Support Programs for Wounded, Ill and Injured
Veterans and Active Duty Service Members
Monthly VA Patient & Family Art Program
The Cost of Courage Foundation is a proud supporter of the wounded, ill and injured Veteran and Active Duty patients and their families at the Palo Alto VA Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center. On a monthly basis, The Cost of Courage Foundation sponsors a Patient and Family Art Class where wounded, ill and injured Veterans and their families get together to do craft projects and enjoy an afternoon of fun and relaxation.
Several times per year, The Cost of Courage Foundation voluntarily serves dinner to families and Polytrauma Rehab patients as part of the weekly Family Feast program. When new families and patients move into the Polytrauma Unit, The Cost of Courage Foundation gifts them with a gift basket of necessities and homemade frames and cards. When able, we donate toys and games to the children of wounded Veterans who are staying at Fisher House with their families.
We would like to thank everyone who has donated art supplies and toys in support of our VA Family Support Programs!
Several times per year, The Cost of Courage Foundation voluntarily serves dinner to families and Polytrauma Rehab patients as part of the weekly Family Feast program. When new families and patients move into the Polytrauma Unit, The Cost of Courage Foundation gifts them with a gift basket of necessities and homemade frames and cards. When able, we donate toys and games to the children of wounded Veterans who are staying at Fisher House with their families.
We would like to thank everyone who has donated art supplies and toys in support of our VA Family Support Programs!
October 2019
Project: Pumpkin Painting and Halloween Crafts
This month's craft project was Pumpkin Painting and Halloween Crafts. To celebrate Halloween, we had pumpkin pie, oatmeal cookies and apple cider!
September 2019
Project: Friendship Bracelets, Beaded Letter Bracelets and Lanyards
This month's craft projects were Friendship Bracelets, Beaded Letter Bracelets and Lanyards. Everyone had fun making personalized bracelets for their friends, family and troops overseas.
June 2019
Project: Layered Sand Candle Holders and Seashell Frames
This month we brought the beach to the VA! Our projects were Layered Sand Candle Holders and Seashell Frames! We made sandcastles and enjoyed summertime treats and lemonade! We also visited the VA garden where flowers from last month's projects were planted for all patients and families to enjoy.
May 2019
Project: Handpainted Pots and Tissue Paper Flowers
This month's projects were Handpainted Pots and Tissue Paper Flowers! The patients and their families were able to practice their gardening skills when they filled each pot with colorful flowers and soil. We celebrated Spring with cookies, cupcakes and iced tea!
April 2019
Project: Egg Coloring and Springtime Centerpieces
This month's projects were Egg Coloring and Springtime Centerpieces! To celebrate spring, we had an egg hunt and hosted a party for the patients and their families with brownies, cupcakes and lemonade for everyone to enjoy! Some of the kids had never decorated eggs before which made this class extra special.
March 2019
Project: Pot of Gold Centerpieces
This month's project was Pot of Gold Centerpieces! To celebrate St. Patrick's Day, we hosted a party for the patients and their families with cupcakes and juice for everyone to enjoy!
February 2019
Project: Valentine's Day Cards and Decorative Heart Centerpieces
This month's projects were Valentine's Day Cards and Decorative Heart Centerpieces! To celebrate Valentine's Day, we hosted a party for the patients and their families with brownies, cookies and juice as a treat for everyone in attendance!
December 2018
Project: Holiday Snow Globes, Homemade Ornaments and Gingerbread Houses
This month's projects were Holiday Snow Globes, Ornaments and Gingerbread Houses! To celebrate the season, we hosted a Holiday Party for the patients and their families with cupcakes and juice for everyone in attendance!
October 2018
Project: Pumpkin Painting
This month's project was Pumpkin Painting! To celebrate the season, we hosted a Halloween Party for the patients and their families with cupcakes, brownies and apple cider for everyone in attendance!
July 2018
Project: Patriotic Crafts
This month's theme was Patriotic Crafts! We made red, white and blue wreaths, centerpieces and popsicle stick flags! We also celebrated with cookies and pink lemonade!
June 2018
Project: Sand Castles, Seashell Frames and Sand Candle Holders
To celebrate the start of summer, we brought the beach to the Palo Alto VA Hospital Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center for art class this month! We had so much fun building sand castles with the patients and their families, making layered sand candle holders and painting shells to decorate wooden frames! We also enjoyed a summer party with lemonade and cookies! Happy Summer everyone!
May 2018
Project: Gardening Pots with Flowers
This month's project focused on gardening skills! Each patient was able to paint their own pot and plant beautiful flowers with soil. We were also excited to be able to bring butterfly candy grams to patients who were too sick or physically unable to join us for art class this month.
