Sarah,

 

The wonderful thing about Sew much Comfort is  they will supply you with all you need to work on the projects. Except your sewing machine and thread. It would be great, though, if local companies would donate new clothing as well.

I have had great success with americasupports.mil.  I asked for a name from each brance of the service which I got the next day or so.  At the time, my contact did not have a name from the Coast Guard so she sent me a name of a National Guardman.  I have heard from some of my contacts that the British troops are amazed at the support we Americans send our troops. I will be in England for six weeks starting this Saturday so maybe I can get information on how to support them as well.

When I started this thread it was to learn about the strengths and weaknesses of other organizations and like all of you find that Any Soldier best blends the facility of identifying soldiers we can best help and our ability to have control over what, where and who we send. It's now been three weeks since I first started the process of applying to support a soldier through another organization and still haven't heard who he or she is. In that time I've sent 6 letters and 4 care packages through Any Soldier. So while I'm sure each organization is doing a great job with its heart in the right place, they've all got quite a standard to strive for in my book.

I have not strayed, nor do I have any desire to.    However, when I was at my post office to put a couple packages in the mail recently, the post mistress tried to convince me to join a group that she supports instead of keeping my affiliation with anysoldier!    I switched post offices instead.

Hmmm- Howdy neighbor!  Recently I was stuck in a traffic jam in Aurora and saw a banner on a warehouse marking it as a collection site for a support group from Milan I think- I was thrilled to see some local action going on and wanted to find out about what they are doing. (I don't get to Aurora very often)  Maybe you can fill me in on what you might know in a PM or e mail. 

I think as long as that clerk was speaking for our Troops- then why switch PO's?   Was she unpleasant about it- or was her thing totally not even a troop related cause?

Hey Sarah!

 I noticed that you are nearby me.   Sorry to hear that there is traffic in Milan...I thought that Lawrenceburg had it all!

RE: the post office encounter

I was tired and had waited in line far too long.   (My calculation...no idea how long I actually stood in line)    I had 3 packages going out to two separate contacts and I was wrestling with them more than I wasn't.   I got to the front of the line and was greeted by something like, "eh, these packages don't really go to the soldiers, they end up in a heap somewhere.    You should join my group, "blady-blady", they are much better."     I shouldn't use the quotes because the conversation was not exactly as worded, but the essence of the conversation is there.    Not a mean woman, but a pushy one.   I really thought that she would have been happy to see me just write out new addys and customs forms on the spot!   I did not do that, proud to say.   I happily informed her that I knew that my packages were going to get to their intended recipients because I had already sent packages to these soldiers AND had gotten a response from both of them!    (Lucky me, I know...I don't expect to hear from anyone but it is so cool when I do!)

I can hold my own with pushy folks and I appreciate that this woman's heart is in the right place.  I was a bit stunned by her comments, but that's life.    Besides this lady's attitude, comments, whatever, there was the fact that this post office was just TOO busy and apparently understaffed.  

 My decision to switch post offices was an easy one to make since I have the option of using the post office in the town where I work.    It is far less busy, I never wait more than 5 minutes and I am usually first in line when I walk in.   I already have a rapport with the two post mistresses who work there.   I like the home town feel of this smaller PO, it reminds me of where I grew up.  

I have been up all night once again, so forgive me if I am babbling or misspelling words.    I am trying to spellcheck as I go, but there is no safeguard against me babbling except for me to sign off!    That said, aloha for now!

I started with Soldiers' Angels and did support  soldier in Kuwait for 9 mos. as well as jumped in on other projects they ran as well. Then I found AS and would pick and choose contacts here. In time, however, the politics of the other group got to me. 

Suffice it to say, I much prefer that I can pick and choose who I support and how much (the other group exerted much pressure after you signed up ... if I had been told I was expected to send a package every two weeks, preferably one a week .. I would not have committed). I like knowing I am not the only person someone is counting on. 

You are sleepy aren't you?  As far as I know there is not traffic in Milan- it IS all in Lawrenceburg.  I saw the collection sign in Aurora (it's a carpet store on the river side of the highway on the Aurora side of Walmart)  (do they make a compass which points to the nearest Walmart?  I need one of those)

 That is very annoying when people make up their minds about something they know nothing about!  I hope that you were able to say enough to her that she might look into it and find out that who ever gave her the idea that AnySoldier packages were going into a warehouse was wrong.  I mean- as a Postal Clerk- you'd think it is kind of obvious that your packages are going to a person who is going to get them!- 

I'm glad that you'd already gotten feedback from your soldiers so that you were not dismayed by her comments. What a blessing.

