Connie Milstein and BSF Host Holiday Luncheon at at Walter Reed

Last month, Connie Milstein partnered with Neiman Marcus, Fidelis Security and Blue Star Families to host the 2012 holiday luncheon at Walter Reed Medical Center. Each winter wounded warriors, caregivers and their families are treated to an afternoon filled with tasty treats, holiday crafts and games, and a visit from Santa. This year guests were treated to a performance by the Annapolis Area Christian School’s Madrigals Choir and a special Christmas story read by Darlene Greenert. Also inattendance was Deputy Secretary of Defense, Ashton Carter; Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs, George Little; Commanding Officer of Walter Reed Admiral Stocks and his wife; Surgeon General of the Navy, Admiral Matthew Nathan; and the wife of Admiral Anderson Chief Medical Office of the Marine Corps, Paula Anderson.

This annual BSF event allows wounded warriors to celebrate what is important during the holidays with their families and caregivers, even if they cannot be at home. Each family left the event this year with a family portrait with Santa, books, holiday cards and other special gifts. Nearly 200 BSF volunteers, including Connie Milstein – a member of the non-profit’s Board of Directors, gathered to organize the holiday event.

Singer Mary McBride Tours Asia as HDI Spokesperson

This month, singer-songwriter and HDI spokesperson Mary McBride will travel to Vietnam, Laos, Taiwan and Iraq to perform with the support of the American Institute in Taiwan and the U.S. Embassies in Vientiane and Hanoi. The tour itself is hosted by the Humpty Dumpty Institute and Project RENEW. Prior to this tour, McBride shared her unique blend of R&B, American Country, and old-school Rock ‘n Roll to audiences in Pakistan, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Russia.

One of McBride’s concerts in Vietnam was held at the Quang Tri Mine Action Visitor Center in Dong Ha Town. The center serves as a place where local residents and students can come to learn how to avoid bombs and mines. It is also frequented by international tour groups visiting the former Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).

Connie Milstein is a co-founder of the Humpty Dumpty Institute, which is working alongside Project RENEW to reduce the impact of Explosive Remnants of War (ERW) by providing income-earning opportunities to the families of landmine victims. HDI also works more broadly to promote public diplomacy and create dialogue between the United Nations and the United States Congress. The New York-based NGO’s other humanitarian efforts include feeding school children in Laos and teaching landmine awareness in Myanmar.

CURE CEO Tapped for Illinois Medical Distric Commission

Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy (CURE),which Connie Milstein serves as a member of the Board of Directors, made headlines this week in Chicago. The organization’s CEO, Carmita Vaughan, was appointed to the Illinois Medical District Commission by Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle.

Vaughan has worked for CURE since she joined as Chief Operating Officer in 2010. Prior to working with CURE, Vaughan served as Chief Strategy Officer for America’s Promise Alliance, a youth development organization founded by Gen. Colin Powell. She has also worked for the Chicago Public Schools Office of High School and High School Program. She has also worked with Fortune 500 companies in the following roles: global marketing, strategic planning and engineering/operations management. She serves on the Board of Directors for Marwen, a Chicago-based arts education organization, the Academy of Urban School Leadership and America’s Promise Alliance.

In her newly appointed role, Vaughan will be one of seven charged with overseeing, coordinating and reviewing development projects within the Illinois Medical District. She was selected because of her experience with medical issues and healthcare, her commitment to community service and her managerial experience.

Humpty Dumpty Institute Hosts 39th Congressional Delegation to U.N.

The Humpty Dumpty Institute was established in 1988 by Connie Milstein and four other business entrepreneurs whose goal was to solve international problems through public-private partnerships. In January, the HDI held its 39^th Congressional Delegation to the United Nations. The day began with a breakfast hosted by The United States Mission to the United Nations, where Rosemary DiCarlo, U.S. Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, talked about the importance of the U.N. Security Council to U.S. policy, especially in times of conflict resolution and maintaining human rights abroad.

The delegates then heard Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Planning of the Executive Office of the Secretary General, Robert Orr, discuss the United Nations varied interests; the delegates were especially interested in hearing the U.N.’s sustainable energy initiative and promotion of green economic growth. Later, Dr. Mari Ortega, Senior Advisor to the Executive Director of Join United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS, briefed participants on the current state of the AIDS epidemic and what the U.N. is doing in response to this crisis.

