OFC Launches in Washington State
Easterseals Washington Hosts Launch Event for Operation Family Caregiver
Wednesday, January 25th, 2017—Easterseals Washington welcomed military caregivers, nonprofit organizations and members of the Washington military community to their Operation Family Caregiver (OFC) launch in January at the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue. Attendees were greeted by special guest-speaker, Lieutenant Governor Cyrus Habib, who shared his own personal story of living with a disability and spoke to the need for greater support for our veterans, their families, and their caregivers. Mr. Habib offered his support for the program and helped set the tone for a very successful program kickoff.
Next up, Easterseals Washington President & CEO, Cathy Bisaillon, introduced their organization and expressed her excitement for this new opportunity to serve military caregivers throughout the state. Although Easterseals Washington serves many military families through other core programs, OFC is the first military-specific program. “We are proud to have been selected as the provider for OFC in Washington, and we look forward to giving back to military families that have served all of us during their duty,” stated Bisaillon.
The final speaker of the morning was Laura Bauer, National Program Director of Operation Family Caregiver – pictured below, on the far right. Laura shared her expertise in the military caregiving field and gave an in-depth look of the program. Following an informative Q&A session, the event wrapped up with a very positive outlook for the success of OFC in Washington. The Bob Woodruff Foundation committed to fund the Easterseals site during the OFC Summit held at the Carter Center in July of 2016.
Operation Family Caregiver (OFC) coaches the families of returning service members and veterans to manage the difficulties they face when they come home. OFC is a personalized program, tailored specifically to the struggles of each family. Through proven methods, the program teaches military families how best to navigate their challenges, resulting in stronger and healthier families.
