​Organizing and taking part in community outreach initiatives is an important aspect of the Stroller Warriors® mission.  Along with running and fitness goals, Stroller Warrior chapters strive to support the local military and civilian communities through charitable events, donation drives, community clean-ups, and philanthropic engagements.


On top of the Stroller Warriors Global Outreach initiatives, several of our chapters organized outreach initiatives for numerous local causes:


Charleston:
The Stroller Warriors Charleston had the opportunity to host a resource table on two separate occasions—once at an MFLC informational event and another at a squadron family event hosted by the Logistics Readiness Squadron.  The leadership spoke about Stroller Warriors and its mission to over 300 military members, military spouses, and individuals from base supporting agencies. 
 
The chapter also organized several donation drives—collecting food items to assemble Thanksgiving meal baskets for Katie’s Krops, by making and packaging 100 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the Low Country Blessing Box Project, by collecting 25 toys for Toys for Tots, and by donating over 15 dozen cookies to the Charleston Spouses Club for Operation Cookie Drop. 
 
SW Charleston also presented at a local school’s STEM team explaining the biomechanics of running, and how a runner’s kinetic energy can be used to charge small devices.
 
 
Kaneohe Bay, Pearl Harbor and Schofield Barracks:
For the past several years, the SW chapters in Hawaii have collaborated and organized a silent auction benefitting Project Hawaii— a local nonprofit that provides services to over 1600 people annually across the Big Island of Hawaii, O’ahu, and Maui.  Items for the auction were donated by chapter members, friends of SW, and local businesses.   The auction was a smashing success that raised $1,589 for Project Hawaii. 
 
Stroller Warriors Kaneohe Bay continued keeping their beloved location clean with their monthly beach clean-up events at Fort Hase.  During the November and December holiday months, the chapter organized a week-long food donation drive for the Hawaii Food Bank and a toy collection for Toys for Tots—collecting 40 canned goods and 21 toy items.  

Cherry Point:
At the end of the summer mini-miles celebration event, Stroller Warriors Cherry Point organized a book drive for Carteret Partnership for Children—a local community organization that provides free books for children and supplies doctor’s offices with free books for children.  Members donated 73 books for the cause!
Virginia Beach:
Stroller Warriors Virginia Beach organized an outreach event for We Finish Together— a nonprofit that collects donated medals and adds inspirational tags to them to each medal before delivering them to individuals in need of a reminder that we are not alone.  In total, the chapter donated 53 medals/creative tags for the organization.
 
In collaboration with November Project Virginia Beach, Team RWB Hampton Roads, and Run 757, 92 pounds of Halloween candy was donated to the USO of Hampton Roads and Central Virginia. 
 
 
Yorktown:
In order to work with an early drop off date, Stroller Warriors Yorktown organized a December toy collection for Toys for Tots at each December workout.  Chapter members donated 25 items for Toys for Tots.  

Thank you Stroller Warriors for our commitment to putting service before self and building stronger communities!  Interested in joining?  Please visit our website or our social media page to find a Stroller Warriors chapter near you! 

​Stroller Warriors® chapters doubled down on community outreach initiatives during September by supporting the Fisher House Foundation® through the quarterly Stroller Warriors Global community outreach campaign. 
 
The Fisher House Foundation gives military and veteran families a comfortable home while their loved ones are in the hospital.  Since 1990, the Fisher House Foundation served more than 430,000 families by offering over 11.5 million nights of lodging, supplied 70,000 airline tickets, and awarded over $27,000,000 in scholarships to over 15,000 students. 
 
Stroller Warriors encouraged chapters and members to host and dedicate miles in honor of the Fisher House, organize a collection of much needed supplies and gift cards, or to select Fisher House as the charity of choice in Amazon Smile.  

Thank you Stroller Warriors for participating in the September Global community outreach initiative and for supporting the Fisher House Foundation around the globe.  Please visit the Fisher House Foundation website to learn more about the Fisher House Foundation and how to support a local Fisher House in a particular area: https://fisherhouse.org/.

