WIMSA and AcademyWomen's MilitaryWomen eMentor Community Launch Campaign to Save the Only National Memorial Honoring Women's Military Service

Facing closure, campaign launched to keep doors of National Memorial for Military Women open.

Arlington, Virginia (PRWEB) November 04, 2016

Almost 20 years after opening, the Women's Memorial in Arlington, Virginia is at risk of closing its doors forever.

The Women in Military Service for America (WIMSA) Memorial Foundation, commonly known as the Women's Memorial, has partnered with AcademyWomen's MilitaryWomen eMentor Community to insure that no matter where they reside or at what phase of their military careers they occupy, military women will have a supportive gathering place – both virtual and physical - that honors their service.

The Women's Memorial has served as a rallying point for current military women and a pilgrimage site for women veterans. The Memorial tells the story of women's service to over 150,000 visitors every year and almost 300,000 permanent registrations by current and veteran military women have been recorded and preserved for future generations. The MilitaryWomen eMentor Community offers all military women free access to online mentoring and fellowship with other military women through the award-winning, web-based eMentor Leadership Program. eMentor removes geographic boundaries and provides a place for military women to connect with and support each other from anywhere in the world.

WIMSA opened its doors in October 1997 as the only national memorial to recognize and honor the service of America's almost 3 million military women who have proudly served since the American Revolution. Initially, Congress earmarked money for the Women's Memorial to assist with operating costs, but in 2010 the Congressional funding stopped. Then WIMSA Memorial Foundation President, retired Air Force Brigadier General Wilma L. Vaught and other Foundation board members stepped up and diligently raised money, almost entirely through personal donations, to keep the doors open. Sadly, these donations have not been enough. The only national memorial honoring the service of America's military women is about to close its doors.

In honor of this partnership and to insure the physical gathering place remains open, the Women's Memorial and MilitaryWomen Community will be launching a fundraising campaign that begins today that aims to raise $20 for every living woman veteran. All military women, current and veteran, and supporters of military women are invited to join in support of this partnership and show the power of military women by donating $20 for 2M military women to fund the Women's Memorial for another 20 years at http://www.fundrazr.com/SaveTheWomensMemorial.

We can do this. Give $20 to keep the doors open for another 20 years.
#SistersLetsGetThisDone #20-4-20 #SaveTheWomensMemorial

According to the Director of eMentor's MilitaryWomen Community, Erica Hartless, "Many military women veterans feel far removed from the time they served their country, largely because we are such a small (0.6%) part of the population and people are unaware of our service. The MilitaryWomen eMentor Community and the Women's Memorial together, provide a virtual and physical home for all of us to remain connected with those who share a common bond of military service. The Women's Memorial is an important physical tribute to these women and for our citizens to see and learn about the impact and contributions that women have made in service to our military and nation."

"We recognize and preserve the service and contributions of women veterans and women in the military," says retired Army Major General Dee McWilliams, current President of the Women's Memorial Foundation. "This partnership will help better serve our nation's military women and give them a place to connect virtually as well as preserve the record of their service through the Women's Memorial so that our nation's citizens will always know what they've done."

AcademyWomen has partnered with the Women in Military Service for America Memorial to offer an online home for all military women through its Military Women eMentor program. 90% of all proceeds raised through this campaign will fund the efforts of the Women's Memorial. 10% will support the Military Women eMentor community.

MilitaryWomen eMentor Community is powered by AcademyWomen, a 501c3 nonprofit organization founded in 2003 as a leadership and professional development organization. Visit http://www.AcademyWomen.org for more information. AcademyWomen membership and events are open to all who support the organization's mission. Please direct questions to Erica Hartless at hartless(at)ementorprogram.org.

For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2016/11/prweb13825624.htm