Help me please!  I'm a newbie junkie and am overwhelmed!  I've got boxes and addresses and jerky and handsanitizer and toys and....  EVERYWHERE!   I truly need some help getting organized.  How does everyone do it?   I've got lists of things to get and people to write and half-ful boxes and I'm just boggled....  Every forum post I read I'm taking notes and now I am almost paralyzed not knowing what direction to go in.  There are post cards to write.  Cards to swap.  Letters to go to the troops must be written and boxes to be filled and redone....  On top of it all, I feel like when you visit the local animal shelter and want to take all of the dogs home and can't...  I worry that I'm not doing enough.  I need some tips and advice in how to remember to breathe and mostly how to get and stay organized so I can fulfill my committments to these wonderful service people.  I don't have a lot of room and find my purchases piling up.  How do you keep track of what you have/don't have?  What you've sent/not sent to a group?  Which group wants what?  Doesn't want what?  How many groups are you supporting?

Am totally dicombobulated....sigh.

Oh, I so relate.  I actually started a thread on organization a while back, and I was just about to bump it up, as I myself have lost control. LOL  I don't think I can even answer "how many groups am I supporting" right now, and relatively to some amazing junkies, I know it's not that many!  Let me do that, then I'll come back and edit this post with the link.

As far as the emotional component, well, we've all been there, too.  I'm sure there are threads about it (Jenifer is always SO good at remembering what threads have been started and searching for them...), we can track some of those down, but I'm sure many of use can re-post our feelings right here, too... it's so hard not to be able to send to everyone.  Just. So. Hard.  If it wasn't, we wouldn't be junkies.

{{{hugs}}}

Let me dig up that organizational thread...

ETA: http://forum.anysoldier.com/forums/t/2780.aspx?PageIndex=1

Hey Kristen,

I think it's wonderful that you are going to "bump up" your organizational thread.  I know I need it.  As we all know, life gets in the way, we get detoured, and have to find a way to get back up to speed.

You will be helping Debbie (EmpressFrancis) and me out a great deal.

Thanks for all you do, Kristen, you are a wonderful lady!

Mimi

Kristen .... Great Job finding the link!!  

 I was just thinking I should re-read this myself!!  

I find myself up and down the scale on how I feel about my own organization from time to time..  Then somewhow it falls together again and the cycle of rooms over turned starts all over.. 

This exact topic has brought me and another junkie close as I told her we could invite each other over, we would know exactley where we could sit what should not be moved and probably could help packing boxes while feeling at home..

This crazy topic is one that must bring alot of smiles.. especially by those of us who are junkies and live it.. the thread link has alot of great info.. take a breath relax.. and a pattern a will start for you as well..  I think for everyone it is a little different. 

Jackie

Debbie!

I totally relate....!  When I think I am ready to lose it you know what I do? Go and join something else!  LOL! I am currently working on 3 patches for the FIF Quilting Bee, sponsoring one of those quilts, Running the card swap, accepting card swaps LOCALLY through a few friends, the local VFW, and the veterans home, Supporting our local domestic abuse shelter, full out adopted (really truly like hes mine a 20 year old marine, I swear in my head I think hes my son even though I am only 7 years older!!!!) on top of the normal things like writing letters, sending out packages and being a full time stay at home mom with a mild case of OCD (ok its a severe case) where my house needs to STAY clean despite having a 4 year old and a 2 1/2 year old little girls, making a movie to send to our marine, a scrapbook half finished for the same young man, and being a wife... and I think about it and I think YEAH GO ME!  LOL You'll be ok when I first came here (only a month ago, I had no idea what I was doing, dont worry you catch on fast after the first 3 or 4 boxes) My first suggestion read Kristens entries and all those posts attached. They had some great ideas. Then get a 3 ring binder, a three hole punch and good pens, stock up on everything you'll need to send, envelopes, paper, boxes(all sizes), customs forms & envelopes, address labels, tape, then in your notebook start one at a time and document everything names addresses, # contacts, EVERYTHING! You never know what you'll need, and you'll be heartbroken when they email you asking for those really great granola bars you sent them and you dont remember which brand you sent them! So what I do is take one day a week where I do my best NOT to think of anything I am supposed to do then the other days I say ok I am going to ONLY work on the boxes today and get them to the PO or I am ONLY going to write letters today or I am going to take a couple of hours and get my boxes and paperwork all straightened up and put together. Then I dont feel like its so stressful and I still manage to do everything on time(well so far) Anyhow hope that helps! If you need anything PM me!

Hi empressfrancis,

I can totally relate as well! Sometimes I read all of the postings from the soldiers and want to send something to everyone! And when I try to take on too much, it gets me crazy.

