Karen Guenther - 2022 American Spirit Award Recipient
7Karen Guenther is Founder, President, and CEO of Semper Fi & America’s Fund, a nonprofit organization supporting the men and women of the US Armed Forces, veterans, and military families. As a registered nurse at Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton, Guenther witnessed waves of injured servicemembers from Iraq and Afghanistan arriving with significant financial, emotional, and physical needs that loved ones were often unprepared to manage on their own. Inspired to help those who had sacrificed so much for our country, Guenther joined with other military spouses to found Semper Fi & America’s Fund to meet the needs in their community. From these humble beginnings in 2003, Guenther has grown Semper Fi & America’s Fund to a worldwide charitable organization that has distributed more than $260 million in grants to 27,000 servicemembers, veterans, and their military families.
Among her many honors, Guenther was appointed an Honorary Marine by the 35th Commandant of the Marine Corps. Her trailblazing accomplishments are the epitome of the spirit of innovation and resourcefulness born out of World War II, and her commitment to volunteerism, philanthropy, and civic engagement reflects that same can-do attitude and sense of purpose embraced by all Americans during the war years. Guenther’s ongoing service to our nation’s armed forces and veterans truly exemplifies what it means to lead with the American Spirit.
Learn More: http://americanspiritawards.org/