TRIBUTES

1001 - Fisher House – www.fisherhouse.org 

Supporting America's military in their time of need, we provide "a home away from home" that enables family members to be close to a loved one at the most stressful time -- during hospitalization for an illness, disease or injury.

There is at least one Fisher House at every major military medical center to assist families in need and to ensure that they are provided with the comforts of home in a supportive environment. Annually, the Fisher House program serves about 10,000 families, and have made available nearly 3 million days of lodging to family members since the program originated in 1990. By law, there is no charge for any family to stay at a Fisher House operated by the Department of Veterans Affairs; and Fisher House Foundation uses donations to reimburse the individual Fisher Houses operated by the Army, Navy, and Air Force. No family pays to stay at any Fisher House!

In addition to constructing new houses, Fisher House Foundation continues to support existing Fisher Houses and help individual military families in need. The Foundation is also proud to administer and sponsor Scholarships for Military Children, the Hero Miles program, Team Fisher House, and co-sponsor the Newman's Own Award.

1002 - National Military Family Association (Operation Purple Summer Camps) www.nmfa.org

To educate military families concerning their rights, benefits and services available to them and to inform them regarding the issues that affect their lives and...

To promote and protect the interests of military families by influencing the development and implementation of legislation and policies affecting them.

When you hear “Operation Purple camp” you should think: Kids Serve Too! The National Military Family Association’s Operation Purple camp is a time for having fun, making friends, and reminding military kids that they are the Nation’s youngest heroes.

As an organization dedicated to serving military families, the National Military Family Association recognized the need for more resources to support military children. In 2004, the Operation Purple program was created as a way to help military children struggling with the stresses of war.

The Operation Purple program currently includes traditional summer camps, teen camps, teen leadership camps, family retreats, camps for families of the wounded, and day clinics in overseas locations.

Please direct questions regarding Operation Purple camp to operationpurple@nmfa.org.

1003 - Correctional Peace Officers Foundation – www.cpof.org

The Correctional Peace Officers (CPO) Foundation is a national, non-profit charitable organization created in 1984. Its primary function is to preserve and support the surviving families of Correctional Officers who lose their lives in pursuit of their chosen profession of protecting the public from those remanded to correctional custody and supervision in the nation's prisons and jails.

MISSION STATEMENT - The purpose of the Correctional Peace Officers (CPO) Foundation, Inc. is to operate and maintain a general fund for the perpetuation of the memory of those Correctional Peace Officers killed in the line of duty; to provide for their spouses, children or other beneficiaries; and to promote and project a positive image of the Corrections profession, both internally and to the general public.

1004 - The Leary Firefighters Foundation – www.learyfirefighters.org

The Leary Firefighters Foundation was founded in 2000 by actor Denis Leary in response to a fire that broke out in an abandoned warehouse in downtown Worcester, Massachusetts, his hometown, in December of 1999. Over 75 firefighters ran into what some have called "the perfect fire" and six of them never came out. One was Denis' first cousin, Jerry Lucey and another Lt. Tommy Spencer, was a childhood friend and high school classmate. In an effort to find a positive way to deal with this overwhelming loss, Denis established The Leary Firefighters Foundation in the spring of 2000. The Leary Firefighters Foundation is dedicated to providing fire departments with funding and resources for up-to-date equipment and training.

The Leary Firefighters Foundation remains dedicated to keeping the needs of firefighters in the forefront of the country's awareness and to upholding our pledge to provide them with funding and resources to acquire the tools necessary to maintain the highest level of public safety.

1005 - Fire Fighters Burn Fund Victoria, BC – www.firefightersburnfundvictoria.ca

The Firefighters Burn fund Victoria, BC is a non-profit volunteer society dedicated to the treatment, support, prevention and education related to burn and fire injuries. All donations are used exclusively to support the aims and projects of the Burn Fund, including the maintenance and upkeep of The Burn House.

The Fire Fighters Burn Fund was founded in 1978 by two fire fighters from the Victoria and Oak Bay fire departments.

Now called the Fire Fighters Burn Fund Victoria, BC it is supported by firefighters from Victoria, Oak Bay, and the Department of National Defense.

