Just a few weeks ago, local Army SGT Michael Ruckman deployed
to Afghanistan, leaving his Homer Glen family, wife and three young children to serve again. Tragedy struck days later
as a fire gutted the family home, leaving the seven family members homeless...a family separated by Military Service needs
the help of many to make it through the coming days and months.
Linda Lovelace, a Lockport resident, made it her Mission
to do something to help the familly as she reached out to many. Our
Mission at MOMS is to assist the Wife and Children of SGT Ruckman through this entire deployment here on the home
front as SGT serves on the front lines in Afghanistan. Any assistance you may be able to provide, please
contact us at director@operationmomscookies and we will work to direct you to the designated channels.
In this season of joy and a New Year, as a Hero serves thousands
of miles from his family, let us not forget and be there for his family in a time of disaster and each day after with
needs, hearts and prayers today and in their long road ahead.
ON Comcast HLN...
September 19-September 25th
Debbie Trippiedi, Founder
Operation MOMS Cookies
Photo Credit of the following to Ann Gill and the Advocate Free Press!
14Sept2011
September 11, 2011
MOMS "Walk/Run To Remember"
AND
Tribute and Honor for those Who Serve
THANK YOU EXELON!
2011 RED CARPET RIDE!
On Saturday, May 7, 2010,
bicycle riders left historic downtown Wilmington, on the Illinois Route 66 Trail, benefiting the Mission of OPERATION MOMS
Cookies. THANK YOU for your support of America's Dedicated Men and Women of the U.S. ARMED FORCES! A special Thank you to Exelon Braidwood Generating Station
and the participating communities of Wilmington, Braidwood, Braceville and Godley for your outreach and hometown hospitality!
GIRL SCOUTS and Operation MOMS on
ABC 7 With Stacey Baca, morning news anchor!
On Saturday, April 9, 2011, ABC 7 Chicago
aired a wonderful spotlight on Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana's Gift of Caring campaign...
bringing thousands of boxes of Girl Scout
Cookies to our Troops
which MOMS is
honored and privileged to be a part of!
Click on the Player button BELOW to
listen and view segment!
WHAT CAN A GIRL SCOUT COOKIE DO?
Make our MILITARY MEN and WOMEN SMILE and LET
THEM Know WE CARE!☺
The Herald-News
MONDAY, APRIL 4, 2011
SPAtastic SHOPPortunity returns to Orland April 15
Event to benefit Operation: MOM'S Cookies and Orland Twp. Food Pantry
Three Orland Park women will once again organize
a night out for women that includes shopping, appetizers, music and more as SPAtastic SHOPPortunity returns from 6-10 p.m.
Friday, April 15, at the Orland Park Civic Center.
Kathleen Herrebout, Lisa Brown and her mother, Gigi Hall, are organizing
the event to benefit Operation: MOM'S Cookies and the Orland Township Food Pantry. They will be collecting non-perishable
food items for the pantry and for Operation: MOM'S Cookies, they will be collecting travel-size SPF 30 sunblock, white socks,
protein bars and Chapstick.
The event will feature 40 shopping booths, six unique spa services (Elements
Massage and Tre Volte Salon), wine and beer tasting with Aged 2 Perfection, Rodger Kadet of Gold Parties Galore paying cash
for unwanted gold and jewelry, dessert sampling with Eat Moore Cake and Creative Cakes, beer sponsor LaGuintas Brewing Company,
Pandora Jewelry, Psychic Time with Mari Beth, appetizer buffet and many vendor raffles.
Admission is $5 before April
10 or $10 at the door. Ticket includes appetizers, samplings and a Grand Raffle ticket. The Grand Raffle is valued to be more
than $1,000.
Tickets are available at the door or at Brady's Craft Mart, 15643 S. 94th Ave. in Orland Park.
The
Orland Park Civic Center is located at 14750 S. Ravinia Ave.