​Stroller Warriors® Running Club recently collaborated with Blue Star Families in their nation-wide Blue Star Welcome Week campaign— hosting running events and inviting neighbors from the civilian community to run with their local Stroller Warriors chapters.  Founded in 2009 by military spouses, Blue Star Families aims to empower military families to thrive as they serve.  The organization offers ample resources that aid military and veteran families with the transition into a new community.  

Why is Blue Star Welcome Week Important? The average military family moves three times as often as their civilian peers with most PCS moves occurring during the summer months of June, July, and August.  According to the 2021 Military Family Lifestyle Survey, only 30% of active-duty respondents feel a sense of belonging to their local civilian community. More than 70% of families live off the military installation in their local civilian communities, and they do not feel a keen sense of belonging to those communities.

​Blue Star Families support for the military community reaches beyond the Welcome Week campaign—offering resources for hard to navigate areas of military family life that include, but not limited to military spouse employment, childcare, education, family support, financial assistance and wellness, food assistance, health and wellness, housing, LGBTQ+ Military and Milkid resources.

​If you are interested in learning more about and supporting Blue Star Families please visit the following web addresses below:

 Join Blue Star Families:
https://bluestarfam.org/join/
Become a member of Blue Star Nation and receive free access to great benefits and more.
Donate:
https://connect.bluestarfam.org/give/384538/...
Donate directly to help carry out their mission.

Volunteer:
https://bluestarfam.org/volunteer/
Found out more about ways to volunteer for Blue Star Families.

Thank you Blue Star Families and Stroller Warriors for the unwavering support to the military community!

Servicing the local community through our Community Outreach initiatives is an important aspect of the Stroller Warriors® mission.  Along with running and fitness goals, Stroller Warrior chapters strive to support the local military and civilian communities through charitable events, donation drives, community clean-ups, and philanthropic engagements.

In May and June of this year, our SW chapters continued to support their communities one charitable event at a time!
​
Charleston:
Members of Stroller Warriors Charleston, along with their mini warriors, set up shop at the Base Exchange and put together 32 packed lunches for the Low Country Blessing Box Project.  Reducing the impacts of food insecurity is the mission of the Low Country Blessing Box Project. There are over 200 blessing boxes placed throughout South Carolina’s low country.  The packed lunches included a sandwich, water, fresh fruit, and snacks with an added touch of a greeting/picture/sticker ensemble from a mini warrior.

​Hurlburt Field/Naval Air Station Pensacola:
Members from both Hurlburt Field and Naval Air Station Pensacola participated in the Rett-y, Set, Cure 5k in support of Girl Power 2 Cure in honor of one incredible mini warrior, Lilliana.  The run was held in-person and virtually with all donations going to support education and research towards a cure for Rett Syndrome. 
 
Quantico:
In May, Stroller Warriors Quantico supported the Carry the Load Campaign- a nonprofit whose mission is to provide active ways for people to support the sacrifices made by military, veterans, and first responders.  The chapter created an online donation campaign- contributions went directly to the Carry the Load Campaign.  Members of SW Quantico, along with their families, took part in the Family Heroes Challenge workout.  The workout consisted of:
1 Lap around the track

Heroes Challenge Circuit:
- Pull Ups/Alternative
- Push Ups
- Sit Ups
- Squats
Repeat x10
 
Virginia Beach:
 
Stroller Warriors Virginia Beach organized their third round of shoe donations for Soles for Souls— collecting shoes at the June events.  A pick-up option was available for those who could not attend in-person events. 
 
Pearl Harbor and Kaneohe Bay
Members of both SW Pearl Harbor and SW Kaneohe Bay continue to keep the beaches in the local area clean— organizing beach clean-ups at Hickam Beach and Fort Hase Beach.  Beach clean-up events have been an on-going community outreach event! 
 
Vandenburg
In June, Stroller Warriors Vandenburg organized a Stroller Warriors table at a neighborhood block party on base— raising awareness about Stroller Warriors and the support/activities the chapter provides for military families.  The event was a major success with over 20 new members joining the chapter! 

