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Volunteer Program Helps Kenosha Marine

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WASHINGTON, D.C.- With the relentless attacks and ongoing struggle in Iraq, a lot of people here at home are wondering just what they can do to help. NBC's Jim Miklaszewski introduced us to one woman who has made it her mission to help wounded veterans and their families. For many wounded American soldiers who return home, a second battle - both physical and psychological - has just begun. Cindy McGrew wanted to help. "It just started out with me volunteering and wanting to make a difference in a couple of soldiers lives if I could," McGrew said. As a volunteer at Walter Reed Medical Center, she started out with the basics. "If it was to pick up groceries or any needed item, or sit with a son so parents could get a break and get away from Walter Reed for a little bit," she said. Within a year, McGrew founded Operation Second Chance, dedicated to helping wounded veterans and their families recover quickly. Today, volunteers visit Walter Reed virtually every day. "The guys there, they get trapped and stuck and they don't know what they're gonna do," Adam Kisielewski, a Marine from Kenosha, said. "Well, she comes by and she'll help bring them out. It helps them feel like a human being instead of a prisoner stuck inside a hotel room." Whether it's a trip to a basketball game or just stopping by to visit, soldiers say Operation Second Chance makes a big difference. "You know, without them helping us, we wouldn't be able to do what we do. I certainly wouldn't have got where I got as quickly as I got." Kisielewski said. After losing his arm and leg, Adam Kisielewski is re-learning to ski and ride his mountain bike and has taken on new challenges, like scuba diving. It's something he says he never could have done if it weren't for the efforts of Cindy McGrew and Operation Second Chance. "I think it's important when they come back into their own home town, that their families, their communities come out and reach out to them and just try to do as much as possible for them," said McGrew.

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