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"We want to remember the individual and we want to give them a voice."
This week on Story Behind the Stone, we speak with Karen Worcester, Executive Director of Wreaths Across America. Karen shares the incredible journey of how a surplus of wreaths led to a viral moment at Arlington National Cemetery, the logistics of coordinating 3 million volunteers to place wreaths at 5,994 ceremony locations, and how the organization works year-round to support veterans and Gold Star families through its three pillars: Remember, Honor, and Teach.
In this episode:
- Discover the movement's origins and how a single photograph in 2005 sparked a global outpouring of support, turning a family tradition into a 501(c)(3) nonprofit
- Learn about the Remembrance Tree program, where Gold Star families tag balsam fir trees in Maine to create a living memorial that provides wreaths for veterans' graves.
- Hear how the organization's pillar, Teach, is reaching a million children through free lesson plans designed to shift the focus from "what is a veteran" to "who is that veteran."
By Memory Anchor"We want to remember the individual and we want to give them a voice."
This week on Story Behind the Stone, we speak with Karen Worcester, Executive Director of Wreaths Across America. Karen shares the incredible journey of how a surplus of wreaths led to a viral moment at Arlington National Cemetery, the logistics of coordinating 3 million volunteers to place wreaths at 5,994 ceremony locations, and how the organization works year-round to support veterans and Gold Star families through its three pillars: Remember, Honor, and Teach.
In this episode:
- Discover the movement's origins and how a single photograph in 2005 sparked a global outpouring of support, turning a family tradition into a 501(c)(3) nonprofit
- Learn about the Remembrance Tree program, where Gold Star families tag balsam fir trees in Maine to create a living memorial that provides wreaths for veterans' graves.
- Hear how the organization's pillar, Teach, is reaching a million children through free lesson plans designed to shift the focus from "what is a veteran" to "who is that veteran."