Saturday, December 17, 2005
Help Hospitalized Veterans
After hearing that wounded soldiers weren't in need of phone cards anymore (apparently the response from the public has been so great they have storage rooms filled with gifts, including phone cards, that will take a while to go through) I decided to find another worthy Veterans cause to support.
My dad mentioned Help Hospitalized Veterans (http://www.hhv.org/default.asp) as one he and Mom support. I have to confess that I giggled a bit when I read this: "HHV has been serving America's veterans and the military community for 34 years by providing therapeutic Arts and Crafts Kits, free of charge, to VA hospitals, state veterans' nursing homes, and military installations." because the first thing I thought of was Sylvester Stallone kntting in Demolition Man and then the hospital scene in Airplane...
However, on reflection, and further browsing of the site, I think this is a splendid idea! Here's one letter:
September 6, 2005Dear HHV,On behalf of the soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington D.C. we thank Help Hospitalized Veterans for their ongoing support and craft kits... the benefits our patients receive as a direct result of your contributions are endless. They truly enjoy these craft kits and the comments have been extremely positive. The sense of accomplishment that accompanies the completion of the crafts helps relieve stress and anxiety, while promoting self-independence through increased strength and fine motor control of upper extremity patients.This motivates the Soldiers, Marines, Sailors and Airmen and increases their ability to concentrate, thereby contributing to their health and well being.Sincerely,Col. William J. Howard III - Chief, Occupational Therapy Service - Walter Reed Army Medical Center
Definitely a worthwhile organization :-)