Thank you to all of our Stroller Warrior members for your continued dedication to service— to the military community, local community and beyond.  Keep up the brilliant work making positive impact in the community!  

Happy Running!
Rose 

​Giving back is an important part of the Stroller Warriors® mission. During the month of June, Stroller Warriors Global organized a charity event in support of DAV ( https://www.dav.org/).
 
Founded in 1920, DAV is a leading nonprofit charity that provides a lifetime of support for veterans of all generations and their families. The organization helps more than a million veterans each year in positive, life-changing ways. Last year, the organization provided more than 163,000 rides to veterans attending medical appointments and assisted in filing over 151,000 claims for benefits. In 2021, DAV-represented veterans received more than $25 billion in earned benefits. DAV’s services are offered at no cost to all generations of veterans, their families and survivors.
 
DAV is also a leader in connecting veterans with meaningful employment, hosting job fairs and providing resources to ensure they have the opportunity to participate in the American Dream their sacrifices have made possible.
 
With over 1,200 chapters and more than 1 million members across the country, DAV empowers our nation’s heroes and their families by helping to provide the resources they need and ensuring our nation keeps the promises made to them.

​One similarity shared between DAV and Stroller Warriors is the persistent support for military members and their families. Both organizations continually recognize the importance of having someone who is there to support our cause. Let us not forget about DAV as we move on throughout our summer. 
 
Thank you to our Stroller Warriors chapters for organizing events in support of DAV.  SW dedicated over 1000 between chapters and individuals personally running to #supportDAV.

Stroller Warriors® believes community outreach is a valuable piece of its mission.  Along with running and fitness goals, Stroller Warrior chapters strive to support the local military and civilian communities through charitable events, donation drives, community clean-ups, and philanthropic opportunities.

In March and April of this year, our SW chapters continued to support their communities one charitable event at a time!
 
Yorktown:
During March, Stroller Warriors Yorktown supported the Peninsula Food Bank (Hampton Roads Food Bank).  Over the past two years, there has been an increase in the number of people that rely on food banks, such as the Peninsula Food Bank— specifically, nonperishable food items were needed.  As part of the community, Stroller Warriors Yorktown organized a nonperishable food collection drive to ensure that their neighbors had food during this continued time of difficulty.  Workout leaders collected nonperishable items at workouts throughout the month to accomplish this important task.
 
To learn more about the Peninsula Food Bank (Hampton Roads Food Bank), visit their website at https://hrfoodbank.org/

Virginia Beach:
In March and April, Stroller Warriors Virginia Beach organized a donation drive for Evelyn’s Wildlife Refuge-- whose focus is on rehabilitating animals for release back into the wild.  Animals go to a wildlife rehabilitator for many different reasons; sometimes it is due to a natural cause (like a cold snap causing an animal to be disoriented), and sometimes it's related to the actions of people (like a turtle needing medical attention after being ran over by a lawnmower).  With the warmer weather comes baby animals; this tends to be a busy time for wildlife refuges with an influx of patients.
 
An ongoing Amazon wish-list for the organization was shared within this chapter so members could make donations directly. 
 
To support Evelyn’s Wildlife Refuge, please view their Amazon wish list:  (https://www.amazon.com/.../evelyns-wildlife.../2CCFCHJD9TFSS)
 

Quantico:
In April, members of Stroller Warriors Quantico supported Autism Awareness month. 
 
April aims to celebrate and promote acceptance for this condition that occurs in one of every 54 children (this is current as of 2020 for the United States).  With the autism diagnosis rate quickly increasing, members of Stroller Warriors Quantico used the month to celebrate the differences, learn more about, and empower those with autism.  Stroller Warriors Quantico dedicated their miles by using the hashtag #CelebrateDifferences, thereby donating or creating a fundraiser on personal social media pages, and by providing donation options via Amazon Smile to the Autism Society of America.
 
