Causes: Military & Veterans Organizations, Veterans

Mission: Marine Parents provides support, information, and services for Marines and their families, and encourages troop support through community awareness programs.   By providing personal, web-based, and community resources, Marine Parents unites the extended Marine Corps family and enhances their support system before, during, and after their loved one’s service.   Families educating, supporting, and encouraging one another daily are able to lead more mentally and emotionally balanced lives empowering them to focus on supporting their Marine.   Together we can give strength to those who protect freedom by assuring no family goes without support.

Results: As of January 2010, Marine Parents has sent more than 22,500 care packages to Marines in combat zones, mailed 38,000 card to injured Marines, and served more than 6,000 meals to injured service men and women and their families at military hospitals.   Team Marine Parents has raised $52,200 to support its outreach programs which support Marines and their families.   Over 700 outreach volunteers representing 31 states donate thousands of hours each year, while the organization’s 48 contracted volunteers provide 1,694 support requests daily through message board posts, chat room visits, live support online, emails, and telephone calls.

Target demographics: service men and women and their families nationwide with a strong emphasis on Marines and their families, and communities and individuals wishing to support troops.

Direct beneficiaries per year: 200,000

Geographic areas served: communities around the US

Programs: The Care Package Project offers the public opportunities to support troops through care packages. Purple Heart Family Support provides support and education to injured service men and women and their families, and provides meals to injured service members and their families during hospital stays. Operation PAL delivers hand written letters to ill and injured service members in military treatment facilities. Gold Star Family Support offers grieving parents and family members of fallen Marines and Navy Corpsmen a place to connect and share in private environments only open to Marine Corps Gold Star members. Team Marine Parents promotes troop support awareness in communities throughout the United States through participation in and donations to the troop support outreach programs of Marine Parents.