I have used email our military for almost a year.  You do not get to pick your contacts, it takes several weeks/months to get names and often the email address is not correct so you end up never making contact. But the contacts I have successfully made have been thrilled to get any email.

I started out with Adopt-A-Platoon back when we were just in Afghanistan.  Since we couldn't do the "Operation Dear Abby" anymore because of the anthrax attacks, it took a while for others to get geared up to pick up the slack.  AAP takes a while because they want to only pair up single pen pals with single soldiers, etc. (which I can completely understand).  Prior to the creation of AnySoldier, I, too, became a part of EmailOurMilitary, but I got to where I didn't like how they did things.  Then, in the spring of 2004, I found AnySoldier, back where there were only 30-some contacts (and Major Bourland was the only only Marine contact, and still a Captain...).  I have since also joined up with Soldiers' Angels.  So, I've currently got addresses from AnySoldier and Soldiers' Angels, but I don't think I have a current AAP address.  I think I've got enough to keep me busy for the time being.  For sending mail, I like AS best, but SA does a lot outside of the "sending mail" - Valour-IT, and other "hands-on" things.  I've not really been able to be involved in those things, since there isn't a military base in my town.  That might change, though, depending on where I get a teaching job for this fall.

Actually I strayed when I found Anysoldier... I was with another group and someone posted something about finding their assigned contact listed here (which upset them to learn they weren't the only one sending stuff).  I came over to check this site out and never went back to the old one (I learned my assigned soldier was also listed on AS and that he was headed home, even though the group I was supporting him through didn't know he was headed home).

Hello again Sarah!  

Ha, ha, I finally really read your post.   Curious, were you stuck in the L'burg traffic on 6/14?   There was a lovely little snarl that evening that added 40 minutes to my 25-30 minute commute to work!    I, too, was able to take in roadside sights that I do not normally see, but I missed that banner that you are talking about.   I have a pretty good idea of where it is, though.   I will try to check it out one morning on my way home.  

You know, until I got into this anysoldier site, I was not aware that there are so many other support groups out there.   I am sure that if I had found another group first that I would be active with it and probably would be satisfied to remain with that one and not look around for other groups, you know?   That said, I can understand that my post office lady has her heart in the right place and that she probably feels that her group is the best one out there for supporting soldiers.   Me, I am glad that I found anysoldier first.   I know that it works and that is all I need.   More important, it is all that the soldiers need!   No red tape!

 OK, I guess that I am digressing from the topic of this thread now...or should I say that I am straying?!   Back to work!

I've thought of straying or the correct word would be moonlighting.  I have no intentions leaving AnySoldier. 

http://www.opgratitude.com/ (If I understood Marty's post I can mention the organization ?)

The organization is near my home. Individuals can volunteers to go in an pack up care packages for the soldiers.  I've never helped or really know that much about the organization. I just thought this would be a really good learning experience for my son.

I had just started to send support to a former anysoldier contact when he himself was injured. He had a personal blog that was noted in an update after his injury. I read his blog and kept up with him due to his wife filling in for him during his recovery. Some of you may know him, Chuck Z....his blog, From My Positon..On The Way.., He started the project VALOR-IT which provides voice activated softwear to soldiers who have had their hands injured as he had,had. That lead me to visit Soldiers' Angels where I signed up for the TLC team...to write to injured soldiers which I still do.  That said, I will say Once a Junkie, Always a Junkie!!.....There's no breaking this addiction!....

Well I have always heard that "word of mouth" is your best advertisment and I was directed to this site by a recruiting office...so that spoke volume and I enjoy the part of choosing my own...while if I could I would adopt them all but I am limited myself and do what I can.  I think most of us are like the troops out there, we are all in this and doing the best that we all can do.

Our family sponsored one troop through another website before I came across AnySoldier.  I will continue to sponsor that troop while he is deployed, but I have to say that AnySoldier is much more organized, and will continue my support here!

Operation Minnesota Nice is also supported by many volunteers in the state of Minnesota.  I haven't been to a packing party, or used this site, but one of my friends who was deployed said they rec'd a lot from corporate donors through this program while she was serving.

Kathie