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Hi all. I have been mailing cards to depoyed troops for almost a year and just recently ran across a group at Forward Base of Operations who absolutely flipped over the cards senmt there...only problem so many wanted one or two and there were just not enough cards to go around...one of the things i have learned from mailing cards is many of these FOB have a very limited PX and as one soldier said "Thanks for the great cards...they are so much better than the 5 ugly ones we have to choose from at the PX!...probably why they are STILL there huh??" So I would like to be able to mail several boxes of spring/ St. Pattys/ Easter/ general ones to this group...they truly are my heros and so If you would like to join our group and help these brave men and women email and I will give you all the details....thanks
sue[/SIZE]
I have procrastinated long enough. I am in the process of making more cards to send on to you. SCS members - if you have extra cards think of Sue's project, or other similar projects. There have been several mentioned on various threads here. Sue, it is awesome to read the e-mails you have been sharing. Hopefully we can be morale boosters. Thank you, Sue, and all the others involved in these sharing projects.
In the past I have sent cards that they can use to send to friends and family. I did type up a "Thank you - thinking of you" message that I could just slip inside the card, but the military could remove before sending the card itself. I think I need to make more that would be appropriate to be sent to kids. BTW, I use the sentiment "thinking of you" on most of the cards - figure it could be used in most any situation.
Another BTW, I try to enclose a little check to help Sue with the postage, and I know she also sends a lot of other goodies.
That is so awesome...Here is how we have been doing this and it has worked out well...Make whatever kind of cards you like to work on the best...right now we are working on spring/St Patty's Day/ Easter but they can ALWAYS use
Birthday
Get well
Miss you
thinking of you
and just blank ones...
and there is always a need for cards that kids will love
just got a note from a Grandpa who said thanks I can't tell you how much the cards mean to me I have a Granddaughter back home I adore and the card was jsut perfect for Grandpa to write his favorite and most missed sweetheart!
Then just mail along with envelopes to me
If you have a name stamp please put on back of cards we have even heard from wives and moms who have gotten the cards and said thanks so much! Just makes your day !
My address is
Sue Salsburg
11637 Elton Rd
Navarre OH 44662
please make sure to include your email address as I send out updates as i hear from the different units.
It has been such a great way to support these men and women and their families
I hope you decide to join us
sue
This is an on going project until the last man or woman comes home from Iraq there will be a need to supply them with "cute" and awesome cards for them to send home notes to their loved ones...these cards mean the world to the families...one soldiers wife told me her sons had every card Bruce sent home during his deployment on a bulletin board in their rooms and hers were in a scrapbook.... it makes your day when you hear from the families and soldiers!
Sue,
This is such a neat project for you to take on and I would be pleased to send some cards to add to your bundle.
Thanks for including your mailing info and a nice explanation of the type of cards you are wanting. I'm going to go through my card stash right now and see what's already made and ready to go. Then I'll put my creative self into high-gear and make some new ones!
Susy
Please remember to include your name and email address with each set you send so I can let you know they have arrived and send along all the emails I get from the soldiers who use the cards...the "guys in the sand" as one of my guys have dubbed themselves love these cards!
If anyone has little boy general cards I have a soldier Bruce who is really missing his boys...
I just wanted to tell you a little more about these FOBs..... These guys who are at the FOBs are truly heros.... These FOBs usually have no bathrooms - not even a porta potty. I have visited a few and it is all men at these FOBs because they are so primitive and sometimes considered combat zones - they often have a "pee tube" which is a PVC pipe stuck in the ground that they pee in.... to do the #2 - they have a box with a hole it it. They place a "wag bag" into the whole - do their business and then place the bag in another bag and then they have to burn the poo :( There are no hot showers... some of them have field showers - which are basically a container of cold water and they pull a cord for the water to come out... They often have a "sink" set up outside with a small mirror where they can shave. There is generally no internet access, so they can not email home. There is often no PX - no chow halls -- basically - there is nothing.... these are also some of the more dangerous places to be. I wanted to tell you all this, so that you could understand just how much your cards really do mean to these guys.... Every time I have been to one, I take the guys some type of treats and goodies.... they really do appreciate anything - because they have nothing.... Thanks to all of you for sending cards to the FOBs ;)
Hi all, just a quick reminder, don't send anything with metal on the cards as it may not get through the security checks. Unless they have changed the rules recently. I have made lots of cards for my friend who sends cards from the USO and that was one of the request she made when I made her cards.... Have been deployed myself I know the troops love them, especially the ones at FBO's. Thanks for supporting your Troops!!!
