3 Questions With ... Philanthropist Lisa Boucher Terry, in Honor of Veterans Day - WGC's Our Giving, Our Stories

The Women's Giving Circle is proud to amplify the voices and stories of women givers in our community through our regular series "Our Giving, Our Stories".  This month we are profiling Lisa Boucher Terry in honor of Veterans Day:

When did you start giving to issues that are important to you?

​"Our service men and women and their families make so many sacrifices every day to serve our country and protect our freedoms. Most military families move every 2-3 years, some more often, and starting over in a new state or country is really hard on military children. Military spouses are often unemployed or underemployed because of the frequent moves and a deployed parent can be really hard on a family. And if the service member experiences physical or emotional trauma while in uniform, this brings even greater struggles. Military separation or retirement can be a difficult transition and as veterans age, a whole new set of challenges arise. Making sure the needs of our veteran and military families are taken care of while honoring and celebrating their service and sacrifice is why I do what I do. I recently coordinated the first Howard County Veteran and Military Owned Small Biz Expo to support local entrepreneurs and am currently working with HCPSS to improve support for military students with Purple Star School designation in selected schools. I serve on the Ft. Meade Alliance Military Families Committee, as well as the Maryland Military Installation Council and the Crisis Intercept Mapping Service Members and Veteran Families Suicide Prevention team to ensure military connected families have access to resources and services to make them healthy, ready and resilient. Too many stressors affects national security which puts us all at risk. I serve on the Veterans Day Parade committee and am a founding board member of the Howard County Veterans Foundation, whose mission is to have a Veteran and Military Families Monument installed on the Columbia Lakefront in Bailey Park. I work closely with the Commission for Veterans and Military Families and our local veteran service organizations who participate in quarterly flag retirement ceremonies, provide fellowship to isolated veterans in assisted living, and coordinate Memorial Day events and Honor Flight receptions. I want everyone to have access to the resources they need to succeed in life so I will continue to live by my one of my favorite quotes by John Wesley, “Do all the good you can, By all the means you can, In all the ways you can, In all the places you can, At all the times you can, To all the people you can, As long as ever you can.”

​Read Lisa's full profile here.

Hear a recent HCC Dragon Podcast featuring Lisa discussing "Honoring Veterans in Our Community".

Lisa's current philanthropic focus is on: Bright Minds Foundation: Howard County Public Schools Education Foundation, Howard County Veterans Foundation, and OhanaHC 
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Learn more about the WGC's "Our Giving, Our Stories", WGC's ongoing series of giving profiles designed to celebrate women's philanthropy and amplify the voices of women and girls in Howard County.

Nominate a woman today! We are always accepting the names of women throughout the year who may be profiled for their inspiring philanthropic leadership.