Republican Women's Club pays tribute to veterans
The Cape Henlopen High School JROTC Color Guard, under the direction of Army instructor First Sgt. Philip Webb, presented the colors at a recent meeting of the Sussex County Republican Women's Club. A program honoring American veterans began with the Pledge of Allegiance followed by a presentation by Jim Lafferty, program manager for the Warrior Weekend Program. Retired Brig. Gen. Ruth Irwin provided an insight into the new Home of the Brave II for women veterans.
The Warrior Weekend Program, Lafferty said, is a way of providing no-cost trips for troops recovering from devastating wounds suffered in Afghanistan and Iraq. The mission is to provide a weekend of rest, relaxation and fun for these wounded heroes and their spouses and families who are stationed at military medical centers.
They are escorted by volunteers to quality hotels, dine in fine restaurants and are taken to different events of their choice for entertainment. The Marriott Hotel chain has offered rooms free of charge to the troops participating in the program.
These weekends are not inexpensive. Each trip incurs a cost of $6,000 to $8,000, fully funded by donations. Warrior Weekend participants have been entertained by the Phillies and Eagles where they have enjoyed meet and greet sessions with team members, and now the Philadelphia Flyers are interested in entertaining them as well. The program is small and personal and fully supported by volunteers. All funds raised for Warrior Weekend are entirely for use by the warriors.
Irwin, a veteran of Afghanistan and representing Home of the Brave II, spoke about he mission and needs of this relatively new and much-needed facility for female veterans that opened in early 2013. She noted the home does not receive any federal funding, as does a similar program for men, and subsists fully on donations.
It is geared to be a home for up to eight women veterans with their children and provides a recovery setting with case management, job development, personal budget development training, assistance with VA benefits, appropriate clothing and much more. It is the mission of the program to raise funds to continue providing services so these women veterans may have a positive, supportive environment of assistance to transition out of homelessness for themselves and their children.
SCRWC President Alana Keeley said, “We are so honored to have representatives from both of these programs that serve the troops who gave so much in service to our country. It is our privilege to present donations and quilts that have been handmade by some of our members to Jim Lafferty and to Ruth Irwin, signifying our continued interest in their missions.”
It is the mission of the Sussex County Republican Women's Club to assist in the election of Republican candidates, act as advocates for the Republican Party's principles and empower women to participate in the political process.
For more information, call 302-566-5132, email info@SCRWC.net or go to scrwc.net.
