Thanks for such dedication to our troops
For more than 10 years, the Waldorf Jaycees have supported our military troops at the Joint Base Andrews hospital in an area called the Maryland Room. Here soldiers from every branch of the military service return from battlefields such as Iraq and Afghanistan, and transition through the hospital to get medical evaluation, medicine and their injuries treated, before returning to their U.S.A. home bases.
These men and women arrive mostly in their field uniforms with little baggage or comfortable clothing to make their overnight — or longer — stay comfortable. The Jaycees have purchased and given them civilian clothing, phone cards to call their families, DVD movies, sodas, candy, juice, toiletries and whatever is needed to make their stay as comfortable as possible.
The Maryland Room is a lounge room furnished with a big screen television, kitchen, dining area, computer stations and an Xbox game station. This room is furnished with eight reclining chairs that have been in the room for over 12 years and were showing much wear and tear, and needed replacing.
The Jaycees approached the HH Gregg Waldorf store and partnered with them to purchase and donate the very much needed recliners, a TV cabinet and side chairs. What would have normally been an above-budget cost was possible because HH Gregg most generously cut the cost for the new furnishings more than half.
We are very grateful to these organizations and others like the Waldorf UTZ Distribution Company who have also been donating chips and snacks to these troops for many years. Thanks to their generosity and support, our military personnel find personal comfort and much-needed rest and relaxation after their combat duty.
Thank you Waldorf Jaycees, HH Gregg and UTZ for your service and support to your country. You have honored our community, and especially our military men and women, who sacrificed their lives in battle for our freedom and safety.
Carol Kern, Waldorf The writer is a volunteer with the American Red Cross.