Supporting Survivors of Those Who Gave All

Falls Church, VA, December 18, 2011 --(PR.com)-- Since its founding in 1994, TAPShas provided support and comfort for those who have lost a loved one in military service. TAPS welcomes anyone who is grieving the death of someone who served in the military, regardless of where they died, or how they died.

The company recently introduced a program to help support TAPS and allow employees to show their support for the troops. Across the country, people are wearing red shirts on Fridays to show the members of our military. DynCorp International has developed its own shirts, which read “Support the Troops – Red Shirt Fridays” and, for every red shirt that DynCorp International sells at its company store, $10 is donated to TAPS to help the organization continue its important mission of survivor support. It is this kind of funding and support that allows TAPS to offer its programs and services.

Many Ways to Help Many in Need

More than 30,000 surviving family members, casualty officers and caregivers have been helped by TAPS services and programs.

Support comes in the form of services such as peer based emotional support, grief and trauma counseling, crisis intervention, and assistance with case work issues. These translate into specifics such as seminars and Good Grief Camps held across the country.

TAPS seminars and camps are a “powerful time of support, care and hope” with four main goals:

Meet others who have experienced a similar loss and lessen the pain by sharing it.

· Learn coping skills and comfort mechanisms from the very best experts in the field.
· Come together with others in your peer group who are grieving. This can include parents, children, widows, siblings or any other significant person.
· Develop a support plan that includes involvement in TAPS local gatherings and national programs.

Local and National Resources

In addition to group gatherings, many other resources are available for those in need. TAPS Magazine is published quarterly and free for all survivors. The TAPS Survivor Resource Kit contains information and items to offer comfort through the grief journey.

The TAPS web site has local-area support information, gifts for families of the deceased, grief publications, and links to other helpful resources.Many online peer support groups are also available on the site, as are blogs, chat rooms and message boards.

All Help is Welcome
Both financial gifts and dedicated volunteers also help TAPS to offer important services. There are many ways to contribute, from direct donations, to participation in various fundraising events, to offering your time and talents. Planned giving, memorial gifts, and corporate funding are also welcome.

DynCorp International is proud to support TAPS and through it the families of our military. You can follow DynCorp International on Twitter or visit their new blog Inside DI to learn about other supported community programs.

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