Also in April, members of Stroller Warriors Quantico organized a community clean-up on base.  This was a meaningful opportunity to teach their mini warriors about the importance of keeping the earth clean and the 3 R’s (reduce, reuse, recycle). 
 
Cherry Point:
On 26 April 2022, Stroller Warriors Cherry Point started to collect new superhero toys and action figures for Project Superhero.
 
Project Superhero is a local organization that brings joy to kids in children’s hospitals throughout coastal North Carolina.  Dedicated volunteers working with Project Superhero drove for hours to dress as superheroes and hand out superhero toys and action figures to sick and injured children.
 
You can support and learn more about project Superhero by visiting their website:
https://www.projectsuperhero.org/?fbclid=IwAR19wBrIC6dpy9g1CrzLuahBZzCjm5CrclkOGhwk53oYVnFERr0LFJG0hbg
 
Pensacola:
In March, Stroller Warriors Pensacola organized a donation drive for the Salvation Army of Pensacola, which serves both Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties.  The food pantry at the Salvation Army offers meals, snacks and other essential items for homeless and low-income community neighbors. Unfortunately, demand in the area is currently very high, and the Salvation Army is having a difficult time keeping its pantry stocked
 
The chapter collected items throughout the entire month at SW events and arranged to pick-up items if members could not attend workouts.  

Kaneohe Bay:
Stroller Warriors Kaneohe Bay organized an event to support Residential Youth Services and Empowerment (RYSE)-- a local organization that provides a 24/7 access center as part of the Kawailoa Youth and Family Wellness Center in Kailua, where disenfranchised youth are able to sleep safely at night under professional supervision.  In addition, they receive: skilled medical attention, hot nutritious meals, clean clothes, laundry facilities, hot showers, personal lockers, counseling, job training and employment assistance, GED education, and nurturing by qualified, professional staff.  Learn more by visiting: https://www.rysehawaii.org/

​From April 1 to April 13, the chapter collected printer paper reams and ink pens, as many of the youth are studying for their GED and working on resumes.
 
Additionally, on April 25, chapter members gathered for an Earth Day clean-up at Fort Hase beach— keeping the area clean for all to enjoy!  

​Thank you to all of our Stroller Warrior members for your continued dedication to service— to the military community, local community and beyond.  Keep up the brilliant work making positive impact in the community!  

​During the entire month of March, Stroller Warriors® hosted our first Global Outreach Event of the year supporting Operation First Response, Inc (OFR).  This mission of OFR is to serve all branches of our nation’s Wounded Heroes/Disabled Veterans, Gold Star Families and First Responders with personal and financial needs. Services are provided from the onset of injuries or illness, throughout their recovery period and along their journey into the civilian world. Financial aid varies as each case is based on individual needs ranging from rent, utilities, vehicle payments, groceries, clothing, and travel expenses.

Operation First Response provides a variety of programs:

Family Assistance Program and Last Mission Project: In several cases, the VA process can take over a year or more to help Combat Wounded Veterans support their families- leaving families feeling helpless and unheard. This is where the Family Assistance Program steps in by providing the amount of assistance the individual will need to continue through the VA process claim. They also support by assisting with basic needs like groceries, utilities, rent, vehicle payments, and mortgage payments. Additionally, Last Mission Project helps alleviate those stressors to individuals suffering with PTSD.
 
OFR Backpacks: Imagine being wounded and showing up to a combat hospital with no belongings. OFR Backpacks are filled with personal hygiene items, undergarments, socks, and other necessities to provide a little bit of comfort from home to those that need it the most.

Operation Final Salute: Artist, Kaziah Hancock, has created over 580 portraits of fallen service members— ranging from combat veterans to retired service members.  Portraits are given to the families to cherish and respect with one “Final Salute”. This program has been provided by financial donations given to Operation First Response.