For more information, contact Brown of IN.PURSEinators
at (708) 710-8014 or Lisa@Inpurseinators.com; Herrebout (Beijo Handbags) at (708) 705-7057 or KGreene123@aol.com; or visit
www.spatasticshopportunity.com.
1 local Marine is safe at home today - at least for
now...
Click on the Daily Journal Header above for story by Dennis Yohnka
Bourbonnais: A Christmas
homecoming for local Marine
Debbie Rorabaugh can't imagine a better Christmas gift.
Just a few weeks ago, Marine Corps 1stLt Dustin Rorabaugh was in a very dangerous part
of Afghanistan injured, and today, the Bourbonnais mom woke up knowing that her son was sleeping in his bedroom.
24December2010 BELOW: Dustin Rorabaugh unpacks a bag from MOMS Cookies Inc. during his homecoming party at the Bradley
Bourbonnais Sportsmen's Club Thursday night. In the background are his parents, Debbie and Greg Rorabaugh.
Picture by the Daily Journal/Nicholas Holstein
Creators Syndicate represents over 200 of the most talented writers and artists in the world, including Robert Novak,
Mike Luckovich, Bill O'Reilly, One Big Happy, BC, Wizard of Id, and Speed Bump. Their
talent has won countless awards, including Pulitzer prizes, Reuben awards, and many others.
SGT KENNETH SCHNEIDER (right) - who thought
he was going to a craft fair with his mother - shakes the hand of Dominic Faletti (left), a member of the Wilmington VFW Post
5422's honor guard, following a welcome home escort, flag line and ceremony held Saturday, Sept. 4, in the young Marine's
honor. Honor guard member Dave Davy looks on. Sgt. Schneider enlisted six years ago, and served two tours of duty in Iraq
(OIF-Operation Iraqi Freedom), the Haiti Relief Effort and has just returned to Camp Lejeune, the Marine home of "Expeditionary
Forces in Readiness," from a deployment aboard the USS Nassau. His visit home will be short, however, as Sgt. Schneider re-enlisted.
Schneider is the son of Lori Schneider of Wilmington. Participating in the welcome home, sponsored by OPERATION: MOMs Cookies,
were the VFW honor guard, the Joliet Marine Corps League, the Kankakee Ryan Baupree Chapter of the Leathernecks and the Patriot
Guard Riders. MOMS also welcomed Capt. Carlos Salas, U.S. Air Force, later in the afternoon.
Sheriff's luck is MOMS' good fortune
SUNDAY, AUGUST 29, 2010 HERALD NEWS
Local business news: June 30, 2010
June 30, 2010, 10:29 am
The Daily JOURNAL:Kankakee
BRAIDWOOD
Exelon employees Mary Ellen Papesh
and Ray Phelps, both of Braidwood, have received a national public
service award for their efforts on behalf of OperationMOMSCookies of Wilmington.
Papesh, a systems analyst,
and Phelps, a senior engineer analyst at the Braidwood plant, were recognized as Jefferson Awards champions at a June 22 ceremony
in Washington, D.C.
Papesh and Phelps organized
community events where volunteers assembled thousands of care packages and mailed them to U.S. troops serving overseas. They then arranged homecoming and sendoff ceremonies
for Illinois service members and their families according
to Exelon spokesman Neil Miller.
Known as the "Nobel Prize
for public service," the Jefferson Awards were established in 1972 by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and U.S. Sen. Robert Taft
Jr., R-Ohio.
June 21, 2010
Mary Ellen Papesh & Ray Phelps
2010 Exelon
Excellence Award Winners
In Washington, D.C. and
Receive the Champion Award
For Nation Public Service at
Jefferson Awards Ceremony
For outstanding leadership in
Community Service!
As the top honorees, MOMS Volunteers, Mary Ellen Papesh
and Ray Phelps represented Exelon at the National Jefferson Awards Ceremony and Gala in Washington, D.C., June 21st and 22nd.
The Jefferson Awards are an annual celebration of volunteerism hosted by the American Institute for Public Service.
