So often do people come to me and say "I support the troops, I don't know anyone serving. How can I help?" This page is just about that! Below are some of some really great charitable organizations that help the troops.
Soldier's Angels
Soldier's Angels is a charitable organization that accepts donations to send care packages to deploy soldiers who sign up on their website. Their slogan is "May No Soldier Go Unloved." On their website you can donate monetary donations, specific donations listed in their Team/Project donations, and/or you can donate items that they will put into care packages. They also have several offers like if you use a specific online store they will donate money to Soldier's Angels. What I really like about Soldier's Angels is that they have a Letter Writing Team (LWT). Which is great for those people who want to help but don't have extra cash. How the LWT works is once you join, you are assigned a Team Leader. This leader will coordinate what days you wish to write and how many soldiers. The minimal commitment is one soldier a week for 3 months. The Team Leader will then in turn email you an address of a soldier who has sign up on the website on that day you choose to write. You get a new soldier every week. They ask you to introduce yourself, thank them for their sacrifice, and tell them some day to day things as they say deployed soldiers like to hear that. On the website they advertise how many soldier are waiting for "adoption". I think this is an awesome website. My husband hasn't been through a deployment but he said the greatest thing in Basic was mail call. He was devastated if he didn't get a letter. If you really do care about the troops and thank them for all they do. Then write it down. A quick card could take 5 mins to write. All it cost is your time and a stamp!!
To join or find out more information please visit Soldier's Angels
Cell Phones for Soldiers
Although in this every changing world of technology where soldiers can now Skype, I still think this is a good charity. Not every soldier serving has a laptop, and not every soldier deployed may not have access to internet. How Cell Phones for Soldiers works is they collect peoples donated old cell phones. They then sell them to a refurbishing company. They in turn use that money to purchase calling cards for deployed soldiers. This is a great charity because it literally is no out of pocket to the donator. Most of us get a new cell phone every two years. Some of us every year!! What do we do with the old cell phone? We give it to our kids to play house with or it sits in the junk drawer. If you sell it on ebay your not going to get much from it because likely it has damage and its out of date anyways. By donating it to Cell Phones for Soldiers, they can get more bang for the buck. Its easy too. All you have to do is gather up your old cell phones, go to a business where they have a Cell Phones for Soldiers donation box, and put it in!! Easy enough! Plus you give so much to a family. As an Army wife, there is nothing better than hearing your soldier's voice on the phone!! It is like winning the lottery!!
To donate or find out more, please visit: Cell Phones for Soldiers
Wounded Warrior Project
The last thing you want to worry about when you are wounded or have a love one wounded is money. Wounded Warrior Project offers many different programs to wounded soldiers. Their mission is to "Honor and Empower wounded warriors." They do that in four different ways. Through the mind in which they provide services to help soldier readjust mentally. Through the body in which they provide services so the soldiers receive the medical care they need, services to gain their independence, and to achieve a high quality of life. Through economical empowerment in which Wounded Warrior Project provides many different services to help returning vets to obtain jobs and be financially independent. Through engagement wounded vets are able to be a peer mentor for others to help them through this period of adjustment. This is a good charity because I think a lot of people think you either go to war and come home, or you go to war and you don't. They say on the website, "The greatest tragedy is to be forgotten." Today with the use of IED's are literally taking limbs from our service men and women. It is a tragedy to be so young and be without your limbs. Many young wounded warriors have to overcome many of these obstacles and Wounded Warrior is there to help with every step of the way.
To donate a monetary donation or to find out more, please visit: Wounded Warrior Project
