California Knitting Shop Wrapping Up Help for USA Cares

Operation Lap Wrap Hopes for Contributions from Customers



Photo credit: Warren Eig
Edith Eig, owner of La Knitterie Parisienne in Studio City, Calif., is helping USA Cares by contributing to Operation Lap Wrap.


RADCLIFF, KY - A yarn and knitting business in southern California has stepped up to make volunteer contributions to the USA Cares Operation Lap Wrap program by both donating blankets and offering discounts to customers.

“In addition to making a fashion statement, knitting is also both therapeutic and social; so when I first learned of the compassionate lap wrap program, I seized the opportunity to invite my customers to participate and turn their passion for knitting towards this very good cause,” said Edith Eig, owner of La Knitterie Parisienne in Studio City, Calif. “My heart goes out to our brave servicemen and women who put their lives on the line, and I wanted to reach out and help make a difference. As a collective group, we’re weaving hope into every stitch of these hand-knit blankets and wish the very best for these individuals as they strive to rebuild their lives.”

Kim Moorman, USA Cares Director of Business Development, said a box of lap wraps has already arrived from Eig. Short notes of encouragement and thanks to the troops were enclosed with the blankets.

“They are awesome! I really love the notes and the one from Troop 408 that had a bunch of little notes from the girls on them. That will definitely touch a lot of hearts as they see and receive them,” Moorman said.

Eig decided to offer a 15 percent discount on yarn sales to any customers who want to create lap wraps for the troops.

“The outpouring of support has been incredible. Together, my clients and I have sent Operation Lap Wrap a huge box of blankets, and there is a new batch in the process of being made with more and more people expressing interest everyday. This is an ongoing effort that we will support until our troops finally come home for good,” Eig said.

Cheryl Bruce, Volunteer Coordinator for USA Cares, said the lap wraps will be a huge help. “Our service members are hospitalized for various lengths of time. Lap Wraps provide warmth for a visitor in a hospital room and coverage of missing limbs when confined to a wheelchair,” she said.

“La Knitterie Parisienne is proud to be a part of USA Cares Operation Lap and honored for the recognition. We are featuring Operation Lap Wrap on our web site at www.LaKnitterieParisienne.com and are encouraging anyone who’d like participate to get involved. I’ve identified some wonderful yarns to craft these lap wraps and welcome everyone to join us. Customers can visit us at our store located at 12642 Ventura Blvd, Studio City, Calif., or call us at 818-766-1515 and let us know they’d like to knit a lap wrap blanket,” Eig said.

About La Knitterie Parisienne

Owned by entrepreneur Edith Eig and located in Studio City, CA, La Knitterie Parisienne is one of the world’s most successful and recognizable knitting yarn stores, carrying an unprecedented selection of premium yarns, knitting books, buttons and knitting accessories. The shop specializes in teaching the art of knitting for free with the purchase of yarn from the shop and hosts many interactive events for their clients including the popular “Sip and Knit” social gathering during the shop’s late night on Wednesdays. Eig hails from Paris, France, where she learned to knit at the age of five. She’s combined her Parisian sensibilities with her incredible flair for fashion and design to become an icon in the knitting industry and an authority appearing in such news outlets as TODAY on NBC, CNN and Entertainment Tonight, Time magazine, Newsweek magazine, Los Angeles Times and the New York Times. She is also the author of the critically acclaimed book, “Mother or Purl: Friends, Fun and Fabulous Designs at Hollywood’s Knitting Circle” (HarperCollins) and is a philanthropist incorporating knitting into a wide array of worthy organizations. La Knitterie Parisienne is located at 12642 Ventura Blvd., Studio City, CA 91604. For more information, call 818-766-1515; for yarn purchases only call 1-800-2-BUY-YARN or visit www.LaKnitterieParisienne.com.

About USA Cares and Share A Minute

USA Cares is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that helps military families bear the burdens of service with financial and advocacy support. Its mission: to assist wounded warriors and their families, to prevent home foreclosures and evictions and to help with basic needs during financial crisis. Share A Minute asks Americans to donate $25 to represent one minute of a Soldier, Sailor, Airman or Marine’s full 525,000 minute tour of duty. In five years, USA Cares has helped 12,000 clients and distributed more than $5 million in grants. Military families anywhere in America can apply for assistance through the USA Cares web site, http://www.usacares.org/ or by calling 1-800-773-0387. For more information on USA Cares contact jrevell@usacares.org.

