About our chapter -
The full members of Blue Star Mothers, Massachusetts Chapter
1, are mothers who have or had children serving in the military. (Spouses, Dads,
and other relatives are welcome too; they participate as Associate Members.)
Through our monthly meetings and chapter activities, our members support each
other, our children in the military, wounded veterans in need, and veterans in
our area as we promote patriotism. We are a non-profit 501(c)(3) service
organization, chartered in July 2006 as a Chapter of the Blue
Star Mothers of America, Inc.
The Blue
Star Flag - a white field with a red border, with a blue star for each child
on active duty - was created in 1917 and, hung in a window facing the street,
quickly became the unofficial symbol of a child or children in service. The National
Blue Star Mothers Organization was founded by 600 mothers in 1942 and
chartered by Congress in 1960. The Blue Star Mothers have three
chapters in Massachusetts. Our chapter meets in Leominster
at the Veterans' Center, on the third Wednesday of every month. For meeting
details, look here.
Here are some of our current and ongoing projects:
Operation Soldier Recovery:
- Working with Soldiers' Angels Germany, we provide needed
supplies for patients at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center and the Combat
Trauma Hospital in Balad, Iraq. Both hospitals receive injured and
ill soldiers, typically coming directly from an Army Combat Support Hospital
and wearing the uniform they wore when they were injured. To help these
soldiers through their first few days of recovery, we have provided these
hospitals with transitional backpacks packed with a full set of toiletries,
essential clothing, and "blankets of hope".
- To obtain the items needed for these backpacks, we conduct
fundraising events and sponsoring drives. Many local merchants support us
with brand-new clothing (undergarments, sweatsuits) suitable for the
hospital environment; others contribute funds which we use for remaining
needed items. When enough items have been collected, our members gather at
the Leominster Veterans' Center to stuff the backpacks and label each one
with a gender and a size. This is a considerable undertaking; the output of
our most recent session occupied three pallets! Local volunteers arranged
for trucking to Hanscom AFB and flight by military transport to Landstuhl
and Balad.
- Many volunteers crochet, knit, quilt and sew "Blankets
of Hope" for our wounded veterans. We collect these and put one into
each transitional backpack, and occasionally have some left to give to
wounded veterans in local hospitals and homes. This gives these veterans a
"touch of home", a true labor of love from the women who created
these blankets.
Ongoing Projects:
- We support our Veterans by visiting hospitals and shelters,
and participate in events that honor them.
- We support the Canines for Combat Veterans' program, which
provides and trains service dogs for our Combat Veterans, by welcoming each
combat veteran when they arrive the Princeton facility, preparing food for
the veteran and his house mates during his two week intensive training
program, and attending their graduations.
- Sadly, we honor our fallen heroes by presenting the Gold
Star banner to their mothers and wives.
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We meet frequently outside of our regular meeting time. During the past few
months, we've stuffed backpacks with clothing and toiletries for injured
soldiers arriving at Walter Reed and Landstuhl Military Hospitals, marched in
the Columbus Day Parade in Worcester, MA, attended the dedication of the
Worcester Memorial to Veterans of the Korean War, and more. When we schedule
another event, we'll list it here.
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