Sending Christmas Cheer to Soldiers Overseas
Guest post by Isabella York
We feel the holiday season before we see it. There’s a skip in our step, a hint of joyousness in people’s voices, and just a general cheeriness that is quite infectious. But for those with a loved one serving in the army, Christmas can be a painful time. When these families are struggling to cope, it can be a great comfort to know that generous programs exist that are giving a semblance of a family Christmas to soldiers as well as their families.
I know that there are thousands of families out there whose home has an empty chair this holiday and who don’t have the resources to stay in contact. I hope that these exceptional charities help these families and let them know how thankful we all are for the service of their soldier.
The idea for this charity came from the lack of cards with a patriotic theme, as well as those which expressed gratitude for military men and women for their work and sacrifices. The goal is to provide cards that allow patriotic Americans to thank their heroes and the military families who play such instrumental roles in their lives. Cards 4 Heroes donates 10% of their proceeds to military-related organizations.
This family-run, non-profit sends care packages and letters to soldiers whose families can’t send letters or packages, or those who do not have any family left. AnySoldier.com provides donors with names and needs of soldiers who would greatly appreciate letters of support and care packages. Troops register with Any Soldier, and when packages are addressed ìAttn: Any Soldier” by donors, volunteer soldiers in one of these troops distribute the letters or packages to soldiers who never receive mail.
Since it stated in 2003, Any Soldier has served over one million US troops and now includes other members of the Armed Forces, creating websites such as AnyMarine.com, AnyAirman.com, AnySailor.com, and AnyCoastGuardsman.com.
In 2007, Specialist Evan Housley noticed that not only do many soldiers receive no mail, those who do get sent care packages receive generic items that do not address needs specific to their gender, location, and a variety of other factors. Evan and his brother Ryan developed Herobox which became the only online system that sends customized packages to deployed soldiers. Herobox offers several ways for Americans to support the troops, from organizing a group to pack and ship HeroBoxes, to donating to HeroBox simply by buying or selling on eBay.
Turning discarded cell phones into prepaid calling minutes for U.S. troops overseas, the Cell phones for Soldiers Program connects soldiers and their families during Christmas. Cell phones for Soldiers sells donated phones to ReCellular, using that profit to buy one hour of talk time for soldiers abroad. Since its inception in 2008, Cell phones for Soldiers has raised $2 M in donations and distributed 500,000 prepaid cards to soldiers overseas. During Christmas, phone calls to loved ones lift the spirits and morale of not only the troops, but of families as well.
Perhaps my favorite charity of the lot is the Freedom Calls Foundation, a wonderful not-for-profit entity that is “Deploying State of the Art Technology to Keep our Troops in Iraq in Touch with Their Families”. Run entirely on public donations, they established Freedom Call Centers at military bases on the front lines. The Foundation provides video conferencing and telephone calls to soldiers and their families for free! This allows families to reconnect with each other on everyday basis, and special occasions such as birthdays and Christmas. Soon, the Foundation will be able to set up video conferencing in military hospitals to enable soldiers to interact with their newborn or sick family members. With the distance being such an obstacle, these services are priceless.
Christmas should be a happy time for families. But those families who have soldiers stationed abroad are instead left with a void which is why these charities are godsends. With the help of these groups, the pain of a loved one’s absence at the Christmas dinner table is at least alleviated by knowledge that he or she, and many others, know that they are loved.
Image courtesy of The U.S. Army
Isabella York is a mother and wife who greatly appreciates the service of our military men and women. Recognizing the importance of her family in her own life and the struggles of friends with soldiers who are overseas during the holidays, she has made it a mission to learn about any and all ways to reach out to service men and women during these times. Along with raising her son, she works for Balsam Hill, a purveyor of Artificial Christmas Trees.
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