Bringing Holidays to Heroes

The holidays are coming up, and I'm sure many of you are starting to save for the gifts you'll be giving your families and friends.

But what about those who won't have a holiday with their family? What about those who might not get a gift? Soldiers Angels is there to answer the call, and they have set themselves a goal of sending out 140,000 Christmas packages this year. It's their Holidays for Heroes drive, and it is one I'm familiar with, having participated in it last year. I just received an e-mail letting me know they were getting ready to gear up again:

Soldiers Angels will be sending 140,000 Christmas packages to our troops over in Iraq and Afghanistan this year, with 70,000 coffee mugs which we have already bought.

These mugs will be filled with a hot chocolate packet, a hot apple cider packet, an energy bar or a cereal bar, a pair of white tube socks, 120 minute AT&T global phone card (regular phone cards won't work), and a Christmas card

The other 70,000 Christmas packages will be the same as above, except instead of mugs, they will be Christmas Stockings These will be sent to the CSH's (Combat Support Hospitals) for the doctors, nurses, medics and other personnel that take care of our wounded, and also for the patients that are at these CSH's on Christmas Day

We have to have all of this completed by October 31 so that we can have the month of November to get all of these packaged and sent off so the troops can receive them by Christmas.

Obviously, these goods do not appear out of nowhere. You can help bring the holidays to some of our heroes by donating any of the items needed, or money for postage. To find out how you can help, and where to send your supplies to, contact Bonnie at saalertteam@gmail.com.

A package of socks from Wal-Mart would only cost you a couple of bucks. You can get phone cards for $20. You can help bring the holidays to the heroes overseas who might not otherwise get one, if you can just open your heart. You won't even have to break the bank to do it. Soldiers Angels is a fantastic organization, one of the most hardworking and selfless groups you will find anywhere, and every little bit will help. So don't be shy -- help bring the holidays to the men and women making the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms.