Released on = March 5, 2007, 7:12 am

Press Release Author = Coalition to Salute America's Heroes

Industry = Non Profit

Press Release Summary = President Thanks Groups for Their Support of Troops and
Families

Press Release Body = WASHINGTON-Ray Clifford of Coalition to Salute America's
Heroes, an Ossining-headquartered organization, was one of 10 America Supports You
Homefront groups invited by President George W. Bush to a private meeting at the
White House today to discuss the importance of his work, and to thank him for his
organization's support of the military at home and abroad.

Coalition to Salute America's Heroes is a nation-wide organization that helps
severely wounded veterans and their families rebuild their lives by providing
services such as direct financial aid, private housing to families while their loved
one is recuperating at a medical center, career transition assistance and more. The
group also hosts an annual "Road to Recovery" conference in Disneyworld. As of
January 2007, Coalition to Salute America's Heroes had assisted between 3,200 and
3,300 service members and their families.

"It was an honor for me to be invited to the White House for this important meeting
with President Bush," said Clifford, executive director of Coalition to Salute
America's Heroes. "He recognized how important our work on behalf of our men and
women in uniform is, and that this nationwide support is critical to their morale.
Recognition of this magnitude fuels our passion to let service members across the
world know how much America supports them and to continue providing ways the
American people can show their support."






"There are some remarkable acts of kindness by people who have taken it upon
themselves to serve their country by helping a neighbor in need," said President
Bush of the groups' work. "Whether it be helping the chaplains help kids, or
whether it be helping a family of the injured, whether it be working at Walter Reed
or supporting troops getting ready to go into combat, these good men and women
really represent the very best of America.I\'m proud to be the President of a country
with so many decent citizens."

"I ask my fellow citizens to support our troops and their families. There are all
kinds of ways you can find out how to do so," President Bush added.
"AmericaSupportsYou.mil, for example, is a Web site that if you really do want to
participate like these citizens have, that you can find a way to contribute your
time or your money, your talents, to really send a message that America supports
these brave volunteers who are out defending their country in the war on terror."


# # #

Media Notes: For more information or to arrange for an interview with Ray Clifford,
contact Ashlie Lanning at 919-557-7890 or alanning@919marketing.com.

Meeting Participants:

Major Brian Bohlman, Founder and President
Operation Thank You (Lexington, South Carolina)

Jill Boyce, President
Deployed Soldier\'s Family Foundation (Plano, Texas)

Sergeant Ray Clifford, USAF (Ret), Executive Director
Coalition to Salute America\'s Heroes (Croton-on-Hudson, New York)

Julie DeMaria, Co-Founder and Director
Operation Care and Comfort (San Jose, California)

Karen Grimord, Founder and President
Landstuhl Hospital Care Project (Stafford, Virginia)

Daniel Hoebeke, Director
Adopt-A-Chaplain (San Jose, California)

Cindy McGrew, Founder and President
Operation Second Chance (Clarksburg, Maryland)

Amy Oxford, Co-Coordinator
Southern Illinois \"SI\" Yellow Ribbon (Harrisburg, Illinois)

Karen Theobald-Conlin, President
Helping our Heroes Foundation (Potomac Falls, Virginia)

Gail Van Vranken, Founder and President
Boatsie\'s Boxes (Wheeling, West Virginia)


About the Coalition to Salute America's Heroes:
The Coalition to Salute America's Heroes is a non-partisan, non-profit organization
that offers several programs to assist disabled veterans who have served in Iraq and
Afghanistan: Wounded Hero Emergency Financial Relief (provides urgent financial
assistance to disabled veterans), Homes for Wounded Heroes (offers nearly cost-free,
new or renovated disability adapted homes to men and women), Hire A Hero (reaches
out through a network of organizations to help prepare and place motivated,
qualified veterans in quality jobs), Family Support Network (offers special services
to help relieve financial and emotional burdens facing heroes and their families),
and the Road to Recovery Conferences (all-expense paid educational and service
events for wounded servicemen and servicewomen and their families). For more
information please visit the website at www.saluteheroes.org.


About America Supports You:
America Supports You is an ongoing nationwide program that helps showcase American's
support for the men and women of the Armed Forces. Since its launch in November of
2004 by the Department of Defense, America Supports You has welcomed nearly 250
homefront groups and more than 30 corporate sponsors. Many America Supports You
homefront groups support the troops by writing letters, sending care packages,
helping the wounded when they return home, assisting military families, sending
e-mails or simply extending kind gestures to the troops. To learn more about how
you can support military personnel please visit www.AmericaSupportsYou.mil.



Web Site = http://www.saluteheroes.org

Contact Details = Ashlie Lanning
919-459-8158
alanning@919marketing.com