In honor of the work Mary Ellen and Ray have accomplished at MOMS on
behalf of our brave men and women of the
U.S. Armed Forces who put themselves in harm's way to
protect the liberties and freedom we each enjoy,
Operation: MOMS Cookies is the recipient of a
$20,000.00 Gift, Granted from Exelon.
MOMS extends its great appreciation to Exelon for their outstanding support
to their employees in their volunteer initiatives and for the many benefits this gift will bring to our Military Men
and Women, honoring more than 665 hours of expertise and selfless hours of volunteerism by Exelon's "Team Braidwood". Exelon's committment to education, environment, arts and culture and neighborhood development programs through
their philanthropic and employee volunteer efforts is above and beyond as it provides
"Energy for our Communities"!
THANK YOU EXELON!
Above, posing for a photo to
mark the presentation of Exelon’s Excellence Awards are, from left, Joe Trippiedi (Operation: MOMS Cookies, Inc.), Deborah
Trippiedi (Operation: MOMS Cookies, inc.), Ray Phelps (Braidwood Engineer), Mary
Ellen Papesh (Braidwood IT), John Rowe (Exelon Chairman and CEO), Zoraida Sambolin (NBC-5 Chicago), Amir Shahkarami
(Braidwood site vice president), and Susan Landahl (Sr. Vice President Midwest Operations)
For the complete story,
click on the Picture above!
A great fish story
May
25, 2010
By
Jo Ann Hustis -jhustis@morrisdailyherald.com
BRACEVILLE - Saturday was a great day for
fishing for Braidwood Generating Station and its employees.
For the
first time in its nine-year history, Braidwood Station’s Fishing for a Cure Tournament
went over the top, raising $28,000 for Operation: MOMS Cookies, a Wilmington-based charity that sends care packages to military
personnel serving overseas.
In another first, the tourney reached its maximum number of 100 entries several weeks
before the May 22 event at Braidwood
Lake .
"Someone was watching over Operation: MOMS," State Senator Gary Dahl, R-Granville, noted as the anglers
returned with their catches.
"It’s all from the heart for the service personnel overseas. They’re the
ones making it possible for us to be out here, doing what we’re doing. "
A three-fish total of 9.19 pounds snared
first place and the top prize of $4,000 for brothers Jerry and John Luehrs of Lansing and Manhattan, respectively.
The
brothers also won the tourney two years ago.
Second place, which netted them $2,500, went to Josh Hubbard of Wilmington
and Kenny Sheets of Joliet, with 8.04 pounds of fish.
Catching third place, with 7.41 pounds of bass, was the team
of Dan Marcoloni and Mitch Deland, who garnered $1,000 in prize money.
Seven other teams split another $2,500 in prize
money.
Andrew Kiesling, an employee of Byron Generating Station in Byron, and his brother, Rob, snared the day’s
biggest bass, at 4.51 pounds. Rob Kiesling’s son is a Marine. Byron Station has cooling towers instead of a lake.
Mike Dement of New Lenox netted a trip onto the stage with his catfish, which weighed
in at about four pounds.
"I was surprised because, for one, we caught him on a lure, and we got him while we were
kind of trolling in the middle of the lake," he said. "We weren’t fishing off shoreline or anything."
"It was
my first time for the tournament," he added.
A semi-retired tax and accounting consultant, Dement was lured into the
tournament by a client, Ron Lindstrom, who also happened to be the first-place winner in the 2009 tourney.
"I went
crazy when I heard about it, and I was happy to get in," Dement said. "And yes, I will be back next year."
Freshwater
fishing just may have made a convert of Amir Shahkarami, an avid salt water fisherman
back at his home in Louisiana .
"This is different," said Shahkarami, site vice president at Braidwood Station. "The
bait is different, and casting is different, and so I’m learning. I’m a good learner."
In the process,
he snagged the art of spinning freshwater fish tales.