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Contact for USA Cares:
Jess Bratcher
USA Cares, Inc.
Public Affairs Assistant
(270) 352-5451 x106
jbratcher@usacares.org
http://www.usacares.org

Contact for La Knitterie Parisienne and Edith Eig interviews:
Audrey Eig
818.622.2962 - o
818.535.4859 - c
818.622.0407 - f
audrey.eig@nbcuni.com

USA Cares grants more than $60,000 to Massachusetts military families

More than 100 families in financial need helped, seven homes saved

RADCLIFF, KY – USA Cares Inc., a national nonprofit organization dedicated to helping military families, has donated more than $60,000 over five years to service members living in Massachusetts. The grants were used for getting treatment for wounded soldiers, saving homes from foreclosure, and assisting with basic needs during times of serious financial crisis.

Since 2003, these donations saved seven Massachusetts military families from losing their home to foreclosure, and overall 103 families have received grants. In 2007, 53 requests came in from Massachusetts. USA Cares has received 26 requests for help in the first eight months of 2008.

“Today’s military families are facing a perfect storm: multiple deployments, rising gas and food prices, the sub-prime mortgage mess, and a struggling economy. Coupled with visible and invisible wounds of war, many families can’t win this battle without our assistance,” Roger Stradley, founder of USA Cares, said. Members of any branch of the military serving post 9/11 and their families can apply for help.

USA Cares has worked with military families since it was founded in 2003. Since then, the organization has responded to over 11,000 requests for help with more than $5 million in direct assistance grants. On the housing front, USA Cares is a recognized leader in mortgage loss prevention assistance for the military. In the future, USA Cares hopes to work with other partners to field a program for post traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury victims who lack the financial resources to attend the treatment they need and deserve, ensuring that the service member doesn’t have to choose between groceries or treatment.

Nationally, USA Cares receives more than 100 new requests for assistance a week. Dedicated staff and volunteers work through each one with the determination and commitment to assist these families as quickly as possible. “USA Cares is out there actually providing financial assistance to solve these problems – we’re not just talking about them,” USA Cares Executive Director Bill Nelson said.

For example, in West Springfield, USA Cares paid $840 in rent to keep a family with a baby in the home. In Salisbury, the organization negotiated with a mortgage company and paid $2,200 to save the family home. And in Milford, USA Cares helped with an oil payment for heat while the service member was getting a loan for a new furnace.

There are several military installations in Massachusetts, including Hanscom Air Force Base, which manages the development and acquisition of electronic command and control systems, and Westover Air Reserve Base, home of the 439th Airlift Wing.

USA Cares embarked on a national fundraising campaign on July 4. Share A Minute will raise funds by asking Americans to donate $25 to represent one minute of a Soldier, Sailor, Airman or Marine’s full 525,000-minute annual tour of duty. Those minutes quickly add up to create hardships for soldiers and their families during deployment or when they return, and it costs USA Cares $25 a minute to help these families.

This level of support will ensure that USA Cares can meet all the needs of military personnel and their families not only through the present twin crises of PTSD/TBI and housing, but also the economic challenges yet to come.

Stradley said there is no doubt that Americans will help by donating. “Our nation, including the residents of Massachusetts, has a level of compassion that is unmatched in the world. This nation’s defenders need help, and it’s now our duty to come to their aid.”

To share a minute, go to http://www.usacares.org/ and click on the Share A Minute logo or call 1-800-773-0387 for more information.

About USA Cares and Share A Minute

USA Cares is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that helps military families bear the burdens of service with financial and advocacy support. Its mission: to assist wounded warriors and their families, to prevent home foreclosures and evictions and to help with basic needs during financial crisis. Share A Minute asks Americans to donate $25 to represent one minute of a Soldier, Sailor, Airman or Marine’s full 525,000 minute tour of duty. In 2007 USA Cares helped 98 wounded service members; saved 192 homes from foreclosure or families from eviction in partnership with The Homeowners Preservation Foundation; and provided 4,146 requests with other forms of assistance. Families anywhere in America can apply for assistance through the USA Cares web site, http://www.usacares.org/, or by calling 1-800-773-0387. For more information on USA Cares contact jrevell@usacares.org.

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USA Cares grants more than $70,000 to Oklahoma military families

More than 180 families in financial need helped, nine homes saved

RADCLIFF, KY – USA Cares Inc., a national nonprofit organization dedicated to helping military families, has donated more than $70,000 over five years to service members living in Oklahoma. The grants were used for getting treatment for wounded soldiers, saving homes from foreclosure, and assisting with basic needs during times of serious financial crisis.

