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Morning! How's everyone this morning? It's a glorious rainy day here in Northern California.
My son returns in March from his second tour in Iraq. Woohoo! Now here's the problem... I received word last night that the Family Readiness Group (I think that's what they're called - correct me if I'm wrong) hasn't planned anything to welcome home his unit back home to Fort Bragg. There are many soldiers who will come home and don't have any family there to greet them due to travel restraints or whatever. Unfortunately, I'm hampered by work restraints so my son will be one of the soldiers who won't have family there.
Here's the solution... The former FRG leader is a friend of mine and she is livid that the new group hasn't done anything as of yet. She and I are working together in these two short months to get welcome home bags and, hopefully, a BBQ arranged for the single/no family soldiers. I would like to put out the request for "Welcome Home" cards for these soldiers. We're still trying to get the number of soldiers who will not have anyone when they touch down in North Carolina, so I'm asking that anyone who wants to participate make at least 5 - 10 cards and forward them to me. I will give them to my friend, Randi and she'll take them back with her when she goes home to Fort Bragg, NC. Randi will put the cards with the bags we're working on and deliver them to the soldiers.
My address is:
Kelly Moss
Cards for Special Troops Battalion, 18th Airborne Corp
1932 Saint Augustine Way
Petaluma, CA 94954
Thank you, in advance, for all of your thoughts and work! If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to PM me or email me at [email protected].
P.S. If you know of anyone who would be able to donate items/food for the Welcome Home bags (movie tickets, goodies, etc) or for the BBQ that will follow their arrival, please let me know! We need all the help we can get in these next two months.
This is wonderful, Kelly. I've been making a ton of patriotic cards for our lady soldiers overseas and have some that I would like to send to these great men returning home. I don't have any "welcome home" stamps but have a lot of "Thank You" stamps, so I hope that will be okay. I'll try to get them shipped out by Saturday.
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Yeah! Count me in. Where in NC are they landing? Ft. Bragg? Could you contact any churches in the area to see if they might be willing to help out with the BBQ? Just a thought.
When is your deadline for collecting things? I'll definitely send some cards out to you.
Thank you that would be wonderful; after all, we are very thankful for their services! If possible, could you include a personal message on the inside of the card.
Quote:
Originally Posted by fura
This is wonderful, Kelly. I've been making a ton of patriotic cards for our lady soldiers overseas and have some that I would like to send to these great men returning home. I don't have any "welcome home" stamps but have a lot of "Thank You" stamps, so I hope that will be okay. I'll try to get them shipped out by Saturday.
We've got a update (due to my son's job, he didn't tell me any details):
The troop is the HSC, 18th Airborne Corp, out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
There are about 300 men and women in the group and approximately 1/2 of those are coming home to barracks - not homes. These are the ones we are wanting to look after and make sure they feel welcome to be home.
Also, if you could write a personal message in the card - thank you would be enough, but more is always appreciated, that would just make the soldiers' day.
Thanks again for all of your hard work and I'm looking forward to seeing the cards before they get passed off to Randi.
Yeah! Count me in. Where in NC are they landing? Ft. Bragg? Could you contact any churches in the area to see if they might be willing to help out with the BBQ? Just a thought.
When is your deadline for collecting things? I'll definitely send some cards out to you.
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you for the suggestion. They are coming into Fort Bragg. As details develop, I'll pass them along.
Count me in. I will start making cards. Do you want them mailed to you when I am finished? I don't have a lot of patriotic stamps but I thought a masculine thank you card with a hand written message would be alright, am I correct? I hope so. I am excited to help. These soldiers have been through so much, it is the very least I can do to say Thank You!
I am a Navy mom and correspond with a group of other moms. One of the navy boys had a sailor in his group that didn't receive any mail or gifts over Christmas. We are periodically sending him cards so he has his own mail. Its hard to be so far from home and have no contact. And there are so many of our enlisted who are going through all this alone.
My own son missed Thanksgiving and Christmas- alone in his barracks- because he didn't have any leave (and we couldn't get up there) It can be very lonely and a little thing can mean so much.
Thanks for doing this! It makes such a difference to know there is someone who cares.
Count me in. I will start making cards. Do you want them mailed to you when I am finished? I don't have a lot of patriotic stamps but I thought a masculine thank you card with a hand written message would be alright, am I correct? I hope so. I am excited to help. These soldiers have been through so much, it is the very least I can do to say Thank You!
Pamela
Yes, Pamela, you are correct. Mail the cards to me and I'll get them into the right hands at Fort Bragg.
Thank you for your work! I think the masculine card would be just fine.
I am a Navy mom and correspond with a group of other moms. One of the navy boys had a sailor in his group that didn't receive any mail or gifts over Christmas. We are periodically sending him cards so he has his own mail. Its hard to be so far from home and have no contact. And there are so many of our enlisted who are going through all this alone.
My own son missed Thanksgiving and Christmas- alone in his barracks- because he didn't have any leave (and we couldn't get up there) It can be very lonely and a little thing can mean so much.
Thanks for doing this! It makes such a difference to know there is someone who cares.
Your story made tears form. I couldn't even imagine the loneliness during the holidays while you're in the military. Count me in if you need anyone to fill a need!
Update: They've estimated there will be 200+ men and women returning home to barracks - not their "real" home. I'm trying to make as many as I can, but would love more help. Anyone?
Hi,
I am not sure if I will get a chance to send any cards out before then as right now is a bit crazy for me. I will try though.
Please thank your son though. I work with deployed students who are going to school online right now. So I speak to our troops in Iraq and Aghanistan daily. My brother spent a year in Iraq as well (and was stationed at Bragg for a while and it looks like Bragg is one of his possible next places to be stationed at again and deployment is likely soon again as well...ugg).
So this one kinda hit close to home. I wish I could be there to welcome some of my students home, but at least I have the privilege of speaking to many of them once they get home over the phone. It is always wonderful to hear from them once they have returned safely.
Kelly,
Thanks for taking the lead on this! Count me in, too. I'll plan on sending 20 cards, but when is the absolute last day you can receive them and still get the cards to NC? There's a lot going on in my house, so I want to make sure I ge these cards to you in time.
Thanks.
Kelly,
Thanks for taking the lead on this! Count me in, too. I'll plan on sending 20 cards, but when is the absolute last day you can receive them and still get the cards to NC? There's a lot going on in my house, so I want to make sure I ge these cards to you in time.
Thanks.
Thanks to everyone who made such adorable cards. I mailed 200 cards to the FRG this afternoon. The battallion is back in a few weeks. Without everyone's help, this very special gesture could not have been such a success.
Oh darn, I wish I had seen this post in time to participate.
Any time you need cards for troops, please let me know.
Also you might want to contact Soldiers Angels. They are a wonderful non-profit group supporting our troops.
Shameless plug: Please check out the patriotic card swap in my siggy. Looking for anything from cards using red, white and blue to thank you cards for soldiers.
kelly- go online to DunkinDonuts.Com, i know for many years they were sending free coffee to the troops, maybe they still do that. are there any 'Big Box-type' stores near you? like WalMart, Target, KMart etc? try and contact them, maybe they can give something as well? if there is a Starbucks, visit and see what they can give (maybe coffee or tea?) i know when i worked at Starbucks, we were always donating (both as a company, and as employees we would get 1 free bag of coffee a week, and we donated them to the Police District at Christmas).
also, what about Hallmark, they could donate cards. And Nabisco donates snacks to the AIDS Walk and other charities.
-laura s
Need Cards, etc for Military
