Friday, May 25, 2012

Poppies for Vets


Poppies for Memorial Day

100% of the sale price for these charms goes to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans. The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans (NCHV) — a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization governed by a 17-member board of directors — is the resource and technical assistance center for a national network of community-based service providers and local, state and federal agencies that provide emergency and supportive housing, food, health services, job training and placement assistance, legal aid and case management support for hundreds of thousands of homeless veterans each year 




Story of the Poppies

In the World War I battlefields of Belgium, poppies grew wild amid the war-torn landscape. How could such a pretty flower grow wild while surrounded by death and destruction? The overturned soils of battle enabled the poppy seeds to be covered, thus allowing them to grow and to forever serve as a reminder of the bloodshed during that and future wars.






The poppy movement was inspired by the poem "In Flanders Fields" written by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae of the Canadian forces in 1915 before the United States entered World War I. Selling replicas of the original Flanders' poppy originated in some of the allied countries immediately after the Armistice.


   

rwb_line.gif (207 bytes)


In Flanders Fields
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.




Remember.

3 comments:

  1. What a great newsletter, and this effort is wonderful. My order is in, and thank you again for all you do to help people. These poppy charms are lovely, and I can't wait to have them. And, your new flower earrings are a huge hit! :)
    Hanna

    ReplyDelete
  2. Got my order in, sweet friend!
    Blessings

    ReplyDelete
  3. Beautiful poem and beautiful jewelry!

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.