Have a Heart ? Support Our Troops

Alpha Phi Alumnae of Northern Virginia

For the third year in a row, the Alpha Phi Northern Virginia Alumnae Chapter is working American Legion Auxiliary Unit 270 to provide support for the Angels of Mercy , No Soldier Left in Need , and Angels in Iraq programs. These programs, led by the volunteer efforts of many and the tireless dedication of Marian Chirichella and Jay Edwards, have received several awards of distinction including the 2004 Newman's Own Award and commendations from the Department of Defense.

There are many ways that Alpha Phi's can contribute to these worthy and much appreciated efforts. For the numerous men and women arriving with injuries to Walter Reed Hospital, we will be collecting clothing suitable for rehabilitation, receiving visitors, and venturing out of hospital rooms, such as:

•  clothing for fall and winter: sweat suits, zippered sweat shirts, warm jackets, flannel lounge pants, long sleeve t-shirts; exercise shorts, colored/pocketed t-shirts, boxer shorts, Tearaway pants, wheelchair/weight-lifting gloves are always needed – all clothing items in medium, large, and extra large (for health reasons, all items must be new), and

•  personal items: CD players, popular CDs, hand-held games to help pass the time these wounded are temporarily confined to bed; phone cards and electric razors are essential .

Three of the 34 Fisher Houses worldwide are located at Walter Reed. The essence of Fisher House is to provide a ‘sense of home and comfort' in time of need housing to immediate family members of military personnel undergoing critical medical treatment. To help ease their burden and improve the quality of life of these families, the Alpha Phi Northern Virginia Alumnae Chapter will be collecting:

•  Grocery Store gift cards (for the purchase of: eggs, milk, sliced bread, bagels, muffins, fruit juices, breakfast bars, fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, sandwich meats, cheese, cooked dinner entrees), and

•  personal items: new, in-season clothing, inspirational books, stationery, children's/family videos.

A new program started within the last year is the Angels in Iraq project. During the last holiday season, over 500 wrapped Christmas presents were sent to the battleground. In 2006, as part of an effort to help deployed units build rapport with Iraqi families, the “Angels” send thousands of pieces of clean, used clothing and fun packages to military units to distribute to Iraqi children.

This fall, Alpha Phi of Northern VA will focus on collecting used clothing and paper/crayons/stickers, etc for the Angels in Iraq project. During the holidays, we will collect holiday presents and holiday wrapping paper. There will be an ongoing collection of items for the wounded troops and families at the Fisher House throughout the year. Items will be collected at our monthly events or by special arrangement. For additional information, contact Jodi Chappell , 703-328-2554, or jodi73@cox.net .

Thank you for your support!