Board Member and Contact Information

  Our History

  Our Vision for an OHH-So-Bright Future for Military Families                

                                  
 

Board Member  Projects/ Committees Contact Information  Cindy Farnum, President Operation Rack Pack Coordinator OHH Baby Shower co-coordinator Unit Support Coordinator Operation Enduring Support Team School Chapter Coordinator (elementary and middle school level) Operation Christmas Spirit Angel Tree Coordinator Web Design  cfarnum@operationhelpahero.com  949-874-9020 Wendy Ruiz, Vice President Operation Rack Pack co-coordinator Fundraising Operation Enduring Support Team OHH Ho Ho Christmas Fundraiser   wruiz@operationhelpahero.com Kristen Lanham, Chairperson of the Board Operation Christmas Spirit Coordinator and "Adoption" Liaison.  Legal Consultant Operation Enduring Support Team Unit Support Team klanham@operationhelpahero.com Laura Hopper, Secretary        School Chapter Coordinator (high school level) OHH Baby Shower Coordinator OHH Gear ttalhopstop@aol.com  Michelle Walters, Treasurer  Accounting Operation Enduring Support Team Healing words for wounded warriors Operation Christmas Spirit RSM Coordinator mwalters@operationhelpahero.com Sharon Wackeen, Board Member  OHH Baby Shower Assistant Fundraising Enduring Support Ministries swackeen@operationhelpahero.com Virginia Belmont, Advisory Committee    Advertising Press releases thebelmonts@cox.net Nancy Babcock, Board Member  OHH Baby Shower Baby health presentations      nbabcock@operationhelpahero.com Cindy Burlingame, Advisory Committee  Marine Corps Community Liaison Unit Support Coordinator cburlingame@operationhelpahero.com Cindy Campbell, Board Member  School Chapter Program, St. John's School Operation Christmas Spirit SJES MMT Coordinator ccampbell@operationhelpahero.com Karen Driscoll, Board Member Operation Sweet Dreams for Special Kids Advisor kdriscoll@operationhelpahero.com Anne Marie Frey, Advisory Committee Member    afrey@operationhelpahero.com Gina Heppy, Board Member   gheppy@operationhelpahero.com Michele Chenault, Board Member Mom's Day Off (Kiddie Camp) Coordinator Operation Rack Pack Committee OHH Baby Shower Child Care Coordinator Saddleback Valley Christian Schools OHH Club  mrschenault@cox.net Bernadette Jarosz, Advisory committee  Operation Sweet Dreams for Special Kids Advisor, Welcome Home Coordinator bjarosz@operationhelpahero.com Lisa Reed, Advisory Committee                             Lisa is a super mommy with YEARS of supporting Camp Pendleton Marines on her long resume of community outreach efforts. She is unable to be active at this time but always has a place with us when she can make it. We love you, Lisa!  gpreed@cox.net Christy Wrightson, Founding member/advisory committee Guys Giving Back Coordinator for OHH projects  wrightsons@cox.net  Belinda Cartier, Board Member     Bryan Winn, Board Member School Chapter Program  bwinn@operationhelpahero.com

Operation Help A Hero (formerly known as Operation Sweet Dreams) began as a grass roots Marine Ministries/Pen Pal group in the fall of 2002, when Cindy Farnum's Middle School students at St. John's Episcopal School decided to write to and support the Marines of First Battalion, Fifth Marines. At that time, Mr. Farnum, a Marine, was preparing to deploy. By early Spring of 2003, 1/5 was deployed to  Kuwait and eventually led the push across the border into Iraq starting Operation Iraqi  Freedom. During this deployment, St. Johns students and families wrote and sent care packages to over 1,300 Marines in and attached to 1/5. The group also supported and collected items for 1/5's injured during the deployment and assisted in welcome home festivities for the battalion, coordinating with the unit's Key Volunteers.The support of St. Johns was even mentioned in Chaplain Carey Cash's book A Table in the Presence.

The following year, in 2004, St. John's Marine Ministries and Pen Pal Group continued its relationship with 1/5 as they deployed yet another time to Iraq -- this time Fallujah. Students and families continued to write letters, send care packages and support the Marines' families locally. When 1/5 lost many in during Operation Vigilant resolve, our organization rallied and collected $5,000 for every child of a fallen Marine in 1/5 AND four children who lost their father with 2/7 (out of 29 Palms). We began to host family events for Camp Pendleton units, whose hands are often tied when donations are needed. These events included help at Christmas parties, babysitting for KVN events, Fall Festivals, hosting a Spring Carnival at Lake O'Neil, rack presents for 1/5's single Marines and throwing welcome home parties for returning units.

In 2004, we began what would become an annual drive -- Operation Christmas Spirit. Each year, led by Christy Wrightson, we collects toys, gifts, gift cards and cash donations to thank our local Marines and Sailors and fullfill their holiday wish lists. In the past five years, Operation Christmas Spirit has collected truckloads of Christmas items given to deployed units, ipods for Wounded Warriors and Balboa Hospital's Wounded in Action patients, and tons of items used at various Camp Pendleton Christmas parties. In addition, each year roughly 40 military families are asked to make Christmas wish lists and paired with other families, groups and businesses to make their wishes a reality. 

In 2007, we decided we wanted to share our mission of fostering learning through our newest project: Operation Bedtime Story. We video recorded Marines reading children's books for their children and/or wives. The videos were carefully burned to DVDs and shipped out to families as a nice suprise. Each video also came with the book read in the recording or a box of chocolates. Our guinea pigs were CEB and 3/5, and the results were great!

So far Operation Help A Hero has served many Camp Pendleton, 29 Palms and Mirimar units, to include: The 15th MEU, 1/5, 2/5, 3/5, 2/4, 3/1, 1/3, 1/4, 1st LAR, SOI West, CLB 5, the Wounded Warrior House, 3/4, and Balboa Naval Hospital (San Diego).

Our organization has grown beyond the grassroots ministry started in 2002 and now works with groups across the country to bring peace to our American patriots in uniform thanks to people like you!