2010 Partner
INJURED MARINE SEMPER FI FUND

Life stops when a spouse or parent gets the phone call that their loved
one has been seriously injured in combat. As they rush to the hospital, normal life is put on hold. Much is left undone or forgotten. Many
must travel great distances, at a moment's notice. They take
leave from their jobs, often without pay, and incur unforeseen
expenses --- for childcare, lodging, travel and other necessities. Few
families are prepared for what they will face --- paying for it all is the
last thing on their minds. They need to know that their service member
is not forgotten and neither are they.

Our military does an extraordinary job tending to the immediate medical needs of injured combatants. High quality emergency medical attention in the field and rapid evacuation of wounded troops means that more lives are being saved than ever before. But it also means that more and more servicemen and -women and their families face long periods of extensive treatment, rehabilitation and recovery. Fortunately, The Injured Marine Semper
Fi Fund is there to provide timely monetary grants to alleviate the immediate
financial challenges associated with catastrophic injury.

The Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund is unique. Volunteers are stationed at all major military hospitals, and assistance is provided from the moment of injury throughout recovery. Fund volunteers work closely with the on-site military services units to ensure a rapid response to families' needs. Grants are processed within days or hours, and the type of assistance quickly evolves to meet service member needs. There are no strings attached.

The Fund's goal is to restore the highest quality of life possible to injured service members and help ensure that their families do not suffer a decline in the quality of their lives due to financial challenges during the hospitalization and recovery of their loved one. Thus, grants are also made to support the purchase of specialized equipment or adapted vehicles or even help a family pay for modifications that need to be made to a home to accommodate new physical limitations.

In the past two years alone, the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund has provided nearly 6,000 service member and family support grants nationwide totaling over $8.3 million in assistance. In our local area, service members have been helped at the Naval National Medical Center (NNMC) and Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC), both of which have seen a dramatic increase in severe injuries as the war in Afghanistan escalates.

The CharityWorks SemperCare Project adds an extra dimension to Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund grants by providing not only emergency funds, but also a care package to provide comfort and therapy for family members whose new home is a chair next to a hospital bed at the NNMC or WRAMC. The SemperCare project can help ensure that the heroes being treated in our area feel cared for, loved and never forgotten.

We are proud to partner with the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund to ensure that those who have sacrificed so much for our freedom and security have the resources they need to focus solely on the recovery of their loved one.