WAYS TO HELP TANGIBLY SUPPORT OUR TROOPS AND THEIR FAMLIES

This program was initially started in December 2001 to show our grateful appreciation to American service members deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, and has become an annual tradition ever since. We are not Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, Green or Independent. Our mission is as simple, as it is noble. All we want to do is unite a few military families for the Christmas holiday. That’s it. No hidden agendas, no political speeches. We just buy plane tickets for troops.

OTHER WAYS YOU CAN HELP DIRECTLY AND TANGIBLY

http://www.heromiles.org – If you have some frequent flier miles you would love to donate to get a soldier a flight home, but don’t have 25,000+ to secure the entire ticket, you can donate them to heromiles. They’ve worked out arrangements with some major airlines to create a “big pool” of miles to benefit our troops. Ah, the joys of having a Congressman in your corner….

http://www.operationac.com – Can’t imagine what it’d be like to sweat like crazy during a blistering noontime sun in the desert? How about freeze your bottom off during a night in the mountains with only a tent flap between you and cold biting winds? With your help, these folks ship air conditioners & space heaters to our deployed troops.

http://www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com – They hope to provide as many soldiers as possible with prepaid calling cards for now, with an ultimate goal of providing banks of cell, satellite, or VOIP communications. They have already distributed calling cards to soldiers in Iraq, Kuwait, Afghanistan, and elsewhere.

http://www.helmetstohardhats.org – funded by the Department of Defense to help transitioning military and veterans find careers in the building and constructions trades.

http://www.opgratitude.com – Hundreds of thousands of American troops are stationed or deployed indefinitely in remote parts of the world, including the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan, Africa, the Korean Peninsula and on ships throughout international waters. The physical conditions they must endure are difficult and they may be separated from loved ones for long periods of time.

OPERATION GRATITUDESM, together with the California Army National Guard, 746th QM BN, Van Nuys, seek to lift troops’ morale, and bring a smile to their faces by sending Care Packages to service members overseas.

OPERATION GRATITUDESM Care Packages contain food, toiletries, necessities, entertainment items and personal letters of appreciation, all wrapped with good wishes of love and support.

Marines, Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Coast Guardsmen are deployed across the globe, going in harm’s way to preserve and protect our freedom. Our military families make heavy sacrifices, particularly as a result of the prolonged war in Iraq and Afghanistan and the continued war on terror. The military men and women serving our nation face personal and financial hardships. Family budgets are strained and those who remain at home face a mounting workload at a time when our economy is unstable and unemployment remains high. The large activation of reserve and National Guard personnel has further strained the resources required to take care of our troops and their families.

The four military aid organizations – Air Force Aid Society, Army Emergency Relief, Coast Guard Mutual Assistance and Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society – have come together to address these escalating needs by creating the Armed Forces Relief Trust – a non-profit fund that makes it easier for donors to make a single charitable contribution that supports all branches of our Armed Forces and their families.

The mission of the Armed Forces Relief Trust is to assist the military aid organizations by providing a single vehicle to accept contributions that benefit the men and women of the Armed Forces and their families. These valuable funds enable family members to be at the bedside of an injured service member undergoing treatment at National Naval Medical Center Bethesda, at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, or other military medical treatment facilities; enable a soldier to fly home for his father’s funeral; provide support for medical costs associated with an airman’s expectant spouse, and more.

http://www.afrtrust.org/

The American Widow Project

The American Widow Project is a non-profit organization dedicated to the new generation of those who have lost the heroes of yesterday, today and tomorrow, with an emphasis on healing through sharing stories, tears and laughter. Military Widow to Military Widow.

Since 2001, over 6,200 U.S. service members have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Around half of these service members were married, leaving an estimated 3,000 military widows across our country. While the service member’s sacrifice is acknowledged, many simply forget or fail to recognize the sacrifice of the spouse who is now left a widow of war. Oftentimes the invisible wounds of military widows are disregarded due to age or a simple lack of knowledge and understanding.

http://www.americanwidowproject.org/about/