Semper Fi & America’s Fund has continued to find ways to support combat wounded service members during the holiday season.
The nonprofit, whose focus is to provide programs to assist wounded veterans in all branches of the military, has been sending out holiday ornaments to service members, veterans and their families who have been wounded, ill or injured since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
“The holidays are a great time of year for people, but also can be tough,” senior director of outreach for the nonprofit Brent Peterson said. “We want to remind service members and their families that we are with them all the time.”
What once started with a small group of volunteers sending out 8,000 ornaments in 2009 has now grown much larger.
This year, with the help of high school students, military leadership, and civilians amongst many other people, Semper Fi & America’s Fund send out more than 17,500 ornaments on Saturday at the VFW Post 1053 in Dale City, Virginia.
“This is an annual reminder, a powerful reminder, of what we do at this nonprofit,” Peterson said. “When they put that ornament on the tree, they remember we are also their family and we will be there forever.”
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Through donations, the nonprofit is able to have a specifically designed ornament made each year and sent out to those across the country as well as internationally.
“Having people show up to help send these ornaments out is so powerful because it’s nice to think about why we are doing this,” Peterson said. “It’s a special opportunity to give back and send love and support to service members who do so much for us.”
The nonprofit currently offers services and support to 29,000 service members, with each one having its own case manager available to help them excel in their lives in whatever way needed.
“We work with them for a lifetime,” Peterson said. “So it’s fitting that we also send out these ornaments to be an annual reminder that we are with them for their lifetime.”
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