Wounded Warrior Center at Camp Pendleton
March 2007 Update from Lavella Cassinelli, Community Quilt Project Chairperson.
The LA Times article that I shared with you last week was a particularly nice **use** of the press by the USMC. After all the bad press that Walter Reed Hospital has gotten, the folks at the WWC got out the news that the USMC can take care of their own wounded and in great style. There was not a hint or whiff of “we need” in the article, which might have bothered some of you working so hard out there. In my opinion they needed to stand tall and be proud of what they’ve accomplished as they did. The help that we and so many other folks have provided doesn’t diminish the fact that this Center is such a positive force for the healing of these young Marines. They would have done it without our help, but our interaction has just made it BETTER.
SSgt Sommer told us today that there were currently 14 residents and he thought that nine had been discharged. The place is hopping with folks. Everyone we encountered was busy – and very cheerful and pleasant. While we were there a group of VFW gentlemen arrived and we tagged along with their short tour. SSgt Sommer was particularly proud of how well equipped the place has become and he proudly admitted to the VFW gents that everything in the kitchen and rec room areas had been donated by wonderful folks or purchased from donated funds. He loved showing them the new quilts and talked to them about how generous folks have been all over the country with these quilts.
Remember the email that I sent from the lady who had her mother’s fabrics to donate in the Dallas area? Some organizations are going to get the fabric and notions and use them for charitable causes, which is a great relief to her. What she shared with me is that at her work they are drumming up donations for gas cards for the WWC. When I told this to SSgt Sommer his face really lit up; with the recent increase in fuel, the cost of operating vehicles by the residents really hits their pocketbooks. This is the first time I’ve heard of fuel cards being requested/mentioned/donated and it appears that this is a great application for these guys. from: Therese Thomas, EA.