For me, I have to remind myself that I can only do the work of one person, and only what's in my budget (money budget as well as time budget!). So if I get overwhelmed, I try to take stock of what I have and who it needs to go to, and just do one contact at a time. Just do what works for you. It's supposed to be rewarding and fun, not stressful and mind-boggling.

empressfrancis:

I need some tips and advice in how to remember to breathe and mostly how to get and stay organized so I can fulfill my committments to these wonderful service people.

One thing to remember is that you haven't made a commitment to support anyone until you actually request their address. I've said this before, and so have many other people: make requesting the address the last step of the process, after you've assembled the package and have the time and money to send it out. I often see a post requesting something that I plan to buy, or think I have on hand, so I'll write down their name on my "Possible contacts list" - and for whatever reason can't buy it/get to it/don't have time. I feel bad that I'm not sending anything to that contact, but since I haven't actually requested the address I've not officially committed to supporting them.

Good luck! You'll do great! Just remember to breathe... 

Jenifer 

Dear EmpressFrancis:  I sure smiled at your plead - getting awash in projects yet sensing one can't do enough is one of those sure signs of junkie-hood; welcome aboard!  I must echo Jenifer's sound advice of minding one's own budget and making the request for address the last step in the process. It's not easy, it's not the only way, but when overwhelmed it can smooth a good many wrinkles.

I have effected acute organization taking over full rooms, spreadsheets, and so on and still hadn't satisfied my "junkie-hood" and I've had regular, seemingly casual correspondence with little stress.  I've had periods when I could not write, economic periods where even buying stamps was tight; flush times when purchasing tactical un-obtain-ium(s) was as easy by just skipping treats, and strained times when OMG! look-what's-on-sale! forgetting my own household (laughter) one might THINK it would never happen, but it can - and also requesting too many addresses (for me); yes, that's possible too.  One way to help one's self is to simplify: Limit the number of groups supported or, figure out some organizational system (there are many suggestions in the forums) to track, pack, & post.  Right now, I track with a (large) WORD document for each: starts with an  address (and update) page, then dates and contents of boxes sent, then my letters to them all in the same document. As it gets too large to open quickly, I start another.  For warrior groups followed through multiple deployments, I have several docs for each. This helps me too.  I know what I've sent.  I read the group's AnySoldier posting. I re-read our correspondence and if I'm supporting a group that cannot respond, I re-read my past letters to them to help me begin again.

This experience of awe at the number of contacts, at being awash in materials and forms does seem part of this experience. Very good suggestions all through the forums, but still: drill it down so it works for you. 

The first time I had a contact return for a second deployment, I was shocked (that they were returning so soon).. It so happened that others I was writing were winding down. I decided to focus closely on this one group. I learned so much that deployment reflecting on them in my writing and boxes. The experience helped me slow down: I started realizing that my task was not to supply the entire Army or Marine Corps, but to make appreciation tangible. Yes, I support multiple groups, I have a tendancy to get attached to whichever units I'm writing (write them through, if I can) - whether they write back or not. For me, if I'm inspired by yet another posting, I try to write the letter first, get my box together then, as Jenifer suggested: request the address last. It's helped me manage volume.

Whatever tact you decide to take, you can adjust it.  Just know (at least in my eyes) getting things managable for your own household is paramount.  They're out there taking keeping my family safe (yes, I have the long view), and I feel they're depending on me to take care of home.

I certainly know this feeling as well.  I first got involved with AS before my son deployed to Iraq and so my entire efforts went to my AS contacts.  When my son deployed, I made it my goal to send one box to an AS contact for every box I sent to him.  Sometimes I met that goal, other times I found it impossible to keep up.  Now that he is deployed again (this time to Afghanistan) I have the same goal and have faired well so far, thanks in part to imcome tax and stimulus checks.  My methods are a little unusual, however, as I seldom send to the same group twice.  I tend to look for the group whose needs fit the contents of my AS "cupboard".  I am led to request an address when a group "jumps" out at me.  There have been a few of these that have responded in a way that caused me to send to them regularly.   Oh, I do keep a word document of the name of the contact, the vitals, and date package was sent. I update it when I get a response from any member of the group.  Hope this helps those of you who feel overwhelmed.

 Greetings and welcome to the Junkie Family,

First let me say there is not one right way to be an AS supporter, as everybody does things a little differently, but all of our hearts focus on supporting our troops in very real practical ways.

After trying different systems, here is what I came up with.  My supportive DH purchased and built me a high quality shelf just for my Junkie efforts. I have a metal shelf I use to organize my soldier stuff.  I use boxes on top of the shelves to organize the stuff.  I have a box for healthy snacks.  I have a box for those powdered drink tubes, tea bags, and coffee.  I have a box for magazines, suduko puzzles books, crossword puzzles, comic books, and paperback books.  I have a male hygeine box. I have a female hygeine box.  As I get stuff, it goes into the boxes.  On this metal shelf I keep packing tape, USPS flat rate boxes and other miscellaneous shipping supplies.