"I had a four and a half pound fish on my line, according to
my partner," Shahkarami said. "And then he (the fish) went down in the water. "
Braidwood Station employee Ray Phelps
took a different angle. Instead of going out in a boat to fish, he volunteered to register the fishing boats as they arrived at the entry gate.
"I’ve been up since 2:45 a.m., and there were a bunch of us Exelon folks standing out there at the gate at 4
a.m., registering the boats for our tournament," he said.
"We were two boats short. We had two no-shows. But that’s
OK. They’d paid their $100 entry fee, and we’re OK with that."
Phelps noted Operation: MOMS Cookies seems
to be very popular with the employees at Braidwood Station.
"Everybody seems to catch on and get involved," he said.
"They’ve been so generous in our fundraising attempts that this is going to break the fishing tournament record today,
absolutely."
Phelps attributed the success of the record-breaking tourney to the work of the Exelon volunteers.
"They
came out today, and they’ve got deep pockets as well. We’ve been raising money the past five to six months for
this, with raffles and all kinds of things."
Braidwood Station spokesman Neal Miller believes the reason for the great
turnout was because of the goal - to support the nation’s deployed military troops.
Tim Carmichael of Tinley
Park is a member of the Braidwood Station team that puts the annual tournaments together. His post was at the boat launch,
checking the craft going out and others coming in.
"We have to make sure they get off the water by the 3 p.m. deadline,
and also make sure that they do get off the water," he noted. "We don’t want anybody left out there."
A great
part of the tourney was the food. Grilled pork chops, ribeye steaks, hot dogs, and jalapeno-cheese-bacon appetizers. Fish
were out of the loop there.
The charcoal grill was like nothing else - a 10-foot long iron pipe with hinged doors
on the sides and vents on the top. A huge sign on the side read, "Freedom."
"They built this whole thing from scratch.
They started with a piece of pipe, and built the stand for it. It’s at every MOMS event," Phelps said of the three-chef
team operating the grill.
"They really are master chefs. They have their food license, and they’re good to go.
They’re not connected with Braidwood Station, just Operation: MOMS. They come to every one of our events and serve food,
and they don’t charge us nothing ... nothing ... nothing. They’ve got big hearts. "
Winners in their respective
age groups in the children’s fishing
derby at the Godley Park District pond included first-place winners Eva Pelecky of Naperville, Matt Baker of Yorkville,
and Brendan Wiggens of Godley.
Second-place winners were Alyssa Norton of Channahon, Cade Stevens of Ransom, Alyssa See of Morris.
Third-place
winners were James Wyatt of Joliet , Tim Matecki of Lockport , and Gloria Baker of Yorkville.
At 22.5 inches, Matt
Baker’s catfish was the longest fish in the tournament. The shortest fish was a bluegill caught by Brandon Abbott, at
5.5 inches.
Chauncey Niziol was host for the tournament and derby. Lee Kuusisto of American
Bass Anglers was tournament judge.
Copyright (c) 2010 Morris Daily Herald.
Exelon honors Braidwood residents for work with OPERATION: MOMS
Cookies
Posing for a photo to mark the presentation of
Exelon’s Excellence Awards are, from left, Joe Trippiedi (Operation: MOMS Cookies, Inc.), Deborah Trippiedi (Operation:
MOMS Cookies, inc.), Ray Phelps (Braidwood Engineer), Mary Ellen Papesh (Braidwood
IT), John Rowe (Exelon Chairman and CEO), Zoraida Sambolin (NBC-5 Chicago), Amir Shahkarami (Braidwood site vice
president), and Susan Landahl (Sr. Vice President Midwest Operations)
May 7, 2010
BRACEVILLE – Exelon honored employees and Braidwood residents Mary Ellen Papesh and Ray Phelps with the companywide
first-place Excellence Award for their volunteer work with OPERATION: MOMS Cookies Inc.
The volunteer recognition is part of the company’s annual “Energy for the Community Volunteer
Awards,” and comes with a $20,000 cash grant to the nonprofit organization.OPERATION:
MOMS Cookies promotes patriotism, activism and encourages the community to uplift the morale of all deployed U.S.
service members.
