A couple months ago, I was swapping emails with Dawn Miller and noticed the bottom of her email signature, “Ask Me About Laptops for Our Wounded Warriors”. Of course, I HAD to ask her! Next came a story filled with her obvious passion for this amazing organization. I couldn’t help but be even more intrigued.
After conferring with the other REBCVA volunteers, we have chosen Laptops for Wounded Warriors as our event charity. Does this mean we are going to hit you up multiple times throughout the event to donate money? No! We may ask nicely (once); however, more importantly, our goal is to give LFWW recognition and exposure. So, please, share their website with your friends on Facebook, tell your colleagues about LFWW, you know what to do!
Gathering of Eagles/Laptops for Wounded Warriors – I’ll let Dawn tell you about them:
”The Goe/Laptop for wounded warriors is a non-profit organization that delivers laptop computers to our Wounded Warriors that are in rehabilitations @ the following medical centers: Portsmouth, Camp Lejeune, Fort Bragg & Bethesda…. and we use to deliver to Walter Reed until they closed their doors.
We have an acct w/Best Buy… where we get our systems from and if we need accessories such as Dragon Speak for the amputees, we get that equipment as well. The system would be ready for pick up @ the closest Best Buy to our volunteers per range to that Medical center; Pick up and deliver; After making arrangements w/the medical center, we meet w/the wounded warriors, shake their hands, give them BIG {{{HUGS}}}}}, kisses on the cheeks and express that there are many folks out there that appreciate all they have sacrificed for our freedoms. We provide them w/a new laptop computer while they go through rehab to keep in touch with their love ones and their team!!!
I get so choked up when I am there & meeting w/the wounded warriors. The moms & dads swell up w/love and pride….. when they see ordinary folks coming together to provide a gift to their son or daughter. Again, all of our volunteers do not get paid a dime nor do they ask for fuel cost, etc. In fact, we usually bring extra goodies for them. Example: Me; I always cook up a HUGE dish of some sorts and take it in to the guys! Rigatoni’s, meatballs & garlic bread is what I took in last time. Or my famous Rum cake has been a request by the Staff members….. Shoot, I have even mailed my cakes out to the other volunteers to deliver. The word of my famous Rum Cake has spread like a wild fire! So, a computer system and some good ol’ fashioned home cooking!
Now, I am the only civilian that volunteers, the rest are vets w/the BIGGEST hearts! LOVE each and everyone of them! They share their stories w/these young folks from Vietnam to the Gulf war. They Started this mission of giving back in 2007 and as of today, our Gatheirng of Eagles orgainzation had donated over 250 systems!!!! I also volunteer to keep the books, order the systems/communicate w/our Rep @ Best Buy and mail out all the thank you packages to our donators. <breath> and I am the liasion w/the Portmouth Medical Center.
There it is…. not short but hopefully clear! I tried to keep it short but my passion runs very high when it comes to our Service men/women! Not to mention, my freedom in one hell of a Country! Here check out our facebook acct… and our web site. It has been a few months since we last delivered a system. Everyone is waiting to see how the next round of wounded warriors come about w/Walter Reed closing it doors. All the other medical centers are being revitilized/upgraded…. AND we just received $11k from the N.C. Womens Auxillary w/a request that the funding go towards systems for the N.C. medical centers. The Virginia acct only has $1500; enough for 4-5 more systems. We get our systems on sale and no tax w/Best Buy. Geoff our Best Buy rep takes care of us when we do need systems!”
http://www.facebook.com/groups/136476003059154/
http://www.gatheringofeagles.org/
