National Military Family Association Teams Up with Wounded Warrior Project to Send Military Kids to Camp
WWP’s Support Will More Than Double the Number of Kids Attending Operation Purple Camps
Washington, D.C. (March 19, 2015) – The National Military Family Association (NMFA), a nonprofit that works to strengthen and protect military families, and Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP), whose mission is to honor and empower Wounded Warriors, are teaming up to give more military kids an opportunity to experience free summer camp with their peers.
Operation Purple® Camps, a program of NMFA, sends about 1,100 kids to camps at locations around the country each year. In 2015, thanks to WWP’s generous support, more than 2,600 military kids will get to go to camp. This partnership also allows NMFA to expand eligibility to children of the wounded, ill or injured.
“We must do more to meet the needs of all military children, especially those of our wounded service members,” said Gail McGinn, chair of the NMFA Board of Governors. “Wounded Warrior Project’s generosity and recognition of our high-quality Operation Purple program is a huge win for military families.”
The Operation Purple program was created in 2004 and has served more than 50,000 military kids. It’s a unique opportunity for them to be around other military children who experience many of the same challenges.
“Wounded Warrior Project is thrilled to partner with NMFA to provide these vitally needed experiences to the children of our warriors, caregivers, and families, as well as to the children of those currently deployed in service to our nation,” said Jeremy Chwat, chief program officer at WWP. “To truly impact a generation of warriors and help them transition from surviving to thriving, the entire family needs to be a part of the recovery process. By collaborating with excellent organizations like NMFA, we are able to collectively strengthen the resources that are available to wounded, ill, and injured veterans, their caregivers, and families, and make greater strides in meeting their unique needs.”
Operation Purple Camps are open to military children with a parent or guardian from any service branch, with priority given to children who have a parent or guardian who incurred service-connected injuries or illness, or will have a parent or guardian deployed during a 15-month deployment window.
Applications are now open for the 2015 camp season. To learn more about the Operation Purple program, please visit: http://www.militaryfamily.org/kids-operation-purple/.
About the National Military Family Association
The National Military Family Association is the leading nonprofit dedicated to serving the families who stand behind the uniform. Since 1969, NMFA has worked to strengthen and protect millions of families through its advocacy and programs. They provide spouse scholarships, camps for military kids, and retreats for families reconnecting after deployment and for the families of the wounded, ill, or injured. NMFA serves the families of the currently serving, retired, wounded or fallen members of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Commissioned Corps of the USPHS and NOAA. To get involved or to learn more, visit www.MilitaryFamily.org.
About Wounded Warrior Project
The mission of Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) is to honor and empower Wounded Warriors. WWP’s purpose is to raise awareness and to enlist the public’s aid for the needs of injured service members, to help injured servicemen and women aid and assist each other, and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet their needs. WWP is a national, nonpartisan organization headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. To get involved and learn more, visit woundedwarriorproject.org.