Feed the Fisher House.7

Well, I've been a slacker. It's been nearly 3 weeks since my last post; so much has happened.
A lot of you know I spent a few days at the Seattle VA for PTSD related symptoms back in August-September. It was here that I discovered a passion for wanting to help or give back to other Veterans. The stories these men and women have are sometimes very similar, but never are they the exact same.
While I was in the VA, one of my providers introduced me to the word altruism; an unselfish regard for, or devotion to the welfare of others. If this word does not sum up the description of a Veteran I'm not sure what does. If you look up the word "Veteran" in Merriam-Webster you’ll find this (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/veteran):
Veteran: 1. An old Soldier of long service
                 2. A former member of the armed forces
"Old"... seriously? What the definition should be, is:
Veteran: 1. An American hero who is serving or had served in the United States armed forces with an unselfish regard for or devotion to the welfare of others".
I don't know, just a thought. I wonder how I would go about asking MW to consider my definition instead of what they have? I'm still laughing at the word "old" in their definition. Since when did age have anything to do with the status of a Veteran?

Feeding Families of Veterans has moved along nicely since our last post. We have a website (www.ffov.org) that is changing every day. It’s not changing because I’m adding insightful bits of information to it, it’s changing because I’m a horrible web-designer and really have no business trying to design a webpage. But, it is coming together. And I figure if people hated it, they would speak up. The bottom line for me is to get the information out there. And, you know, I’m kinda proud of how it’s coming together. I’m not speaking for Beth or Rick, but for me, it fits who I am. (Though I’d really love to get some feedback on it if you’re so inclined to do so.)

We had a generous donation from one of my co-workers. She donated two turkeys and two spiral hams for our dinner on December 17th. This is a major hurdle for us. I have been trying since we formed this campaign to get a store to donate the main course. Kathy surprised me one Monday morning; she called up to my office and told me that over the weekend she purchased the meat for our dinner.

So now we have the meat and the desserts … all we need now are some side dishes, maybe a salad and some drinks. As the days pass I become more concerned about having these items donated. But, like Kathy did, I know someone else will surprise me with a donation.

The other thing that I learned since our last post is that I do not have a clue how to use Facebook. It can’t be rocket science … so I thought. I guess you’re not supposed to post a “post” on everyone’s page. Who knew? I didn’t know that if I posted on my page, those who follow me will see it automatically. So, for those of you who are reading this that I inadvertently spammed with postings over the last month, my apologies.  Facebook is a funny creature. There is so much possibility with it, if you’re savvy at this kind of thing. And, as I stated earlier, I’m not savvy. I wish I were, but sadly I’m not.

Ok, I’ll try to be more prompt at telling you how things are going. I’m going to make it a goal to post something again by Thursday. Don’t let me slack.

Take care, and thank you for reading this

Feed the Fisher House.6

Happy Veterans Day to all former and current service members. I found this on Facebook:  By: Bob Pries
I think, because this is Veterans Day, I'll just agree with this statement without giving my two cents worth ... who am I kidding, here's what I think about this. I obviously agree with this statement in its entirety. But I've always wondered (and who knows why) how successful we'd be with out the support of others. I'm thinking of course of family, friends and even strangers who volunteer their time, donate their money and advocate on behalf of the Veteran, because they value the efforts and sacrifice of Veterans. As a Soldier, and from my perspective, if we're (service-members) considered heroes, we should also celebrate the efforts of the tens of thousands of volunteers who work for little to no money, supporting Veterans and their families. We should celebrate the work of these men and women with the same pageantry we honor Veterans with.
There are few things more selfless than serving your country. This is my personal thank you to all the volunteers who've crossed my path over the years, to make me feel like my efforts as a Soldier were worthwhile. Some of you have given a lifetime of service to your country through volunteering, and I'd like you to know that this is one Veteran who feels indebted to your service. You are as much of a hero as we have in our society. I'm sure other Veterans feel the same way, but since I have this blog to post my opinion, I'm going to use it to say thank you.
(Side note ... Does anyone find it odd that Seattle does not have a Veterans Day parade ... really ... or do they and I'm just not seeing it??)

Feed the Fisher House.5

(Started on 10/14/2011) What a great week. Very few donations were made to Feed the Fisher House, however the level of support and interest increases each day. One of the best strides Feed the Fisher House has made was forming a team of individuals who care about the Fisher House Foundations as much as I do. Arleta, Rick, Ryan, Missy, John (me) and hopefully Beth; we each have a function and  I'm excited, honored and amazed at the willingness and compassion of each member. It's funny to me that as each day passes, I feel better and better about the possibilities of Feed the Fisher House reaching it's goal. John Wooden, legendary former UCLA basketball coach, once said "it takes ten hands to make a basket". Though I might be the campaign manager, it is without question that I cannot accomplish what Feed the Fisher House has set out to do with out the active and persistent support of each member of the team.
(I'm sitting here, in the hospital watching Missy breast feed our new baby girl Mila. It is nothing short of a miracle watching this bond form.)
(Resumed on 11/9/2011) So much has changed since I started this post. We've met and formed a strong working relationship with Lynnwood Bowl and Skate, received support from Vulcan Inc., Lynnwood Harley Davidson, and Tilted Thunder Rail Birds, a banked track roller derby team out of Lynnwood. We've gone through several iterations of a logo, finally settling on one created by Mistina, an employee at Lynnwood Bowl and Skate and the one you see above. We have created bylaws and are about 50% done with a business plan. It seems like things are about to fall into place. And, I think what happened yesterday, brought us closer.
Opportunities come in many forms. Sometimes an opportunity requires us to place a personal achievement aside, to meet the intent of what this achievement would accomplish. Does this make sense? One of my mentors, the late and great UCLA basketball coach, John Wooden preached about victory through unity. I mean, he didn't use these exact words, but he spoke to his players about working as a cohesive unit, where victory, both on and off the court, is a result of cooperation, industriousness, and team spirit. He once said "The star of the team is the team. 'We' supersedes 'me'."  This is how I'm feeling. What if my goal of offsetting the annual cost of food for the VAPSFH is reached/surpassed more ... I don't want to say easier because I don't want this to be easy ... more ... efficiently ... does this work for what I'm trying to say? ... by setting my personal aspirations aside?
I think of myself as a leader and a teacher. Professionally speaking, I'm neither. But isn't the overall mission of those in a professional leadership or teaching capacity to grow people? I'm wondering if this is my opportunity to grow. "Your energy and enjoyment, drive and dedication will stimulate and greatly inspire others" ... I hope my decision is understood by my team, and they see that's it's made with "Veterans' Family First" in mind.