Following a private tour of the United National Capital Master Plan (a plan that details upcoming renovations to the U.N. campus), the participants met with Ban Ki-moon, the Secretary-General of the United Nations. His remarks highlighted the importance of cooperation between the United States and United Nations and he discussed his plan of action for his second term as Secretary-General, during which he hopes to achieve fiscal and structural reform.

Finally, the group moved to the U.N. Millennium Hotel for a working lunch. Edmund Mulet, the Assistant Secretary-General Department of Peacekeeping Operations, spoke during the lunch hour about the importance of U.N. peacekeeping operations throughout the world and how member states can contribute to the program. Bill Rouhana, HDI Chairman, closed the day by sharing the history of the Humpty Dumpty Institute with the delegates and encouraged the members of Congress to become more involved with HDI’s international mine action activities and HDI’s Higher Education Alliance in the U.S.

Ford's Theatre Partners with Miriam's Kitchen for Holiday Fundraising

As the holiday season approaches, many D.C. organizations and philanthropists, like Connie Milstein, work to assist those who may need help during the upcoming winter months. The Ford’s Theatre Society, which Ms. Milstein serves as a trustee, is helping D.C. residents in need in a rather unique way this season. From November 18 to December 31, the theatre’s production of A Christmas Carol will raise money for Miriam’s Kitchen by accepting donations during the curtain call of each show. This partnership was inspired by the themes of charity found in Dickens’ holiday classic.

“Each winter, the story of A Christmas Carol renews in us, as it does in Scrooge, a compassionate and generous heart,” said Director of Ford’s Theatre Society Paul Tetreault in a press statement. “In selecting Miram’s Kitchen as recipients of this year’s donation drive, the cast of A Christmas Carol and our audiences can help make a difference in the lives of thousands in the D.C.-area struggling with hunger and homelessness.”

Miriam’s Kitchen has served as a resource for the 12,000 homeless individuals in D.C. for the past thirty years. The nonprofit offers warm, healthy means and case management services to those who may not otherwise seek help. In 2011, Miriam’s Kitchen served more than 4,000 homeless individuals through its comprehensive mental health, medical care, legal assistance, substance abuse counseling, employment resources and housing options.

This is the third year that the Ford’s Theatre society has partnered with a local nonprofit during its production of A Christmas Carol. In 2010, the theatre partnered with So Others Might Eat (SOME) and raised over $77,000. In 2009, the theatre partnered with Bread for the City and raised enough money to provide D.C. families in need with nearly 2,000 meals.

Humpty Dumpty Institute Announces Higher Education Alliance

The Humpty Dumpty Institute and co-founder Connie Milstein recently announced a new program that will provide schools across the United States with an in-depth introduction to the United Nations. The program, known as the Higher Education Alliance, aims to build bridges between the U.N. and college students by bringing speakers from United Nations Specialized Agencies and U.N.-affiliated Non-Governmental Organizations to American college and university campuses.

On-campus alliance members will organize and run U.N.-related conferences on their campuses and have the opportunity to visit the U.N. headquarters in New York for intensive orientations further explaining the inner workings of the United Nations. Students who stand out for their work with the Higher Education Alliance may be invited to serve as interns in international organizations around the world. Alliance members also convene U.N.-related conferences at their campuses and are invited to U.N. Headquarters in New York for intensive orientations to learn how the U.N. actually works. And finally, select students at Alliance Universities/Colleges have the opportunity to serve as interns in international organizations around the world.

The High Education Alliance currently boasts a combined student enrollment of approximately 300,000 students from 18 universities and colleges in nine states. The Humpty Dumpty Institute is working especially hard to recruit institutions belonging to the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) and the Historically Black Colleges/Universities (HBCU) as well as community colleges nationwide, according to HDI Chairman William Rouhana, Jr.

“These centers of higher education are often underserved when it comes to global and international exposure. We are making a special effort to give these students in particular the opportunity to connect with the United Nations and to gain a better perspective about the global marketplace,” he said.

The Humpty Dumpty Institute is a unique non-profit organization widely-recognized for its work with the United Nations. Over the past four years, the HDI has become well known for its specialized outreach programs between the U.N. and various constituencies across the United States, which work to strengthen the United Nations as an international institution. The Humpty Dumpty Institute also implements large-scale humanitarian projects throughout the developing world. In the past four years, the HDI has begun major development projects in Lebanon, Angola, Eritrea, Laos and Vietnam, among others.