The fund supports the prevention and treatment of burn injuries. This includes the purchase of medical equipment for the Burn Unit at Royal Jubilee Hospital, patient and family support (including the Burn House) and fire and burn prevention programs in the community.

1006 - Operation Homefront -  www.operationhomefront.net

Mission Statement  - Operation Homefront provides emergency assistance and morale to our troops, to the families they leave behind and to wounded warriors when they return home. A nonprofit 501(c)(3), Operation Homefront leads more than 4,500 volunteers in 30 chapters nationwide and has provided critical assistance to more than 45,000 military families in need. Operation Homefront also operates an online magazine for military wives and women in uniform. Through this community, we reach the newest and youngest military families, instantly alerting them about our programs and other information to help them succeed in military life.

How They Help

Operation Homefront provides aid to families struggling not only with emergencies, but also with the problems of everyday life. Existing programs include:

.Emergency Aid — Provides food, baby care items, vehicle donation and repair.

.Computer Program — Allows children and spouses to stay in touch with their loved ones.

.Financial Assistance Program — Addresses crises such as illness, homelessness and death.

.Furniture Program — Donates household and baby furniture; working-order appliances.

.Moving — Provides physical labor for families when a service member is deployed.

.Social Outreach — Offers Adopt-a-family opportunities, Thanksgiving/holiday baskets, back-to-school supplies.

.Community — Rebuilds the challenged social network of the military  community by bringing it to our online magazine where it is convenient to everyone, no matter the time or location.

1007 - Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund – www.fallenheroesfund.org

The Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, a national leader in supporting the men and women of the United States Armed Forces and their families, is launching an important new effort to serve our military community. The Fund will design and build the National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE), an advanced facility dedicated to research, diagnosis and treatment of military personnel and veterans suffering from traumatic brain injury (TBI) and psychological health issues.

NICoE will be a 72,000 square foot, two-story facility located on the Navy campus at Bethesda, Maryland, adjacent to the new Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, with close access to the Uniformed Services University, the National Institutes of Health, and the Veterans Health Administration. NICoE will be designed to provide the most advanced services for advanced diagnostics, initial treatment plan and family education, introduction to therapeutic modalities, referral and reintegration support for military personnel and veterans with TBI, post traumatic stress disorder, and/or complex psychological health issues. Further, NICoE will conduct research, test new protocols and provide comprehensive training and education to patients, providers and families while maintaining ongoing telehealth follow-up care across the country and throughout the world.

1008 - Armed Services YMCA – www.asymca.org

In cooperation with the military, ASYMCA offers junior-enlisted (paygrades E5 and below) personnel and their families low cost programs in a variety of areas, including childcare, hospital assistance, spousal support, computer training classes, food services and holiday meals. ASYMCA sponsors educational programs for both children and adults, ranging from on-site classes in an array of subjects to financial assistance to support ongoing learning. For military children, ASYMCA coordinates summer camps, recreation groups specifically oriented to teens, and after-school enrichment activities. ASYMCA’s Operation Hero aids children from six to twelve years of age who are experiencing temporary difficulty in school, both socially and academically. The semester-long program combines after-school tutoring and mentoring assistance from certified teachers in a small group structure. ASYMCA also provides supplemental healthcare and medical assistance to personnel and their families, including access to discount vision service/free eye exams and babysitting for parents to attend medical appointments, together with non-medical advice and support on the base to military spouses needing information about infant childcare.

1009 - National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund - www.nleomf.org 

  

Mission Statement: The mission of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund is to generate increased public support for the law enforcement profession by permanently recording and appropriately commemorating the service and sacrifice of law enforcement officers; and to provide information that will help promote law enforcement safety.

  

Goals and Accomplishments:

1. 1.Built the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial, which is visited by more than 200,000 people annually.
   

2. 2.Established and now operate the Memorial Visitors Center and Store.
   

3. 3.Collected and catalogued information on more than 18,600 law enforcement fatalities, and publish twice annual reports on officer fatality trends.
   

4. 4.Published the book, To Serve and Protect-A Tribute to American Law Enforcement.
   

