Many years ago as a young military wife I found myself in a situation I had never imagined.  My husband (USAF) was injured in an accident in the Middle East and subsequently passed away.  Over the years various military services organizations provided support to me and my children with medical and education benefits.  These benefits helped reduced the financial strain I felt as a single mother.

When I changed careers five years ago and began my new role as a Realtor it was easy to decide that members of the armed forces would be one of my primary niche markets.  Living in the DC area also makes it a good choice with the large number of military installations in the area.  When the current war in Iraq broke out, many of the families that I had come to know were impacted by overseas deployments.  One of those families made a request to our company to see if we could assist by providing care boxes to the service men and women stationed in Afghanistan.  Without hesitation a group of us went shopping and started packing boxes.  Every two months we collected funds and supplies around the office and sent off another group of boxes.

When the first set of troops began to return home we got a second request for support for a Battalion stationed in Iraq.  We now added that group to our supply list.  The folks at the post office got to know us well and we would call ahead and let them know we were coming and they set up a special window for us.  Unfortunately as with any war some of the troops that we were sending supplies to were injured or were killed in action.

This led to yet another chapter in the story.  After one of the service men who had received our care packages was wounded and returned to Walter Reed we were introduced to his family and their need for housing while he recovered from his injuries.  This led to my introduction to the Fisher House and the services they provide.  So of course we began to campaign among friends, families and associates to provide whatever support they could to this much needed program for the families of our troops.

So what am I passionate about?   It is making sure that no one is forgotten in this time of need.  Whether it is a simple box of supplies or a donation to the Fisher House we all need to remember that no matter what our politics might be, there are thousands of families across the country that are being severely impacted by the war.  Our support no matter how big or small brings some relief to everyone. 

If you have a spare moment check out the Fisher House and maybe even consider spending a bit of your next commission check to support the families of the wounded soldiers.