Papesh and Phelps, an IT analyst and a senior engineering analyst, respectively, at Braidwood Generating Station,
created “Team Braidwood” in 2009. This team has since volunteered 665 hours of community service in support of
OPERATION: MOMS Cookies’ work.Papesh and Phelps organized community events
that resulted in thousands of care packages being assembled and sent to American troops serving overseas. They also arranged
several homecoming and sendoff ceremonies for Illinois service
members and their families.Both volunteers assumed leadership roles in project
management, outreach programs logistics and fundraising campaigns for OPERATION: MOMS Cookies. They also were instrumental in locating a bigger packing center, which enables the organization to
increase the number of care packages it assembles and hold additional volunteer events.
“Americans generally take their freedoms
for granted and seldom think about what it takes to maintain and achieve them,” Phelps said. “This is our way
of giving back to the troops that defend our freedoms.”
John W. Rowe, Exelon chairman and CEO, presented Papesh and Phelps with their award at a luncheon held in
Chicago on May 3. “I am proud of our employees for their extraordinary efforts to improve the quality
of life in the communities we serve,” Rowe said. “I congratulate Mary Ellen and Ray, and thank all of our employee volunteers who go above and beyond in their commitment
to community service.”
“We want our service members to know they are not forgotten and that we care about them and appreciate
all the sacrifices they make for all of us,” Papesh said.
“Mary Ellen and Ray set an example not only as outstanding volunteers, but professional and trustworthy
individuals,” said Deborah J. Trippiedi, OPERATION: MOMS Cookies president. “Each
has delivered an exceptional extension to MOMS’ vision, while fulfilling our mission with their volunteer work and serving
as advocates for the men and women of the military.”
Exelon developed its Energy for the Community Volunteer Awards program in 2007 to honor employee community
service and to encourage more volunteerism. Papesh and Phelps are among the 12 employees who received volunteer awards
and grant donations for the nonprofit organizations they serve. Exelon donated a total of $100,000 in cash grants to
the nonprofit organizations.
As the top honorees, they also will represent Exelon at the National Jefferson Awards in Washington, D.C., this spring. The Jefferson Awards are
an annual celebration of volunteerism hosted by the American Institute for Public Service.
Exelon’s Energy for the Community Volunteer Awards were open to all eligible employees from the Exelon
family of companies who volunteered at least 50 hours of community service in 2009. Last year, nearly 1,800 Exelon employee
volunteers gave more than 58,000 hours of their time to community nonprofit organizations, which is equivalent to 1,450 work
weeks or almost 28 years of full-time service.
The awards are part of Exelon’s “Energy for the Community”
corporate citizenship program, which encourages and supports the development of environmental causes, education, arts and
culture, neighborhood development and diversity in the communities it serves.
Exelon
volunteers assemble care packages for soldiers
April 27, 2010
WILMINGTON,
Ill. — Exelon employee volunteers Thursday, April 22 assembled dozens of
care packages destined for American troops serving overseas in observance of National Volunteer Week.
Approximately 23 Exelon employees participated in the community service project at Operation MOMS Cookies
Inc. operations center, where they put together care packages containing items that ranged from phone cards and personal items
to snacks.
Operation MOMS Cookies is a non-profit organization that promotes patriotism, activism and encourages local
communities to uplift the morale of all deployed service members of the U.S. Armed Forces.
“This is one way Exelon is honoring the bravery of our military service members, thanking them for their
patriotism, and sending our collective wishes for a safe return home,” said Amir Shahkarami, Braidwood Station site
vice president and senior vice president, Exelon Nuclear. “It is their sacrifices that make it possible for us to enjoy
the freedoms we do.”
The event was one of more than 70 community service projects Exelon employee volunteers are leading in recognition
of National Volunteer Week. More than 1,000 Exelon employees, family members and friends are expected to provide approximately
4,000 total hours of volunteer service for the projects, which take place in Exelon’s service territories of Illinois, Pennsylvania and Texas.
