For all of you who stand outside the local grocery stores twice a year or all of those of you who have helped out on Buddy Poppies in the past, your hard work was translated into $500 of gift cards to be given to needy families by the Chaplains at JBLM, Naval Station Everett, Coast Guard, and the Marines. In addition, we gave $500 of gift cards to the Old Soldiers Homes at Retsil and Orting. Since I personally delivered cards to JBLM and to Orting, I know how appreciative those folks were to receive them. The Chaplain’s assistant at JBLM told me of a family with 7 children trying to make ends meet and how much they would appreciate any assistance they could receive. With 45,000 troops stationed at McChord and Fort Lewis, our $500 was a drop in the bucket. However, I suspect the families who received them didn’t view them that way. So next Spring when the signup sheet goes around for Buddy Poppies, don’t just pass it on the next person sitting next to you. Consider where your efforts really go—to helping military families and to veterans who need our help.