Hi all, just a quick reminder, don't send anything with metal on the cards as it may not get through the security checks. Unless they have changed the rules recently. I have made lots of cards for my friend who sends cards from the USO and that was one of the request she made when I made her cards.... Have been deployed myself I know the troops love them, especially the ones at FBO's. Thanks for supporting your Troops!!!
Dang! Does that mean those cute little flower brads I just put on some pocket cards are a "no-no"? :confused: And to think I could have left them off, but no, I wanted the cards to be "special".....rats! Back to the drawing board...
Susy
I have had a number of cards that had the little brads and NONE have ever been declined...so I would say those are no problem...they do make cards awesome....I have had others that had other metal and again no problems...I think with the new customs forms that are clearly maked cards they get through...thanks again to all joining us in this effort...I am so excited to an great response...please remmeber NAME AND EMAIL with each set so I can ADD your name and address to the updates and let you know they have arrived
YOU ARE ALL THE BEST!!
Last edited by buckeye01; 02-19-2006 at 03:09 PM..
Great, I can use eyelets and brads again!!! :-) Thanks for the info, I'll send some cards this week, I made some special ones for Bruce to give to his sons!!! Thanks for doing this!!
I'll be on vacation for the next week and a half, but will make some cards as soon as I get back (the first week in March). If you can, please pm me the [email protected].
This is such a wonderful way to show our heros that we appreciate the sacrifices they make for us here at home.
This is an ONGOING effort as cards come in we( my preschool class who is in charge of box decorations!) package them by types ...
birthday
get well
blank
kids birthday
etc
then we pack them into the boxes....
we fill the top with goodies
crackers, slim jims rice krispie treats..etc....all these snacks are sealed so they can not get to the cards....then off the box goes in that days mail...we do not have a real time frame just as we get a full box we ship ---it has worked for alomst a year ...last mother's day we began and I am hoping as of this Mother's Day we will be over 10,000 cards mailed...which means to me 10,000 happy soldiers and the same number of happy loved ones...
It has been an amazing journey this past year and you will see as you join that the soldiers notes i pass on through our email updates will give you some sense of how much these cards touch the men and women in Iraq...
please remember when you mail to me to include your email address so i can let you know they are here and also add you to that update
I know the guys would think they are incredible...they can't believe that people make these cards...we have become their "Hallmark Greeting card store in a box!"
Thank you for joining this effort to support our brave men and women and thier loved ones...it is an amazing project that has blessed me this past year...you will be blessed as well
Thanks for posting this. I would love to work on some cards. Gets me in my craftroom and brings joy to my heart to help these dear soldiers. I'll get cracking this weekend. Happy to help out.
I have some to go out in the mail to you this week too....I will mail them on Friday (my stamp club meets on thursday night)....we will make extras to come your way :-) thank you for all you do to help others!!!! kristen
Please pass along my thanks to all who help at the meeting...make sure to send me your email address with cards so you can pass along the notes from Iraq to your group
sue
the first boxes of the new sets of cards will be leaving for IRAQ tomorrow..my preschool class have the outsides of the boxes almost done...tomorrow we will be finishing and packing the cards and goodies..........they are so excited to be helping "their soldier dudes" as one little boyu calls our guys...they are so proud of their boxes.. we are doing this set with a ST Patty's theme...
thanks again for helping to bring a bit of joy to the guys in the sand...
you are all the BEST
Wow --I don't think this really affected your swap...I have been collecting cards for the troops for over a year as have many others who post here and I think there is room for both...sorry you feel this ruined your swap...I think it is two completely different activites one is a swap and you expect to get cards back....the other is a donation to a cause....
On a brighter note-- Update with photos being sent out today...If you mailed cards and I have not sent you an email that I have gotten them( which means they are between your house and mine in our postal system) please email me so I can send this to you,.,the note form the soldier is priceless and I want you to hear first hand wehat your cards are doing!
I wasn't trying to say anything bad. I just didn't realize that I started my thread so recently after you posted this particular one. I think it is a great cause and I commend you and Thank you for what you are doing. My thought is whether we agree with our troops being over there or not, they are there, they are ours and we need to support them however we can. Thank you for doing what you have been doing (I have seen your posts before) to help support our troops!
***Needsmorestamps. Check out my tagline for a link.
I am so glad to have heard from you I agree completely on your war thinking ____ plus there are some awesome guys sitting in the sand daily defending our rights and we can not do too much for them...good luck with your swap I know any you send over are so welcome by the troops
sue
Last edited by buckeye01; 02-24-2006 at 07:42 AM..
Spring Cards for DEPLOYED TROOPS
