Local America Supports You Homefront Group Meets with President Bush at the White House
Released on = March 5, 2007, 7:12 am
Press Release Author = Coalition to Salute America's Heroes
Industry = Non Profit
Press Release Summary = President Thanks Groups for Their Support of Troops and Families
Press Release Body = WASHINGTON-Ray Clifford of Coalition to Salute America's Heroes, an Ossining-headquartered organization, was one of 10 America Supports You Homefront groups invited by President George W. Bush to a private meeting at the White House today to discuss the importance of his work, and to thank him for his organization's support of the military at home and abroad.
Coalition to Salute America's Heroes is a nation-wide organization that helps severely wounded veterans and their families rebuild their lives by providing services such as direct financial aid, private housing to families while their loved one is recuperating at a medical center, career transition assistance and more. The group also hosts an annual "Road to Recovery" conference in Disneyworld. As of January 2007, Coalition to Salute America's Heroes had assisted between 3,200 and 3,300 service members and their families.
"It was an honor for me to be invited to the White House for this important meeting with President Bush," said Clifford, executive director of Coalition to Salute America's Heroes. "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. Recognition of this magnitude fuels our passion to let service members across the world know how much America supports them and to continue providing ways the American people can show their support."
"There are some remarkable acts of kindness by people who have taken it upon themselves to serve their country by helping a neighbor in need," said President Bush of the groups' work. "Whether it be helping the chaplains help kids, or whether it be helping a family of the injured, whether it be working at Walter Reed or supporting troops getting ready to go into combat, these good men and women really represent the very best of America.I\'m proud to be the President of a country with so many decent citizens."
"I ask my fellow citizens to support our troops and their families. There are all kinds of ways you can find out how to do so," President Bush added. "AmericaSupportsYou.mil, for example, is a Web site that if you really do want to participate like these citizens have, that you can find a way to contribute your time or your money, your talents, to really send a message that America supports these brave volunteers who are out defending their country in the war on terror."
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Media Notes: For more information or to arrange for an interview with Ray Clifford, contact Ashlie Lanning at 919-557-7890 or alanning@919marketing.com.
Meeting Participants:
Major Brian Bohlman, Founder and President Operation Thank You (Lexington, South Carolina)
Jill Boyce, President Deployed Soldier\'s Family Foundation (Plano, Texas)
Sergeant Ray Clifford, USAF (Ret), Executive Director Coalition to Salute America\'s Heroes (Croton-on-Hudson, New York)
Julie DeMaria, Co-Founder and Director Operation Care and Comfort (San Jose, California)
Karen Grimord, Founder and President Landstuhl Hospital Care Project (Stafford, Virginia)
Daniel Hoebeke, Director Adopt-A-Chaplain (San Jose, California)
Cindy McGrew, Founder and President Operation Second Chance (Clarksburg, Maryland)
Karen Theobald-Conlin, President Helping our Heroes Foundation (Potomac Falls, Virginia)
Gail Van Vranken, Founder and President Boatsie\'s Boxes (Wheeling, West Virginia)
About the Coalition to Salute America's Heroes: The Coalition to Salute America's Heroes is a non-partisan, non-profit organization that offers several programs to assist disabled veterans who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan: Wounded Hero Emergency Financial Relief (provides urgent financial assistance to disabled veterans), Homes for Wounded Heroes (offers nearly cost-free, new or renovated disability adapted homes to men and women), Hire A Hero (reaches out through a network of organizations to help prepare and place motivated, qualified veterans in quality jobs), Family Support Network (offers special services to help relieve financial and emotional burdens facing heroes and their families), and the Road to Recovery Conferences (all-expense paid educational and service events for wounded servicemen and servicewomen and their families). For more information please visit the website at www.saluteheroes.org.
About America Supports You: America Supports You is an ongoing nationwide program that helps showcase American's support for the men and women of the Armed Forces. Since its launch in November of 2004 by the Department of Defense, America Supports You has welcomed nearly 250 homefront groups and more than 30 corporate sponsors. Many America Supports You homefront groups support the troops by writing letters, sending care packages, helping the wounded when they return home, assisting military families, sending e-mails or simply extending kind gestures to the troops. To learn more about how you can support military personnel please visit www.AmericaSupportsYou.mil.
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