Since 2003, these donations saved nine Oklahoma military families from losing their home to foreclosure, and overall 183 families have received grants. In 2007, 83 requests came in from Oklahoma. USA Cares has received 51 requests for help in the first eight months of 2008.

“Today’s military families are facing a perfect storm: multiple deployments, rising gas and food prices, the sub-prime mortgage mess, and a struggling economy. Coupled with visible and invisible wounds of war, many families can’t win this battle without our assistance,” Roger Stradley, founder of USA Cares, said. Members of any branch of the military serving post 9/11 and their families can apply for help.

USA Cares has worked with military families since it was founded in 2003. Since then, the organization has responded to over 11,000 requests for help with more than $5 million in direct assistance grants. On the housing front, USA Cares is a recognized leader in mortgage loss prevention assistance for the military. In the future, USA Cares hopes to work with other partners to field a program for post traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury victims who lack the financial resources to attend the treatment they need and deserve, ensuring that the service member doesn’t have to choose between groceries or treatment.

Nationally, USA Cares receives more than 100 new requests for assistance a week. Dedicated staff and volunteers work through each one with the determination and commitment to assist these families as quickly as possible. “USA Cares is out there actually providing financial assistance to solve these problems – we’re not just talking about them,” USA Cares Executive Director Bill Nelson said.

For example, in Edmond, USA Cares paid $620 in rent to keep a family with one child in the home. In Muskogee, the organization negotiated on an automobile loan and paid $1,000 to save the car. And in Oklahoma City, USA Cares helped with more than $400 in utility payments because the service member’s spouse had to have emergency surgery.

There are several military installations in Oklahoma. Fort Sill is the location of the Army Field Artillery School, and the base supports a population of about 53,000 plus a large retiree community. Tinker Air Force Base hosts the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center, the 72nd Air Base Wing, and two Air Force Reserve Wings. And Vance Air Force Base is a pilot training base.

USA Cares embarked on a national fundraising campaign on July 4. Share A Minute will raise funds by asking Americans to donate $25 to represent one minute of a Soldier, Sailor, Airman or Marine’s full 525,000-minute annual tour of duty. Those minutes quickly add up to create hardships for soldiers and their families during deployment or when they return, and it costs USA Cares $25 a minute to help these families.

This level of support will ensure that USA Cares can meet all the needs of military personnel and their families not only through the present twin crises of PTSD/TBI and housing, but also the economic challenges yet to come.

Stradley said there is no doubt that Americans will help by donating. “Our nation, including the residents of Oklahoma, has a level of compassion that is unmatched in the world. This nation’s defenders need help, and it’s now our duty to come to their aid.”

To share a minute, go to http://www.usacares.org/ and click on the Share A Minute logo or call 1-800-773-0387 for more information.

About USA Cares and Share A Minute

USA Cares is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that helps military families bear the burdens of service with financial and advocacy support. Its mission: to assist wounded warriors and their families, to prevent home foreclosures and evictions and to help with basic needs during financial crisis. Share A Minute asks Americans to donate $25 to represent one minute of a Soldier, Sailor, Airman or Marine’s full 525,000 minute tour of duty. In 2007 USA Cares helped 98 wounded service members; saved 192 homes from foreclosure or families from eviction in partnership with The Homeowners Preservation Foundation; and provided 4,146 requests with other forms of assistance. Families anywhere in America can apply for assistance through the USA Cares web site, http://www.usacares.org/, or by calling 1-800-773-0387. For more information on USA Cares contact jrevell@usacares.org.

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USA Cares grants more than $70,000 to South Carolina military families

More than 170 families in financial need helped, nine homes saved

RADCLIFF, KY – USA Cares Inc., a national nonprofit organization dedicated to helping military families, has donated more than $70,000 over five years to service members living in South Carolina. The grants were used for getting treatment for wounded soldiers, saving homes from foreclosure, and assisting with basic needs during times of serious financial crisis.

Since 2003, these donations saved nine South Carolina military families from losing their home to foreclosure, and overall 172 families have received grants. In 2007, 68 requests came in from South Carolina. USA Cares has received 73 requests for help in the first eight months of 2008.

“Today’s military families are facing a perfect storm: multiple deployments, rising gas and food prices, the sub-prime mortgage mess, and a struggling economy. Coupled with visible and invisible wounds of war, many families can’t win this battle without our assistance,” Roger Stradley, founder of USA Cares, said. Members of any branch of the military serving post 9/11 and their families can apply for help.

