FULL CIRCLE HOME OF ROCHESTER NY INC

Full Circle Home supports our service members and their source of support at home during deployments and during treatments at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. By helping connect troops and their loved ones during difficult times, both are empowered by the recognition of their dedication and sacrifice, but also because it is given on such a personal level.

The Full Circle Home boxes are not care packages, they are gifts from the troops (both male and female) to the women at home who are supporting them. Full Circle Home and their volunteers are the vehicle that makes it happen. Troops must personally request a gift set be sent to a specific woman. FCH accomplishes this through working with Family Readiness Officers, Chaplains, Ombudsmen and Commanders at pre-deployment briefings or with the POC if they are already deployed.

At Christmas, there are 12 gifts, one for each day of Christmas. Each is individually wrapped and tagged with a note that says, "on the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me..." up to 12. All the gifts are personal items for the troops' moms, wives, girlfriends, sisters or other important women in their lives. Most are civilians at home, but many of these women are veterans themselves, and some are still active military, others are deployed themselves. The gifts are about them, not the house, nor the children. At Mother's Day, it is a box of 4-5 gifts, again, all things she will use on a daily basis and remember the feelings of joy and strength she felt the day she opened the box.

The most important thing in each gift set is the hand written love note. Many are missives of love and appreciation. Other's are apologies from sons or daughters who were possibly a little challenging as young men and women, and the appreciation of their mother's even guidance. Others speak of anticipation of meeting their soon to be, or newly born, children. In many, you can feel the pressure of the pen through the card stock when the service member wrote the note. All are notes that she will carry with her, will give her strength and encourage her through difficult times.

Each box has additional notes of encouragement. Vendors who have gone out of their way to make this possible, individuals who underwrite gift sets, or businesses that hosted Sponsored Wrapping Events all have the opportunity to write a brief note of encouragement on a special card. There is also an explanation of where this came from and why. FCH lets the women receiving the boxes know who sponsored their gift set. (e.g. James and Sara B. from Hartford, CT) Even if she lives on the other side of the country, she will know that someone has recognized her sacrifice and believes in her. Likewise, in each thank you to a sponsor, they are notified of who they sponsored, branch of military and country to which they are deployed - again, with no last names.

The 17,000 or more gifts that must be "wrapped" every year are done at Wrapping Events where volunteers come together in groups of 20 to 150 to prepare the gifts in an assembly line style. The benefit of this approach is three fold: This gives Full Circle Home an opportunity to bring a better understanding of military life to many people whose lives have not been directly touched by deployments. It also gets the gift sets prepared and unwrites a portion of the gifts.

Those at home supporting our troops are their rock and keep the home, children - their life - in order while the troops are gone. Whole families are effected during a deployment yet the women at home are largely invisible. Full Circle Home gives businesses and individuals an opportunity, and a vehicle, in which to show their appreciation. This personal touch is recognized appreciated by those overseas and those at home, and empowers them to continue at their best.