Executive Summary

 In 2003, Angels of Mercy program founders, Marian Chirichella and Jay Edwards, went to Walter Reed Army Medical Center [WRAMC] to become American Red Cross volunteers in support of our Operation Iraqi Freedom [OIF] and Operation Enduring Freedom [OEF] combat casualties. When they saw how little support was available, they used their years of professional project management experience to build the Angels of Mercy program, which is now known and respected, not just at WRAMC, but at hospitals in Iraq, remote military locations like Camp Korean Village, Iraq, an R&R facility in Qatar, and at several Fisher Houses across the Country.

 Realizing that the first step in building their program was to establish credibility, Marian and Jay decided to center the program in American Legion Auxiliary Unit 270 in McLean, Virginia, where Marian is the Unit President. Jay, a Navy veteran, is Commander of Post 270. In rapid succession, they gave speeches in their community, contacted service organizations across the country, organized fund raising in states where they had contacts, and received substantial press coverage.

 The response in 2003 was enormous. Americans just had to be made aware that help was needed for our wounded and injured men and women. Almost immediately the newly created Angels program was able to take thousands of dollars of clothing and comfort items to WRAMC for distribution to the wounded. In those first weeks, Marian and Jay became familiar with the Walter Reed Fisher Houses and the families residing there – almost exclusively the families of the wounded men and women. At that time they started personally shopping for food and other needed items for the families and delivered them to the Walter Reed Fisher Houses prior to their weekly visit to the recently wounded military in the hospital. Sometimes Marian or other Auxiliary members cooked a meal for the families.

 Although all the original activities of the Angels of Mercy program are ongoing, the response from across America in terms of monetary and in-kind donations to the program has allowed expansion well beyond any early expectations. The more resources available, the more the Angels do.

 In each of the last three years, the Angels wrapped over 200 Christmas presents for recovering military and their families and distributed them at a brunch at the Walter Reed Mologne House on Christmas morning. Both 2004 and 2005 saw the program co-sponsor a Super Bowl Party, supplying food and door prizes. Since the start of the program, thousands of items of clothing, CD’s, videos, snacks, and other requested items have been provided to recovering patients living on the Walter Reed campus.

 Starting in 2005, an additional focus was placed on the needs of children staying on campus. At the Angels request, a local Sunday school group made Easter baskets the last two years which the Angels distributed to children. Beanie babies and other stuffed animals are routinely carried during weekly visits and passed out to children. And arrangements were made for a highly-acclaimed local children’s choir to entertain both children and older family members on the Walter Reed campus.

 In 2004, a new project called No Soldier Left In Need was launched by the Angels of Mercy to respond to the long term needs of discharged military. The project works closely with DoD programs.

Two new efforts were started by the Angels since 2005. Helmet upgrade kits are being supplied to marine units deployed in Iraq to provide better protection from roadside bombs.

 And in 2005, the Angels In Iraq project was launched, supplying hundreds of requested items to Combat Support Hospitals and some remote military locations in Iraq. In addition, 500 wrapped Christmas presents were sent in 2005. In 2006, as part of an effort to help deployed units build rapport with Iraqi families, the Angels program added yet another dimension to its effort. Thousands of pieces of clean, used clothing and “Fun Packages” have already been sent to U.S. military units in Iraq for distribution to Iraqi children.

 All participants in the Angels of Mercy program are volunteers.