April 2018
Project: Egg Coloring and Springtime Centerpieces
This month's projects were Egg Coloring and Springtime Centerpieces along with a Spring themed party and Egg Hunt for the wounded, ill and injured Veterans and their families. As a special treat this month, we also brought a donation of toys for the play area at Polytrauma Rehab and the children staying at Fisher House. We had a lot of fun and can't wait until next month!
December 2017
Project: Holiday Crafts
Our featured projects were hand-painted keepsake ornaments, bead ornaments, painting and coloring book creations and foam snowflakes, Christmas trees and gingerbread characters! To celebrate the holidays, we also decorated the craft room and provided cupcakes, cookies and fruit punch for all in attendance!
October 2017
Project: Pumpkin Painting and Halloween Crafts
In addition to Pumpkin Painting, we also hosted a costume party which included cookies, cupcakes and apple cider :) We had a great time visiting the pumpkin pumpkin patch finding the pumpkins for art class!
August 2017
Project: Hawaiian Leis and Flower Lanterns
In addition to making Hawaiian Leis and Flower Lanterns, we also enjoyed Luau themed treats and fruit punch with the Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center patients and their families!
July 2017
Projects: Patriotic Centerpieces, Firecracker Blowers and Popsicle Stick American Flags
We had a great time this afternoon at the Palo Alto VA Polytrauma Rehab Center where we continued our Monthly Patient and Family Art Program! This month's 4th of July themed projects included Patriotic Centerpieces, Firecracker Blowers and Popsicle Stick American Flags! Everyone also enjoyed some Independence Day treats and punch!
June 2017
Projects: Keychains, Macaroni Art and Father's Day Cards; Father's Day Party
We had a great time celebrating Father's Day during our monthly art class for the patients and families at the Palo Alto VA Hospital Polyrauma Rehabilitation Center! This month's projects were Keychains, Father's Day Cards and Macaroni Art! We celebrated with cupcakes, cookies and punch and enjoyed playing bean bag toss with the kids and their dads :) It was nice spending time with everyone as always!
May 2017
Project: Mother's Day Frames and Tissue Paper Flowers; Mother's Day Tea Party
In addition to making handpainted frames and tissue paper flowers, we celebrated Mother's Day with a Tea Party where all the moms were able to enjoy an afternoon of sweet tea and treats with their families!
April 2017
Project: Egg Coloring and Springtime Centerpieces; Egg Hunt
March 2017
Project: Leprechaun Puppets, Pots of Gold with Beads and Gold Coins and Shamrocks
February 2017
Project: Valentine's Day Cards and Hearts
In February, we made Valentine's Day Cards and Hearts with the patients and families at the Palo Alto VA Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center. To celebrate, we had a Valentine's Day themed party with cupcakes and juice and brought toys for the children living at Fisher House! Thank you to those who donated toys and games for the kids! Your kindness and generosity is greatly appreciated!
January 2017
Project: Snowman Decorating and Puzzle Piece Frames
December 2016
Project: Holiday Ornaments (Wooden & Bead Ornaments) and Gingerbread Characters
In December, we made Holiday Ornaments and Gingerbread Characters and enjoyed a Holiday Party with patients and their families :)
November 2016
Project: Thanksgiving Centerpieces
October 2016
Project: Pumpkin Painting
Our October project was Pumpkin Painting along with a Halloween Party for the patients and their families!
August 2016
Project: Painting
July 2016
Project: Friendship Bracelets
Project: Friendship Bracelets
June 2016
Project: Care Package Cards
Project: Care Package Cards
May 2016
Project: Frames
Project: Frames
Palo Alto VA Hospital - Gift Baskets
Palo Alto VA Family Feast Dinner Service
Baked Treats & Toy Donations
Wounded Warrior Battalion West Visit
Warrior Hope and Care Center (Camp Pendleton) and
Naval Medical Center San Diego Visit and Gift Basket Distribution
August 10, 2017 and August 11, 2017
We had the privilege of distributing over 300 gift baskets to wounded, ill and injured Marines and their families at the Warrior Hope and Care Center - Camp Pendleton and Naval Medical Center San Diego! Each basket contained a warm blanket, a handpainted frame, a teddy bear, a handmade card and a friendship bracelet :) Thank you to all of our volunteers who helped make all of the personalized items in the baskets, your efforts were greatly appreciated! We would also like to thank the staff at both facilities for being so hospitable to us following our drive from San Jose, CA and for all of their assistance assembling the baskets on site! It was such an honor spending time with everyone. We are praying for the continued recovery of all the wounded, ill and injured servicemembers we met on this trip and look forward to visiting again soon!
