For the past five years, the Alamo Heights Rotary Club (AHRC) has been providing support to the Warrior and Family Support Center (WFSC) at Joint Base San Antonio, Ft Sam Houston. Wounded/injured military personnel are being rehabilitated, treated and cared for at the San Antonio Military Medical Center (SAMMC) and the Center for the Intrepid. Children and family members come to visit and assist in recovery and often arrive with nothing to take care of themselves.
The WFSC provides a break; an opportunity to receive emotional support and spend time with family members; and food, books, toiletries, diapers and other comfort items while the family members including small children are there. Each year, the actual largest specific needs vary and coordination with the WFSC to determine what is most needed that they cannot otherwise fund or obtain is required. Government regulations periodically create a shortfall in the organization's ability to obtain these items as they are not always allowed to purchase them but must have the actual items donated. This year the primary needs were diapers and toiletries. The AHRC coordinated determining the needs with the WFSC; researched and found the best/least expensive products to fill the needs; and ordered and arranged delivery to the WFSC. A total of 6320 diapers and 2224 different size/types of toiletries were purchased and delivered to the WFSC in November 2019. This effort will impact over 1000 children and family members and provide items not otherwise available to make the family members' stay comfortable and reduce their stress. Funds for this project were raised at Alamo Heights Night 2019 ($4993) and a matching grant ($2500) from District 5840.