Sep 25, 2011 - A few years ago, as I began to travel around the country and talk to all sorts of people, one set of stories always tugged at my heart. They took my breath away. They inspired me. And they motivated me to learn more. They were stories of strength, courage, and patriotism that define our nation's military families. And I know that Fayetteville is filled with them.They're your neighbors who raise children and manage households by themselves while their loved ones are deployed. They're military kids who have lived most of their young lives with our nation at war and Mom or Dad overseas. They're our wounded warriors or survivors of our fallen who continue to serve their community every day. And they're women like Barbara Marshall.
Like so many of our veterans, Barbara's service to this country didn't stop when her 15-year Navy career ended. Through Steps N Stages Jubilee House, she is working to combat homelessness among female veterans in the Fayetteville area. She's doing it in an unconventional way - by welcoming these struggling women and their families into her own home. read more>>>
September 24, 2011 - Michelle Obama found an unusual ally -- reality TV -- in her effort to bring attention to the needs of military families.The first lady, appearing Sunday on the two-part season premiere of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," says the program was the right platform for the cause.
"We live in a media age, and one of the things we still share is our love of television" and the stories it can tell so effectively, Obama said. "We thought this was an extraordinary venue to highlight the struggles and challenges and triumphs of a special family."
Barbara Marshall of Fayetteville, North Carolina, who served in the Navy for 15 years, was dismayed by the number of homeless female veterans and established Steps-N-Stages Jubilee House to provide shelter, counseling and other aid. When the house grew cramped and inadequate, "Extreme Makeover" and the first lady stepped in.
snip She and Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, help lead Joining Forces, an initiative intended to increase public awareness and support of families of the men and women serving in the military. read more>>>
"And so what I've been trying to do and what Mrs. Biden and Mrs. Obama and the chairman and his wife - all these folks, are trying to do is to - is to try and get that other 99 percent to - they all say they support the troops, but it's not just enough to say it." - Defense Secretary Robert Gates - 23 June 2011 - PBS News Hour
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