Chevy Chase Club Luncheon Honors Caregivers of Wounded Soldiers

The Chevy Chase Women's Republican Club had a very special April luncheon, at the lovely home of Jayne Plank in Kensington, honoring the caregivers of our wounded soldiers who are in Walter Reed Army Hospital and Bethesda Naval Hospital. The club women invited the military wives for a special treat to give them a break from their stressful daily lives in caring for their loved ones with multiple war injuries.

Carol Bowis, the club's Chair for Caring for America, proposed the idea and partnered with The Yellow Ribbon Fund to invite the caretakers. She and other club members sought donations from local merchants to assemble a gift bag for each of the caregivers to take home. Hearing of their need for food, several club members made generous donations to buy Giant Food gift cards for each individual gift bag.

The guests enjoyed the delicious luncheon in a lovely springtime garden setting and shared their stories of grief and healing and hope and pride. The Chevy Chase Women's Republican Club members gained a deeper understanding and compassion for the difficulties of our military families. Those who were privileged to attend, also heard from Carol Trawick whose remarks of hope and courage were inspirational, and from Marie Wood of The Yellow Ribbon Fund, who spoke about the mission of this local non-profit to make life easier for those military families dealing with the uncertainties of caring for our wounded soldiers. This very meaningful luncheon made a lasting impact on all those who attended.