For those who give a damn
It’s hard to say which quote inspires more sense of duty: the one from Ed Quinn, the TW Perry chairman who helped create the Yellow Ribbon Fund; or the one from Jessica Allen, a Yellow Ribbon Fund staffer who helps ease the many burdens of wounded veterans.
Here’s what Gaithersburg, Md.-based TW Perry’s Quinn said about the creation of the Fund back in 2005, when he and some other Maryland businessmen decided to do something -- anything -- to help patients of the National Naval Medical Center: “We were just local business guys who gave a damn, who cared about these kids.”
And here’s what Allen said about her role in the lives of wounded veterans: “What I do is take some of the suck out of this.”
Allen’s experience is colored by both sides of charitable activity. Her life changed Jan. 22, 2010, at 8 a.m., when she learned that her husband was injured while on patrol in Afghanistan. “My whole world now is taking care of wounded warriors,” she said.
The above quotes come from an article in the HCN Daily called, “Yellow Ribbon Fund strikes chord with LBM industry.”
It wasn’t just another article. There was something about the sincerity and commitment of Quinn, Allen and others engaged in helping veterans that sparked HCN into action.
They inspired the HCN Helping Veterans Crusade.
More than just a logo, the editorial crusade marks the beginning of a commitment to follow the stories and promote the charities at homechannelnews.com. The crusade marks a commitment to getting the word out about organizations and programs that help veterans.
There are so many. There’s the Yellow Ribbon Fund, which makes life easier for wounded vets. There’s Homes for Heroes that’s building a home for Jessica Allen’s family. And there’s Dealers Helping Heroes, the new program from the National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association (NLBMDA).
We’ll be covering these and many more organizations like them in the months ahead. And we’ll keep track of the many ways the industry can help with a dedicated area at homechannelnews.com.
If our humble effort can strike awareness that leads to one more successful match of need with charity, we’ll take it.