PenFed Foundation and Wreaths Across America Teach Next Generation the Value of Freedom Through New Program

The K-12 curriculum features detailed lesson plans and a quarterly newsletter provided at no cost

TYSONS, Va., Feb. 27, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The PenFed Foundation, a national 501(c)(3) founded by PenFed Credit Union, is proud to support Wreaths Across America with a $25,000 donation to ensure the stories of service, sacrifice and valor are passed down to the next generation. Cindy Tatum, a Gold Star Mom and public-school educator with 26 years of experience, developed the curriculum with Wreaths Across America. The free curriculum provides standards and character-based lesson plans, projects, and materials that encourage children to serve. Educators, home schoolers, parents, grandparents, or anyone with an interest in teaching children about dedication and service to the future of our country are encouraged to participate.

To ensure the continued success of this program, the PenFed Foundation is funding the quarterly Teaching Times with Wreaths Across America newsletter. It is already distributed to more than 13,000 educators worldwide and its downloadable curriculum is free of charge.

"PenFed cares deeply about our nation's future and we're proud to work with Wreaths Across America to teach the next generation what it means to serve," said PenFed Credit Union President/CEO and PenFed Foundation CEO James Schenck. "This curriculum, developed by a Gold Star Mother who understands service and sacrifice firsthand, provides valuable lessons for all Americans."

Cindy Tatum lost her son Daniel Lee Tatum on December 24, 2007, and received the dreaded knock on her door informing her of his passing on Christmas Day. Working with Wreaths Across America on this project has given her a new way to honor her son and leverage her experience as an educator.

"As a retired public-school teacher and proud Gold Star Mother of U.S. Marine Cpl. Daniel Lee Tatum, the continued support of PenFed to the Wreaths Across America mission to remember, honor and teach is something that is very near and dear to my heart," said Tatum.

Wreaths Across America adopts a new theme each year and 2023's focus is "Serve and Succeed." The goal is to emphasize the importance of service to community and the positive impact on those who serve and those who receive. Teaching Times with Wreaths Across America exists to foster love for community service at an early age.

Learn more at: https://learn.wreathsacrossamerica.org/teach.

About PenFed Foundation
Founded in 2001, the PenFed Foundation is a national nonprofit organization committed to empowering military service members, veterans and their communities with the skills and ­resources to realize financial stability and opportunity. It provides service members, veterans, their families and support networks with the skills and resources they need to improve their lives through programs on financial education, homeownership, veteran entrepreneurship, and short-term assistance. Affiliated with PenFed Credit Union, the Foundation has the resources to effectively reach military communities across the nation, build strong partnerships, and engage a dedicated corps of volunteers in its mission. The credit union funds the Foundation's personnel and most operational costs, demonstrating its strong commitment to the programs the Foundation provides. To learn more, visit www.penfedfoundation.org.

About Wreaths Across America
Wreaths Across America is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded to continue and expand the annual wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery begun by Maine businessman Morrill Worcester in 1992. The organization's mission – Remember, Honor, Teach – is carried out in part each year by coordinating wreath-laying ceremonies in December at Arlington, as well as at thousands of veterans' cemeteries and other locations in all 50 states and beyond. To learn more, please visit www.wreathsacrossamerica.org.

SOURCE PenFed Foundation