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The Wounded Soldier Project was originally started as my Girl Scout Gold Award Project. In researching on how I could support our troops I wanted to do something for the ones returning home wounded. I had heard on the news that soldiers go from the war zone to Landstuhl Army Medical Center in Germany and from there to either Walted Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC or Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland. So I started checking into how I could help there but I soon found out that the majority of the wounded soldiers do not stay at those hospitals. Most of the wounded are sent to the closest military hospital to their home unit. I also found out that most people thought the same way I did so Walter Reed and Bethesda have more donations then they could handle but the other military hospitals are mostly forgotten. That made me decide to check into helping the wounded soldiers that arrive at Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma, Washington.
As I was researching how to help Madigan Army Medical Center I met MSG Mark Branton. He was in charge of the Air Evacuation Unit at Madigan. I told him about my idea of putting together backpacks filled with comfort items and other fun stuff and if there was a need for that there. He told me that there are about 10-15 soldiers that arrive at Madigan every month and some arrive with nothing except what they are wearing so yes there was a need for my backpacks.
This project was started in March of 2005 with the first delivery of 10 backpacks made in April 2005. As of August 2007 I have delivered 148 backpacks. The goal is to deliver 10 backpacks a month to Madigan until there is no longer a need for them.
If you would like to help with this project please click on the Items Needed link below |
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