Project Specialized Training: Operation First Response has collaborated with Veterans Institute of Training and Technology to provide Cisco Certified Network Associate Routing and Switching certification. The training course, books, and reimbursement of the exam are all covered by OFR. This certification allows service members to seek employment with the knowledge of designing, building, and maintaining business networks and networking hardware.

Random Acts of Kindness Initiative: Small cards are made with the information and picture of a fallen service member. Individuals then take part in an act of kindness for their fellow friend, neighbor, and or stranger and provide them with the card. The card says it was “NOT a random act of kindness but done in “honor” of the fallen service member. It is a way to give back to those around you while honoring a hero who gave back to our country.

Through our global outreach events, many of our Stroller Warriors chapters supported Operation First Response by hosting a dedication run and/or donating supplies:
 
Due to wet weather, Stroller Warriors Virginia Beach, Virginia held a run on April 1st. All their miles were collectively dedicated to Operation First Response.

​Stroller Warriors McConnell, Kansas hosted a run supporting Operation First Response on Wednesday, March 30th.

Stroller Warriors Lewis-McChord, Washington hosted a run supporting Operation First Response on Monday, March 28th.

Stroller Warriors Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii dedicated their C25K Graduation miles to Operation First Response! The group ran 32.24 miles on March 25th and had a great turnout that morning of runners, cheerleaders, and other support volunteers. In their event, members shared information on the global outreach.

​Stroller Warriors Iwakuni, Japan was honored to support the Operation First Response Global Outreach Event for the month of March. They had twelve runners dedicate a total of 479 miles throughout the month! This included a run on Wednesday March 23rd that was specifically for Operation First Response. All their members attended the event wearing blue and gold!
 

​Stroller Warriors Okinawa, Japan was able to donate underwear, t-shirts, socks, band-aids, and over the counter pain relievers from Operation First Responses’ amazon wish list. They also collectively dedicated 112.92 miles!

As always, our members went above and beyond supporting this wonderful organization. Congratulations Warriors on a job well done!

If you are interested in learning more and supporting Operation First Response please visit their website at https://www.operationfirstresponse.org/. 

​Stroller Warriors® believes community outreach is a valuable piece of the Stroller Warriors mission.  Along with running and fitness goals, Stroller Warrior chapters strive to support the local military and civilian communities through charitable events, donation drives, community clean ups, and philanthropic opportunities.
 
At the beginning of 2022, the Stroller Warriors chapters quickly continued its commitment to community outreach:
 
Stroller Warriors Kaneohe Bay organized a shoe-drive benefitting individuals in their community.  The shoes were donated to Runners HI, who then distributed the shoes to Habilitat, as well as local school children, and to those in need.  In only 12 days, the chapter collected a remarkable 146 pairs of shoes.  Along with the shoe-drive, the chapter also organized two beach clean-up days at Fort Hase in both January and February.  

Stroller Warriors Fort Belvior committed to, and completed 2000 Burpees to support, and to raise awareness for the nonprofit Stop Soldiers Suicide.  This veteran created and managed organization has a simple, yet profound mission—to end veteran suicide.  Through the 2000 Burpee Challenge, the chapter also raised $245 for this crucial cause.  To support this organization, please visit their website: stopsoldiersuicide.org

​Stroller Warriors Fort Riley collaborated with the Fort Riley Spouses Club to take part in the “Sock it to Me” community outreach event.  This initiative supported Flint Hills Girls on the Run®, a nonprofit organization “dedicated to creating a world where every girl knows and activates her limitless potential and is free to boldly pursue her dreams.”  The chapter, alone, collected 152 pairs of socks which will contribute to the Girls on the Run Gift of Shoes Fashion Show in March.

Thank you, Stroller Warriors, for your continued support to improving your local communities and beyond!  

Happy Running, 

Rose :)

​Giving back is an important part of the Stroller Warriors® mission. Over the years, our members have supported, participated, donated and fundraised for many causes, groups, and organizations. In addition to tangible goods and volunteer hours, our efforts include awareness campaigns using our social media resources to reach our vast network of military spouses, their families, and our friends.

