4th Floor Archives - Page 4 of 4 - Marine Moms-Bethesda

Yikes! Four events this month! 4 East, Richmond, Mercy Hall and volunteering at the Marine Corps Marathon!

Gladys, Bob, Shirley, Katie and I started the month off with a “tween” on 4 East. Now the “tweens” are *supposed* to be laid back luncheons, just light food with fewer volunteers, and none of the “extras” we bring in like the Notes, pantry bags, quilts, and whatever we can come up with at a regular luncheon. The “tweens” have turned into a little more than “light fare”, though, because of our wonderful volunteers’ enthusiasm!

Setting up the room

We were busy from the time we arrived and didn’t have time for pictures once we got moving.

The menu was assorted sandwiches, ham, assorted rolls and cornbread, pasta salad, potato salad, fruit salad, garden salad, olives and pickles, and assorted desserts. Of course we had the smoothies and drinks. Shirley brought some food “Famous Dave’s” sent along with her — barbecued chicken and ribs, cole slaw, baked beans, and cotton candy – a humongous bag full of pink cotton candy! This turned out to be a real hit and we were amazed it all disappeared… Who would have thought???

Families and patients were served first. We caught up with some families and patients who have been there awhile and we made new friends, too. Continue reading October 9, 2011 – 4 East: Busy, Busy, Busy! →

My “Note 4 Bethesda” this month began:

“September 11, 2011

We hope you enjoy today’s luncheon, made possible by Marine Moms-Bethesda Volunteers, The Easton Rotary Club in Easton, MD, Touch of Relief, and “Elfs” across the USA who care and would like to say “THANK YOU!”

This day brings back ten year old memories of a beautiful sunny morning. I was in the garden cutting flowers to make a bouquet to place in my Uncle’s casket. His funeral was to begin at 1100. I walked back into the house and saw on TV the second plane hit the Tower and knew immediately our country was at war.

Uncle Steve was a World War II Army Veteran. His Honor Guard that day included young men and women from all branches of the military. I remember thinking to myself as they folded the flag that covered him, “They will be going to war.” A few months later, we went to Afghanistan.

Actually, it wasn’t even a few months…

soldier in afghanistan DoD photo — DOD photo taken when we first entered Afghanistan

Our volunteers knew that many of the young men and women we would be serving were eight, nine, ten years old when the Twin Towers, the Pentagon and Flight 97 were attacked and thousands of innocent Americans were murdered.

Thank you for your service cake

*********************

We are very grateful to the Easton Rotary Club of Easton, MD for their sponsorship and help serving this luncheon, and to Touch of Relief for their soothing seated massages provided to family members and patients.

I met with the Rotarians who would be joining us – Jackie, Doug, Tim, Connie, Maureen, and Patti a month before the event, filling them in on whom we would be serving, what to expect, and explained our Code of Conduct, which all volunteers joining us are expected to follow.

Under Jackie’s guidance, the Rotary Club had already begun collecting items for the pantry bags. Continue reading September 11, 2011 – 4th Floor: 9/11 →

Bringing "Comforts of Home" to Bethesda (now Walter Reed NMMC) since 2005.