USA Cares has worked with military families since it was founded in 2003. Since then, the organization has responded to over 11,000 requests for help with more than $5 million in direct assistance grants. On the housing front, USA Cares is a recognized leader in mortgage loss prevention assistance for the military. In the future, USA Cares hopes to work with other partners to field a program for post traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury victims who lack the financial resources to attend the treatment they need and deserve, ensuring that the service member doesn’t have to choose between groceries or treatment.

Nationally, USA Cares receives more than 100 new requests for assistance a week. Dedicated staff and volunteers work through each one with the determination and commitment to assist these families as quickly as possible. “USA Cares is out there actually providing financial assistance to solve these problems – we’re not just talking about them,” USA Cares Executive Director Bill Nelson said.

For example, in Clover, USA Cares negotiated with a mortgage company and paid $4,600 keep a family with two children in their home. In Columbia, the organization paid a $560 house payment as well as $630 in other bills. And in Kingstree, USA Cares helped with a $480 vehicle payment and granted a $100 Wal-Mart gift card. The service member had been in a vehicle accident while being treated for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury.

There are several military installations in South Carolina, including Shaw Air Force Base, home of the 9th Air Force Headquarters and the 20th Fighter Wing, the largest combat F-16 fighting wing; Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, one of the Marine Corps’ preeminent training facilities; and Fort Jackson, the largest Initial Entry training Center in Army, training 34 percent of all Soldiers and 69 percent of the women entering the Army each year.

USA Cares embarked on a national fundraising campaign on July 4. Share A Minute will raise funds by asking Americans to donate $25 to represent one minute of a Soldier, Sailor, Airman or Marine’s full 525,000-minute annual tour of duty. Those minutes quickly add up to create hardships for soldiers and their families during deployment or when they return, and it costs USA Cares $25 a minute to help these families.

This level of support will ensure that USA Cares can meet all the needs of military personnel and their families not only through the present twin crises of PTSD/TBI and housing, but also the economic challenges yet to come.

Stradley said there is no doubt that Americans will help by donating. “Our nation, including the residents of South Carolina, has a level of compassion that is unmatched in the world. This nation’s defenders need help, and it’s now our duty to come to their aid.”

To share a minute, go to http://www.usacares.org/ and click on the Share A Minute logo or call 1-800-773-0387 for more information.

About USA Cares and Share A Minute

USA Cares is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that helps military families bear the burdens of service with financial and advocacy support. Its mission: to assist wounded warriors and their families, to prevent home foreclosures and evictions and to help with basic needs during financial crisis. Share A Minute asks Americans to donate $25 to represent one minute of a Soldier, Sailor, Airman or Marine’s full 525,000 minute tour of duty. In five years, USA Cares has helped more than 12,000 clients and distributed more than $5 million in grants. Military families anywhere in America can apply for assistance through the USA Cares web site, http://www.usacares.org/ or by calling 1-800-773-0387. For more information on USA Cares contact jrevell@usacares.org.

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Lap Wraps, Boxers Donated

On Sept. 24, USA Cares Director of Volunteer Outreach, left, presented donated boxers and lap wraps to the Soldier and Family Assistance Center on Fort Knox in support of Operation Brave Boxer and Operation Lap Wrap. MSG Ray Folse, noncommissioned officer in charge of the center, right, accepted the donations on behalf of Soldiers and their families going through transition periods.

"The Steve Wilkos Show" Joining Forces with USA Cares

Daytime Talk Show to Raise Awareness of Military Families in Need

RADCLIFF, KY USA Cares has a new partner in its mission to provide financial support for military families in their time of need. NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution’s “The Steve Wilkos Show” is teaming with the organization to “make a difference in the lives of U.S. military personnel and their families.”

Wilkos, a former Marine and Chicago police officer, will serve as a national spokesperson for the organization and will travel the country to help get the word out for USA Cares. The married father of two young children, he has a special place in his heart for those in the service, veterans and the families left behind by those serving overseas.

“As a former Marine, I couldn’t be more proud to support an organization like USA Cares,” Wilkos said. “USA Cares provides military families and veterans with critical resources, and I cannot think of a more deserving group of people to support.”

The show is kicking off its second season with USA Cares, including asking viewers to get involved by logging on to the show's web site, www.SteveWilkos.com, or the USA Cares site, www.usacares.org. According to NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution, a national public service announcement campaign, in-show messaging, national and local fundraising events, co-branded online initiatives and much more are in the works.