“I commend Exelon’s employees for their commitment to volunteerism and continuous work to improve
the quality of life in the communities we serve,” said John W. Rowe, Exelon chairman and CEO. “They deserve much
credit for building a corporate culture at Exelon that emphasizes the value of community service.”
National Volunteer Week, which was from April 18 to April 24, is an annual, nationwide observance of individuals’
and organizations’ contributions to their communities. Exelon volunteers assemble care packages for soldiersxelon recognizes National Volunteer Week by empowering employee
volunteers to design their own service projects and recruiting others to participate. In 2009, more than 1,800 Exelon
employee volunteers gave more than 58,000 hours of their time to community nonprofit organizations. The donated hours are
equivalent to 1,450 workweeks or almost 28 years of full-time service.
Exelon
Nuclear's Fishing for a Cure Bass Tournament Sold Out
Been involved
in the outdoors for 40 years. I have been writing outdoor columns for over 25. I am the producer and host of the Illinois
Outoors TV Show and CoHost of the Fishing Line and Outdoor Radio Show.
Good news for Operation MOM's Cookies. Sad news for those who
want to fish the tournament. This just came in. Please consider brining the kids out for the kids tournament where
there is still plenty of room.
BRACEVILLE, Ill. (April 16, 2010) - For
the first time in tournament history, Exelon Nuclear's "Fishing for a Cure" reached its maximum participation limit of 100
boats, which guarantees Operations MOMS Cookies, Inc. a minimum $10,000 donation.Although space in the bass fishing tournament is sold out, organizations and individuals can still make a donation
to support American troops. There's also still plenty of room for young anglers at the children's tournament being held that
same day (Saturday, May 22) at the Godley Park District.
"This year's event has generated a lot of excitement," said
Braidwood Site Vice President Amir Shahkarami. "Selling out five weeks in advance of the tournament shows how anxious the
anglers are to support our deployed American troops."
Operation MOMS Cookies, Inc. is based in Wilmington, Ill.
and is a not-for-profit organization that strives to promote patriotism and community activism in programs aimed at uplifting
the morale of deployed service members of the U.S.
Armed Forces. Operation MOMS Cookies, Inc. coordinates welcomes and send offs, phone home programs and "Box of Home" and "Buddy
Box" care package mailings for American troops.
The "Fishing for a Cure" tournament will be held on Saturday,
May 22. The bass tournament will commence from BraidwoodLake's Kankakee Road
(South) Ramp.
The children's tournament is from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Registration
will begin at 9 a.m. The entry fee is $5 per child. More information on the children's tournament is available on the Internet
at www.exeloncorp.com/programs/fishing.
Braidwood
Team Wins Top “Energy for the Community” Award
DATE: Thursday, March 4, 2010
Earlier today, the company announced
the 2010 Energy for the Community Awards. Receiving the top
award was “Team Braidwood” for their service with Operation MOMS Cookies, Inc.
Led by Ray Phelps (Engineering)
and Mary Ellen Papesh (IT), “Team Braidwood” (pictured above in MOMS Shop) donated 665 hours of community service
to MOMS through volunteerism and advisory board positions.
Ray and Mary Ellen championed
a number of initiatives to benefit Operation MOMS including the organization of community events that resulted in thousands
of care packages being mailed to troops serving overseas. They also help
bolster the morale of Illinois troops and their families by arranging several homecoming and send-off ceremonies.
In addition, both Ray and Mary
Ellen have taken leadership roles in project management, outreach programs, logistics and fundraising campaigns for MOMS.
“I would like to congratulate
Ray and Mary Ellen on winning this award,” said Braidwood Site Vice President Amir Shahkarami. “They are extremely
dedicated to helping our deployed American Troops and their hard work is paying off in a big way.” Operation MOMS Cookies, Inc. is the benefitting charity for the 2010 “Fishing for a Cure”
tournament slated for May 22 at Braidwood Lake .
