As the newly passed stimulus package begins working to boost our economy, a short trip outside can work wonders to boost your well-being. Today's tough economic times bring challenges and stress to many Americans, so it's more important than ever to spend some quality time outdoors. Just being outside is a natural stress reliever and it's FREE fun healthy entertainment for the whole family! You'll be reminded of the natural wonders that help make this country great and you'll come back energized and ready to take on new challenges.
With the MFO program, we've witnessed what a difference an outdoor weekend retreat makes for a military family working to reconnect, or how a week of summer camp can rejuvenate a military child dealing with the stress of a parent's deployment. Veterans returning from combat find that wilderness courses can provide the challenge, adventure and self-discovery to help them readjust to home and community life. We are looking forward to another exciting year connecting military families with the healing powers of our natural heritage.
Earlier this month I traveled to Sandy Cove, Maryland for the National Military Family Association's Operation Purple Camp Director Training. It was wonderful to meet such an amazing group of people dedicated to providing an unforgettable camp experience for military children. Over 100 camp directors and staff members traveled from all over the country to participate in the training. We are so thrilled to be working with the National Military Family Association to provide over 10,000 military children and families in 63 sites and 38 different states with a free Operation Purple camp experience this year. Operation Purple summer camp registration will be opening soon, so please be sure to click here to sign up for the Operation Purple email list and be the first to find out about the 2009 camps!
I'm excited to report that our new MFO brochure is nearly complete and headed to the printers this week. Last month I traveled to California to do a photo-shoot with a military family to take some additional photos to include in our new brochure. We are so grateful to the Murphy family for their help. They were great sports and beautiful models. We had a wonderful time and got some great shots as we hiked around the San Gabriel Mountains.
Please let me know if you're interested in a copy (or copies) of our brochure and I'll be sure to send them out to you when they come in next month.
Warm wishes!
Brittany