“Steve Wilkos takes on difficult challenges and issues in a very direct and impactful way. And it’s like my Marine Corps friends say, ‘Once a Marine…Always a Marine’.” USA Cares Executive Director Bill Nelson said. “You have to respect the fact that some challenges just cannot be ignored. USA Cares is appreciative of the commitment by Wilkos and NBC Universal in assisting us help military families and veterans from all branches of service when they most need it.”

USA Cares was founded in 2003 and has responded to about 12,000 requests for help with more than $5 million in direct assistance grants. On the housing front, USA Cares is a recognized leader in mortgage loss prevention assistance for the military. In the future, USA Cares hopes to work with other partners to field a program for post traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury victims who lack the financial resources to attend the treatment they need and deserve, ensuring that the service member doesn’t have to choose between groceries or treatment.

Nationally, USA Cares receives more than 100 new requests for assistance a week. Dedicated staff and volunteers work through each one with the determination and commitment to assist these families as quickly as possible. “USA Cares is out there actually providing financial assistance to solve these problems – we’re not just talking about them,” Nelson said.

About NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution

NBC Universal is a leader in providing entertainment programming to the domestic and international marketplaces. The NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution division is responsible for the distribution of NBC Universal product to all forms of television within the U.S. and Canada. This includes distribution of current and library film and television product, including formats and non-scripted programming, in the pay, free, and basic markets, as well as the domestic syndication of first-run syndicated TV programs and theatrical and TV movie packages. "The Steve Wilkos Show" is currently distributed in more than 95% of U.S. markets.

About USA Cares and Share A Minute

USA Cares is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that helps military families bear the burdens of service with financial and advocacy support. Its mission: to assist wounded warriors and their families, to prevent home foreclosures and evictions and to help with basic needs during financial crisis. Share A Minute asks Americans to donate $25 to represent one minute of a Soldier, Sailor, Airman or Marine’s full 525,000 minute tour of duty. In five years, USA Cares has helped 12,000 clients and distributed more than $5 million in grants. Military families anywhere in America can apply for assistance through the USA Cares web site, http://www.usacares.org/ or by calling 1-800-773-0387. For more information on USA Cares contact jrevell@usacares.org.

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Boonedock’s Sees Red on Fridays

Vine Grove Business Supporting USA Cares “Red Shirt Friday” Campaign

VINE GROVE, KY A new business in Vine Grove has joined the USA Cares Red Shirt Fridays campaign to show the community it supports military families.

A USA Cares Family Resource Coordinator mentioned the Red Shirt Fridays program to the Boonedock’s manager while at the restaurant, and owner Sherry Boggs immediately came out to the table with a donation. She didn’t hesitate when asked if she would be interested in joining the team. Boggs was in the Air Force, and her husband Joseph was in the Army. And they know Vine Grove is very pro military, which made the decision that much easier.

Caption:The Boonedock’s staff: (top) Amanda True and Walter Brennan; (front) Josh Clark, Rich Mixon, Jennifer Drake, Sherry Boggs and Katherine Hayden.

“Helping the troops, their families and our veterans is something I am very passionate about, and I want to do everything I can to show support for our brave men and women,” Boggs said. To that end, she is working with Kim Moorman, Director of Business Development at USA Cares, on hosting an event at Boonedock’s to help show their support of USA Cares.

The Red Shirt Fridays program has sold 10,000 shirts that say “I Care Too!” and provides a way for companies and organizations to show they support our troops and military families. With the purchase of a minimum of 25 shirts, a business can customize the back of the shirt with its name and then encourage employees to wear them every Friday. Some stores offer discounts to customers who wear the “I Care Too!” shirts into their business, and others continue the support by purchasing extra shirts, selling them and then donating the proceeds back to USA Cares. For more information about joining the Red Shirt Fridays program, go to www.icarefriday.org or contact Kim Moorman at (270) 352-5451.

About USA Cares and Share A Minute

USA Cares is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that helps military families bear the burdens of service with financial and advocacy support. Its mission: to assist wounded warriors and their families, to prevent home foreclosures and evictions and to help with basic needs during financial crisis. Share A Minute asks Americans to donate $25 to represent one minute of a Soldier, Sailor, Airman or Marine’s full 525,000 minute tour of duty. In five years, USA Cares has helped 12,000 clients and distributed more than $5 million in grants. Military families anywhere in America can apply for assistance through the USA Cares web site, http://www.usacares.org/ or by calling 1-800-773-0387. For more information on USA Cares contact jrevell@usacares.org.


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