“We expect this to be one
of our best fundraising events ever,” Shahkarami said. “I can’t think of a better cause then helping those
who serve our Country.”
As the top honorees,
Phelps and Papesh will represent Exelon at the National Jefferson Awards in Washington , D.C. , this spring. The Jefferson
Awards are an annual celebration of volunteerism hosted by the American Institute for Public Service. Operation MOMS Cookies will receive a $20,000
grant from Exelon.
*********************************************
March 4, 2010
Announcing
the “Energy for the Community” Volunteer Award winners;
Exelon to donate $100,000
to winners’ not-for-profit organizations
In its fourth year, the Exelon
“Energy for the Community” Volunteer Awards program will honor 12 employees for exemplary
community service. The winning entries are a testament to the dedicated community service of the 1,800 Exelon employees
who donated more than 58,000 volunteer hours in 2009. This year’s honorees continue to bring to life our values and
our corporate citizenship goals.
An external selection committee
representing local and national not-for-profit organizations, media outlets, and civic, cultural and educational institutions
chose the 2010 honorees, who will be recognized in May during award ceremonies hosted by Exelon Chairman and CEO John W. Rowe in Chicago and Philadelphia. All employees also will be recognized by the American Institute for Public Service as
part of the organization’s local program of the National Jefferson Awards.
"On behalf of all Exelon employees,
we are honored to celebrate the accomplishments of these winners. Please join me in congratulating these honorees and all
our colleagues who have made volunteer service and giving back to the community a central part of their lives,” Rowe
said.
The
Honorees
Excellence
Award: This is the top Energy for the Community Volunteer
Award; the winner’s nonprofit will receive a $20,000 grant from Exelon.
·Ray Phelps, a
senior engineering analyst at Braidwood Station, and Mary Ellen Papesh, an IT
analyst at Braidwood, will receive the company-wide first place Excellence Award on behalf of “Team Braidwood’s”
service with Operation: MOMS Cookies in Wilmington, Ill. MOMS
(Men/Women Of Military Service) promotes patriotism and activism and encourages the community to uplift the morale of all
deployed service members. Last year, “Team Braidwood” donated 665 hours of community service to MOMS through volunteerism
and advisory board positions. Phelps and Papesh organized community events
resulting in thousands of care packages being mailed to troops serving overseas. They also bolstered the morale of Illinois
troops and their families by arranging several homecoming and send-off ceremonies. Both have taken leadership roles in project
management, outreach programs, logistics and fundraising campaigns for MOMS.
As the top honorees, Phelps and Papesh will represent Exelon at the National Jefferson Awards in Washington, D.C., this
spring. The Jefferson Awards are an annual celebration of volunteerism hosted by the American Institute for Public Service.
Achievement
Awards: Five employees have won regional Achievement Awards.
Each of the nonprofit organizations they serve will receive a $10,000 donation
from Exelon. These regional awards are named after two inspirational employees known for their exemplary contributions to
the community and leadership as volunteers: Douglas C. Larsen, the late ComEd public
affairs director, and Cherrie E. Cooper, the late PECO public affairs director.
Merit Awards:
Six employees have won Merit Awards, with an accompanying
Exelon donation of $5,000 to the nonprofit organization served by each employee.
Bass tourney to benefit Troops
Photo: Nicholas Holstein Debbie Trippiedi, founder of the Wilmington-based Operation
MOMS Cookies Inc., readies supplies for Illinois service men and women stationed overseas. Operation MOMS will be the beneficiary
of the May 22 "Fishing for a Cure" Exelon bass tournament at Braidwood Lake.
Press Room
Dedicated Women of Marshall
County Kentucky and Marshall County Judge Executive Mike Miller
Sponsor Christmas Charity Contest ...FOR THE TROOPS!
Kentucky MOM, Karen Duchoslav spurs awareness and giving in
her many works of heart for the Troops...
GO!
