150 Blankets delivered
A few weeks ago, I had contacted TAP’s to see if they could use our blankets, since our divisions customers are the retired and honored military. They asked for 150 blankets for their Memorial Day Good Grief Camp.
We were up for the challenge, but knew in the short amount of time that would be a pretty tall order. I put out a message to my Binky Buddies- and they came through within 48 hrs mind you J. There are 150 coming from the South County chapter, Carolyn Berndt, several form Florida and various other parts of the country. My employer, Delta Dental, sent prepaid shipping labels for the 150 blankets to get from Orange County to Washington DC . They will also pay for the shipping of any other blankets that arrive at the Delta Dental facility and send them to TAPS as well. Additionally, they are gave time for folks to sew up the quilts and cut up fabric.
About TAPS:
Their Mission 
The Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, Inc. (TAPS)
was founded in the wake of a military tragedy — the deaths of eight soldiers aboard an Army National Guard aircraft in November 1992. In the months and years following the loss of their loved ones, the survivors turned to various grief support organizations for comfort; but when they turned to each other for comfort and to share common fears and problems, they found strength and truly began to heal. They realized that the tragedy they shared, losing a loved one in the line of military duty, was far different from other types of losses. They shared pride in their spouses’ service to America , and tremendous sadness at the ultimate sacrifice their loved ones made.
In talking with each other and people across the country who had lost loved ones in military service, they realized that gaps existed in support once the official casualty case file was closed. And that this follow-up was best done by the private sector, by peers who had the empathy and understanding to help those facing a sudden loss. Much like the national organization founded over twenty years ago to support police survivors, TAPS offers peer support and assists survivors through a wide variety of programs.
Military and veterans’ agencies provide exceptional services, but often those most in need of answers to complicated questions lack the energy and perseverance to track down information in an often complicated bureaucracy. TAPS has experienced, empathetic caseworkers who act as liaisons, assisting the family members in finding solutions to problems. Working hand in hand with the appropriate federal, state and private agencies, they have been successful in helping find solutions to problems that arise long after the official file has been closed.
For more information, go to http://www.taps.org/