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Pool Report: Mother's Day Tea & Care Packages

We have a very descriptive pool report that comes from Christina Wilkie of HuffPost on this afternoon's Joining Forces event with First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden.

The two ladies helped celebrate Mother's Day with military families and their children.
The report, modified for story line and content by POP, reads below as follows.


At the Naval Observatory today First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden hosted a Joining Forces service activity with congressional spouses where they assembled Mothers Day care packages that will be sent to the wives and mothers of deployed military, at the request of the soldiers.

The event comes a day after FLOTUS attended the annual Congressional Club lunch for spouses of House and Senate members. This is the third time she has invited them to join her for a service activity the day after the lunch, and marks FLOTUS's first visit to the Naval Observatory.

Outside in the sun under a white USO tent were approximately 65 congressional family members, seated at tables assembling FedEx boxes, 1" by 1" by 12".

First Lady Michelle Obama and Jill Biden with the Bidens’ dog, Champ.

The boxes are a joint effort by Joining Forces, the USO, and Full Circle Home,  an organization founded by military mom Vickie Durfee to send care packages to moms and spouses on behalf of deployed loves ones. To date, the group has sent more than 6,000 packages at Christmas and Mothers Day.

Dr Biden had changed from a yellow skirt suit into bright blue pants, a white blouse, and flats. FLOTUS changed into purple pants, a navy blue and white polka-dot scoop-necked blouse, and a pink cardigan with red and white striped long sleeves.

Congressional spouses spotted by pool included Bobbi Brown Barrasso, Samia Burton, Linda Bachus, Debbie Dingell, Pat Mica, Tiffany Quayle, Eve Schiff, Carolina Reyes, and Mary Sorteberg (Sen Jeff Merkley's wife).

First Lady Michelle Obama also hosted a Mother's Day reception for military children and their families in the East Room of the White House today. See the video here.  Pete Souza photos.

Dr. Biden introduced USO president Sloan Gibson, who thanked everyone for their contributions. Biden then introduced FLOTUS, who again expressed her admiration and respect for moms whose children are in harm's way. She spoke for five minutes, less than she had at the lunch, and as she closed FLOTUS said, "Alright, we've got 2,000 boxes to fill, so let's get to work!" This received arousing applause.

Following remarks at 3:27pm, FLOTUS and Dr Biden began assembling boxes, and FLOTUS chatted with Vickie Dufree and Biden with Lisa Miller, also with FCH. After sitting near the stage throughout the remarks, Champ Biden made the rounds through the tables and settled at Dr Bidens feet for the duration of the packing.

As pool departed at 4pm, both women were still packing boxes and planned to stay a full hour, according to staff. Bruce Springsteen played on the stereo and a springy breeze blew through the tent.
Each box contained individually wrapped hand cream, nail polish, perfume, a charm bracelet, a gift card for Sears, garden seeds donated by Burpee and a handwritten card from the deployed loved one.
A total of 2,000 gift boxes will be sent out, 600 of which were packaged today.

Fed Ex donated the shipping, and boxes will arrive by Saturday.

The pair also hosted a military Tea honoring children and mothers of military families.

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