Grundy County's Own Magazine...
To the Staff of the Morris Daily Herald, MOMS extends its thanks and appreciation for the wonderful
feature story by Michael Farrell with Photo's by Adam Nekola. The hearts and hands of many from our community work
each day to send a smile and provide requests for our deployed Service Members...making a difference with their labors of
love and you told their story. To see the December Go Article, just click on the magazine page at left!
THANK YOU to the Morris Daily Herald and to our communities for your support of our Military Men and Women
and the Mission of MOMS!
Posted: Wednesday, 09 December 2009 4:27PM
Operation MOMS Cookies Needs You
Lisa
Fielding Reporting
JOLIET, Ill. (WBBM) -- Operation MOMS Cookies is
a hometown charity that has been sending care packages to soldiers overseas since 2002.
"It started when my son was
in the military and he told us that a lot of his friends didn't receive even a letter from home...
READ THIS ARTICLE BY CLICKING ON WBBM above to connect!
Contents of this Article are Copyright 2009 by WBBM.
November 17, 2009 | 12:33 AM
No politics, no sides, just a soldier's perspective.
This is what Kevin Wright and
Brent James had in mind when they wrote "Not Alone." And not alone is exactly what they hope soldiers feel when they listen
to the song at their bases in Iraq and Afghanistan.
After getting hooked up with Wilmington-based organization Operation: MOMS Cookies Inc., Wright and James, lead guitarist
and lead singer respectively for local band the Righteous Hillbillies, will have their song sent in nearly 1,500 care packages
to troops serving overseas.
"This thing is just blowing up before my very eyes," said Wright, a New Lenox resident.
"We
wanted to create a ballad. We don't want to take any political side and instead write from the soldiers' perspective," he
continued. "What are they thinking? Is everyone against me, am I forgotten?"
After Wright and James composed the song earlier this year, the band recorded it over the summer and performed
it in front of a live audience in October when the Righteous Hillbillies opened for the Charlie Daniels Band at the Rialto
Square Theatre in Joliet.
"It brought the house down," Wright said. "Everyone was on their feet, people were crying, it was just incredible."
But
months before the show it was a chance meeting with MOMS Cookies Founder Debbie Trippiedi at the Joliet Race Fan Rally that
really made the band's goal of reaching soldiers come true.
"Our booth was just a few down from where the band was,"
Trippiedi explained. "We got to talking and they performed at an event we had in August.
"[Kev] had e-mailed the lyrics
[to 'Not Alone'] and oh my God here go the tears. The song shows a whole new realm to the meaning of service."
At the UPS Freight AuroraTerminal, MOMS is presented a $10,000.00 Grant Check!
A Holiday Miracle...
In the midst of growing submissions for assistance
of deployed Military Men and Women from Illinois and across the Globe, MOMS established the Operation Forward Support
Project Fund for troop basic need requests and other substantiated requested items. In a difficult economic climate
and with dwindling resources occurring at precisely the time when the need is growing, the corporate spirit of giving with
overwhelming generosity of UPS Freight has become a Holiday miracle for MOMS.
A $10,000.00 Grant was presented to MOMS at the Aurora UPS Freight Terminal from
the UPS Foundation, the charitable arm of United Parcel Service. "Without this, numerous basic need requests would be
left unfilled", said Founder Debbie Trippiedi. "We are very grateful for the overwhelming generosity of UPS with this Grant
and so appreciative of the wonderful UPS Freight family for remembering our Service Members who work each day on
behalf of each of our freedoms".
"The UPS Foundation is committed to funding impact programs that make a meaningful difference in our communities - so
we are proud to support OPERATION: MOMS Cookies efforts to provide for our U.S. Armed Forces Service Members deployed and
stationed overseas," said Ken Sternad, president of the UPS Foundation.
On behalf of the Board and Staff of MOMS, we extend our appreciation and deep thanks to the entire UPS Community for
their overwhelming corporate spirit in caring and support! A Holiday Miracle!