You can look here in the forum and get into the FREE or Great Deals section and have all kinds of samples of needed products sent directly to you.  This is a fun and economical way to add variety. 

Let me just say that I may be the one organizing and sending packages, but my family and church are a huge support of my AS efforts and contribute regularly.  I also find ways to get magazines, books, comic books, etc donated. If I receive a letter or email, I always share my letters or emails back from the soldiers with this supportive group.

How I do support is weekly letters and care package boxes about every six weeks. I support a soldier and his/her group throughout there entire deployment or as long as they stay active with AS.  The exception to this is when I receive a donation of lots of something, more than 1 group can use, and then I do a search for the item in WHERE TO SEND and find out which groups need these items.

I have a file for each group I support or write to. For packages, I make a copy of my completed customs form because the copy I get back from the post office is not readable. I staple and I put the customs form copy, customs form and post office receipts into the group's folder.  This way I can track what I sent and not send too much of any one thing.  I wait for the soldier to update their AS page and gear what I send to what they request in their update.

I know you want to help all the AS contacts, that is what makes you a AS junkie. You will find a way to support our brave soldiers that works for you and is do-able. After all, if we bring a smile, a sigh of relief, or send our gratitude to our troops, it is all worth it.

Hope this helps,
 

This is a GREAT thread!

My 2 cents on this very topic:  We started AnySoldier.com because my wife and I were under the exact same feeling.  Our son asked for more packages, and we were already spending ourselves into homelessness as it was.  I had to turn to family and friends for help, and had no clue what this would become.  Within hours of the web site hitting the info highway, we were getting responses around the world.

And that is the point.

There are a LOT of troops out there that need and deserve support.  But, there are a LOT of folks around the world willing and able to do just that, and they are.

Many great tips in this thread, and we appreciate that.  My suggestion is to pick a group with your heart, forget using your head, it doesn't work that way.  Stick with that group, get to know them, grow and share with them, then be prepared to let them go when they leave.  Your support will be remembered the rest of their lives, you can count on that, even if they are lousy at writing back.

There is NO need to overspend, or even feel guilty that you aren't doing enough.  Send ONE letter, and you did a good thing. Any more than that is gravy.

Everyone involved with AnySoldier.com is part of a team.  A VERY LARGE team.  Yup, even the Junkies!

No clue if my rant helps, but your support absolutely does.....and we thank you for that!!!

We totally understand the feeling.  We have been fighting our urges to request more addresses recently, but the only way to do that is to quit reading the posts of anyone except the ones we have currently.  We have allowed the numbers of people who we are helping to support to dwindle as there have been over 50 of them who have gone inactive since the first of the year, which is the only way we will survive the year with beans in the cupboard.  That is really hard when you have the addiction as strongly as we do.  It is totally like drug withdrawal (I am guessing) to quit reading new contacts' posts. We have to keep in mind that we are "helping" to support them - not taking them on all by ourselves.  That to us has been the hardest. 

Gran

Marty's line, "I had to turn to family and friends for help" fits with my philosophy.  I simply cannot support every group I want to.  So, when I start to feel overwhelmed I turn my thoughts to recruiting.  I recently got 7 new individual folks who were not receiving mail and I wanted each of them to feel special.  Mind you I am already supporting a bunch of contacts who have varying size groups of soldiers.  What to do?!  I figured that I'm good for occasional letters and packages to each of those new soldiers but I'd like them to get more support.  So I went into one of the schools I work at and recruited 5 teachers and 2 speech therapists to each sponsor one soldier.  I asked for at least one card/letter/package/or postcard to be sent every 2-3 weeks.  They will be getting the kids to help with drawings and letters and in the summer, the adults will make sure that they send something out.  It isn't too large a commitment for any one person and now I feel better; some of the pressure is off.   And of course, my hope is that after these soldiers come home, maybe these adults will continue to sponsor new soldiers. I also have a neighbor who asked if she could help packing boxes sometime.  So, there is help out there!

Kathy  

Oh Gran - you have such a way with words - Getting that"beans in the cupboard" feeling again with all the holidays, low address counts, posts I've been reading - oh well - got lots of coupons in the coupon wallet and another relative just sent me a bunch of stuff in the mail - what's one more adrress or two or three or ... :)

Ann

Edit: Oh, almost forgot - gotta spend that rebate check and keep the economy going too:)

Thanks Marty.

Marty.........."The Great and Powerful Wizard of AS has spoken".....

That is how I view your advise to all of us!!!!    THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU SAID........esp.  "your support will be remembered the rest of their lives".   I know many of that feel that and some of the newbies need to understand that.   Just a letter or note is support.   

Marty (Oh great Wizard) thank you for all you, your family and staff do to help us along and learn.   Most of all thank you for starting up this site and guiding this AS ship.  

With much love and deepest gratitude............Anne Marie and family