Service member, soldier, news, write a letter.
Don't I know you from Somewhere?
08/08/08 19:06
This will probably seem like a ridiculous question to ask a military community, but when was the last time you wrote to a service member? I mean, someone you didn’t even know? I know in this day and age that email is all the “convenient” rage, but what about a handwritten letter? Can you remember the last time you sent some homemade cookies to a total stranger? I always thought of this as a cool thing because not everyone has a spouse or family that they can contact. Sometimes that one little letter can make a very big difference to someone, especially if they are a long way from home, or not having the most perfect of days.
How do you go about writing a service member when you don’t even know their address?
There are lots of different ways to do this. One of the best ways is to visit your local ACS or your local chaplain. They have a HUGE information database for interested people to assist you. Of course the largest database on the planet is the internet. You can use the internet to find great sites like Any Soldier. This is a fantastic site to learn how to contact a soldier, with plenty of the right info. It’s actually ran by a soldier, SGT Brian Horn, who was stationed in Iraq. Check it out.
There’s also the excellent Soldier’s Angels website ran by a large non-profit organization to help distribute letters as well as gifts to service members stationed all over the world. Actually its a network of more than 20 different groups helping to distribute these items.
So as you can see, the internet and your local facilities like ACS can be of immense use to you in helping to contact a soldier, whether you know the service member or not. So whether you are a master baker, poet craft-maker or not, and you want to do something rewarding for a “total stranger”, take some time out of your busy schedule and let a service member you know, or don’t know, how much you appreciate them and what they do for our country. Who knows, you might just make a life-long friend from a “total stranger”.
Here’s some links to get you started:
Any Soldier - Info about sending letters and gifts to soldiers.
Soldier’s Angels - Huge network dedicated to providing letters, gifts and treats to service members.
Adopt a Soldier - Individualized support throughout deployment
Angel Bakers - Homemade treats for the deployed
Blankets of Belief - Handcrafted holiday support for the deployed
Blankets of Gratitude - Handcrafted holiday love for hospitalized veterans
Blankets of Hope - Handcrafted comfort for the wounded
Cards Plus Team - Extra TLC for soldiers & families
Chaplain Support Team - Help chaplains support the troops
Eagle Cane Project - Handmade canes for the wounded
First Response Backpacks - Supplies for wounded in-country
Fisher House Team - Assistance for Fisher Houses & residents
Guardian Angels for Soldier's Pet - Care for pets
Hero Flights - Emergency travel assistance
Hero Packs - Care packages
Ladies of Liberty - Extra TLC for deployed females
Living Legends - Remembering the fallen and their families
Operation Outreach - Supporting families waiting at home
Operation Phone Home - Calling cards
Operation Top Knot - Handmade gifts & virtual baby showers
Portraits of Memory - Hand-painted portraits of the fallen
Scarves - Handmade heat and sand protection
SOS:Kids - Helping deployed soldiers help local kids
Valour-IT - Adaptive laptops for the wounded
Veterans Support - Assisting veterans facilities
Wounded TLC - Letters and care packages for the wounded
Wrapped in Holiday Spirit - 180,000 Holiday care packages for the deployed
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