Originally published September, 2013, by “Leatherneck.” Written by Collin Hoeferlin.

“There are many great organizations that selflessly give their time, money and other resources. So many of our wonderful families and friends like those that answer to MarineParents.com, who support all wounded, ill or injured who wear the cloth of this Nation and their families. We are blessed to have such … caring, giving people like Joyce Orrell (Purple Heart Hero Support–West [Coast] manager). Nothing brings a tear to my eye quicker than watching people like Joyce [and her many MarineParents.com volunteers] give of their time and efforts—people who serve and care for others. It’s humbling, and I am privileged to know them.” 

—SgtMaj Micheal P. Barrett 17th Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps 

Among the many programs admini­stered by MarineParents.com, one of the most visible is Purple Heart Hero Support. Run entirely by volunteers, PHHS “sup­ ports and provides services to wounded and ill troops and their families through every phase of recovery, from hospital to home.” Initially catering exclusively to wounded Marines and Navy Fleet Marine Force corpsmen, PHHS has since ex­panded its reach to all branches of the military (including allied soldiers). 

In 2006, PHHS was born at the Naval Hospital, Bethesda, Md. (now the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center), “in response to a situation at the old Bethesda Naval Hospital where nutritional food was unavailable for patients’ families on Sundays,” said PHHS–East (Coast) manager Susan Kristol, whose son is a Marine first lieutenant. “We addressed the situation by making it possible for families to eat good food on Sundays and still re­ main with their wounded heroes.” The “food on Sundays” idea was implemented in early 2007 and caught on like wildfire; Marines, parents and other loved ones were, and are, exceedingly grateful. 

In 2008, PHHS volunteers be­gan working at the Naval Medi­cal Center in San Diego. Last year, PHHS expanded to the naval hospital at Marine Corps Air ­Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif. 

“What started as three meals a week quickly snowballed as word got out. We had to start cooking meals at our home as the [available] kitchen was too small. Now we serve around 150 meals each week,” Joyce Orrell said with pride. “We have truly been blessed being able to serve our Wounded Heroes … to know them all personally, to just listen quietly, to laugh, to cry with them, to love them unconditionally,” she added. “They know they can trust us, that we are there for them, they have all become our sons and daughters.” 

Something About Dinners 

To date, PHHS has served more than 27,000 meals to thousands of wounded, injured and ill military personnel and their families at a cost of more than $165,000 (individual and corporate donations and sponsorships provide the money). An important aspect of those dinners is not the food being served, but the sense of normalcy and camaraderie that the din­ners facilitate. For some, the group dinners “help them forget where they are by having other similarly situated comrades around … it provides a healthy, positive and welcome atmosphere,” said Babs Blackmon, MarineParents.com outreach program coordinator. 

“The dinners give them a chance to have a warm meal, good conversation and share some laughs,” she added. In addition to the dinners, PHHS volunteers help wounded mili­tary personnel transition back to civilian life, a transition made even more challenging due to the physical and/or psychological injuries many of the program’s participants are facing. By con­necting people, “the Purple Heart Hero Support program and volunteers give our wounded heroes a chance to interact with civilians as they prepare to reintegrate into civilian society,” said Blackmon. 

Other PHHS Outreach Services 

Purple Heart Hero Support volunteers give the families of the wounded, injured and ill “The Wounded Warrior Handbook: A Resource Guide for Returning Veter­ans.” The guide helps them navigate the military medical system and imparts in­ formation on benefits, claims and legal issues. Patients receive a journal to keep track of medical information, while family members are given snacks, water and Pur­ple Heart pins and magnets to honor their loved ones. 

An irreplaceable part of PHHS outreach is the adapted clothing program in which volunteers modify clothing to meet the specific needs of each patient. For example, modified and adapted shorts utilizing Vel­cro allow easier access and let recovering patients regain some of their independence and dignity. Those items help severely wounded troops become more self­-suf­ficient, which raises their morale and in turn helps speed their recovery. Adapted camouflage blouses and a complete set of chevrons and grade insignias are available for each patient to more easily dress for Purple Heart award ceremonies. 

Moving Forward 

As Purple Heart Hero Support moves forward, Tracy Della Vecchia, Marine Parents.com founder and executive director, said that although the future remains un­ clear, she feels positive about the direction in which the PHHS program is heading and hopes to be able to host more dinners at more locations and to expand support functions to more individuals. “Down the road,” she said, “we’re looking at possibly having a presence at the burn unit at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio.” PHHS planners also are exploring the feasibility of partially shifting the focus of the program to assist in long-­term care as well as helping in the struggle with post­traumatic stress. 

“Whatever needs come up are the needs that we’ll tackle,” Della Vecchia concluded. 

For more information, go to http:/ purpleheartheroes.com. 

Editor’s note: Collin Hoeferlin, a 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, is the communications specialist/news­ letter writer and editor at MarineParents.com. His father, Mike Hoeferlin, is a fre­quent contributor to Leatherneck, and his mother is a retired Navy Medical Serv­ice Corps captain who often served with Marines.