For the month of November, Stroller Warriors participated in a global initiative in support of Soldiers’ Angels.

Founded in 2003 by Patt Patton-Bader, Soldiers’ Angels carries an important mission of supplying aid, comfort, and resources to the military, veterans, and families.  Patt’s personal story is the reason behind the creation of the organization— while deployed in Iraq, Patt’s oldest son, Staff Sergeant Brandon Varn, noticed that he was one of the few service members receiving care packages. With this news, Patti gathered a group of friends and neighbors, and began sending packages to her son’s whole platoon.
As more packages were received, it was brought to the group’s attention that requests for help were needed for soldiers, hospitals, and families at home. Patti, her friends, and neighbors knew there was a continued need for help. They also knew there were more people willing to help! Patti used technology at home to create a means to match the specific requests from soldiers to willing volunteers. In a few months Patti went from sending a few care packages to thousands across the world.

Soldiers’ Angels has grown exponentially since its start and offers programs for deployed troops, families, veterans, and wounded. To this day their Deployed Support team remains popular— sending thousands of cards, letters, care packages and other requested items to service members deployed all over the world.

Please check out the wonderful ways our chapters gave back to this amazing organization.

Stroller Warriors Okinawa, Japan donated seven boxes to deployed troops thanks to the deployment support team. These boxes are packed full of great hygiene items, snacks, magazines, a pillowcase, and other great items. Every box is unique based on what items they happen to have in stock, so no box is identical, and it is unique to each recipient.

Stroller Warriors Iwakuni, Japan was honored to support the Soldiers' Angels Global Outreach Event for the month of November. They had 11 runners who collectively ran 405 Miles for the month. This also included a dedicated 10 mile run on Saturday, 11/20. This also happened to be a SW Mileage Incentive milestone run for two of our Warriors reaching 500 miles for the year.

Stroller Warriors Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii  hosted a run on November 12th and dedicated  miles to Soldiers' Angels. We ran a total of 49.39 miles that day as a team!

Stroller Warriors Twenty Nine Palms, California had 7 members collectively dedicate 435 miles for Soldiers' Angels over the month of November.

​Stroller Warriors Scott, Illinois kicked off the month by collecting leftover Halloween candy for Treats for Troops, a program put on by Soldiers Angels. In all, they compiled a massive 27 pounds of candy.

On November 15th, Stroller Warriors Fort Belvoir, Virginia hosted a dedication run. They collectively dedicated 14 miles.

As always, our members went above and beyond supporting this wonderful organization. Congratulations Warriors on a job well done!

If you are interested in learning more and supporting Soldiers’ Angels please visit their website at https://soldiersangels.org/.

After the unbelievably heartbreaking loss of thirteen service members in Afghanistan during the evacuation of US citizens and Afghan Nationals, Stroller Warriors® chapters and members from each stretch of the globe ran in support of the 2/1 Ghost Company and Tragedy Assistance Program Services (TAPS). 

TAPS serves an important mission aiming to give comfort, care, and resources to individuals grieving the death of a military loved one. Since 1994, TAPS has provided 24/7 services through a national peer support network and connection to grief resources­-- all at no cost to surviving families and loved ones.  Throughout September, many Stroller Warriors chapters ran in honor of the 13 service members who lost their lives and in support of TAPS. Running in honor of the fallen was a powerful way to show support to the grieving families and our military community.
​
Stroller Warriors chapters accumulated mileage throughout the month-- tallying the cumulative miles run by SW members; while others hosted a weekday SW run or organized an online event in support of TAPS. The mileage between participating chapters totaled an astounding 2,505.25 miles. 

Thank you to every Stroller Warrior who dedicated miles. Your support and dedication to those around you never ceases to amaze.

Happy Running!
-Gabi P

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Gabi P. is a mom of 4 awesome kids and an Air Force wife.  She's been a part of Stroller Warriors Ramstein and Yorktown coordination teams and is currently a regional mentor on the SW HQ staff.  Her hobbies include listening to podcasts, working out, and of course running!