to come along. The more, the merrier!

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