5. 5.Successfully lobbied for a federal law requiring all American flags to be lowered to half-staff on "Peace Officers Memorial Day" (May 15th each year).
   

6. 6.Successfully lobbied for a federal law authorizing the U.S. Mint to issue 500,000 National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Commemorative Silver Dollars. Approximately $1.5 million in proceeds were raised for maintenance and repair of the Memorial.
   

7. 7.Created and now maintain a website, which includes a complete listing of all law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty, as well as other information pertaining to officer safety (www.nleomf.org).
   

8. 8.Conduct an annual Candlelight Vigil each May 13th that is attended by more than 20,000 people to honor fallen officers and to announce the Roll Call of new officer names added to the Memorial walls.
   

9. 9.Successfully lobbied for a federal law (P.L. 106-492) which authorizes the building of the first-ever National Law Enforcement Museum on federal land adjacent to the Memorial in Washington, D.C. The Museum is expected to open in 2013.
   

10. 10.Launched an $80 million capital campaign for the Museum, with former Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton serving as co-chairs of the National Honorary Campaign Committee.
    

1010 - National Fallen Firefighters Foundation - www.firehero.org 

Congress created the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation to lead a nationwide effort to honor America's fallen firefighters. Since 1992, the non-profit Foundation has developed and expanded programs that fulfill that mandate. Our mission is to honor and remember America's fallen fire heroes and to provide resources to assist their survivors in rebuilding their lives.

Each October, the Foundation sponsors the official national tribute to all firefighters who died in the line of duty during the previous year. Thousands attend the weekend activities held at the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Maryland. The Weekend features special programs for survivors and coworkers along with moving public ceremonies.

Help survivors attend the Weekend - The Foundation provides travel, lodging, and meals for immediate survivors of fallen firefighters being honored. This allows survivors to participate in Family Day sessions conducted by trained grief counselors and in the private and public tributes.

Offer support programs for survivors - When a firefighter dies in the line of duty, the Foundation provides survivors with a place to turn. Families receive emotional assistance through a Fire Service Survivors Network, which matches survivors with similar experiences and circumstances. Families receive a quarterly newsletter and specialized grief publications. Our Web site provides extensive information on survivor benefits, Foundation programs, and other resources.

Award scholarships to fire service survivors - Spouses, children, and stepchildren of fallen firefighters are eligible for scholarship assistance for education and job training costs.

Help departments deal with line-of-duty deaths - Under a Department of Justice grant, the Foundation offers training to help fire departments handle a line-of-duty death. Departments receive extensive pre-incident planning support. Immediately after a death, a Chief-to-Chief Network provides technical assistance and personal support to help the department and the family.

Work to prevent line-of-duty deaths - With the support of fire and life safety organizations, the Foundation has launched a major initiative to reduce firefighter deaths. Our goal is to reduce line-of-duty firefighter deaths by 25 percent in 5 years.

Create a National Memorial Park - The Foundation is expanding the national memorial site in Emmitsburg, Maryland, to create the first permanent national park honoring all firefighters. The park includes a brick Walk of Honor® that connects the Memorial Chapel and the official national monument.

1012 - Iraq Star Inc. Reconstructive surgery for American Soldiers - www.iraqstar.org

The statistics are grim: More than 40,000 brave men and women have returned wounded from Iraq and Afghanistan.  They must now face the daunting challenge of recovery.  The military will replace the missing arms and legs with prosthetics, provide the initial surgeries to close the wounds and grafts to replace burned flesh, striving tirelessly to make our veterans functional people.  But the fact stands that terrible scarring from shrapnel, burns, and wound trauma remain.  Surgeries are still needed to help our veterans gain back their pre-war lives, to assist them in holding their heads high, and help them return to their homes and careers.  

Iraq Star, Inc. is a non-profit Foundation dedicated to providing the necessary reconstructive surgeries to assist war veterans recovering from physical and mental injuries.  It is the Foundation’s hope that reconstructive surgery will also help our veterans heal from emotional trauma, increase self-esteem and ease their return to their pre-war lives.