In my latest Taste of Home magazine, there was an article about an organization called Baking GALS (Give a Little Support). People can visit their website, bakinggals.com, and find names of soldiers who want to receive homemade treats. Begun by a woman named Susan Whetzel when her cousin was deployed to Iraq, there are now 1000 registered users on the site who bake for the troops.

This might be a site to check out just in time for the holidays!

  I don't want to criticize this effort by "Baking GALs".  I am sure that all the soldiers who are receiving their cookies are VERY happy about getting them!   Before I joined AnySoldiers.com (about 3 years ago) I first had a contact through "SoldiersAngels" --a soldier in Iraq who was assigned to me.  All he REALLY wanted was homebaked chocolate chip cookies, so for nine months or so until he returned safely home, that is mainly what he got from me (aside from other goodies I would put in each box.)  I DO understand how much soldiers miss such a taste from home.  But thereafter, as I liked the idea of picking my own contacts, I joined the AS website.

             I was curious and went onto the BakingGALs website.  There was a link there to a "Taste of Home" article called "Baker's Blog".  In THAT article there was a link to another article called "Cookie Mom Warms Troops Hearts."  In THAT article the author(s) said something along the lines in a paragraph on "for more information...etc." that "To find a solider in need of cookies visit www.anysoldier.com."  (This latter article appears to have been written by someone for "Taste of Home" and not by the lady who developed the BakingGALs website, so I'm not implying that she was the source of that comment.)

           I don't know if AnySoldier.com is or ever was a source for contacts by BakingGals or the website's supporters.  But IF any of that website supporters have gotten names from AnySoldier.com,  then there is the built-in conflict of security issue that AS stresses vs warming hearts with homebaked cookies.   Presumably both AS site and  The BakingGals site have ways of thoroughly screening the prospective donors.    It is probably then a difference of philosophy -- if you trust the people sending boxes to the soldiers-- as to whether you trust that a box being sent won't be intercepted along the way and tampered with. 

            But given that AS DOES require that people requesting names from this website abide by certain rules and restrictions, and a primary one is to NOT send home baked goodies, but only commercially sealed treats, I just want to point out  that this would seem to be inconsistent with using the AS website to get names of contacts for the purpose of sending  home baked cookies.   

              While I do love to bake I've restrained my chocolate chip cooking baking urges and instead tried to put together boxes that give as best I can a unique "taste of home."   Usually I send to units from Hawaii, and if I know there are some truely "local" service men and women, (and since I'm in Hawaii half the year)  then I send them smoked marlin, turkey spam, sometimes if they have a rice cooker I send 5 lb bags of sticky rice (and sometimes send the rice cooker);  aloha brand shoyu (soy sauce) etc.  I've been known to send the complete makings for "musubi" (a kind of turkey spam/ sushi hand roll);  dried tropical fruits; mac nut candies; and "li hing mui" mango, "crack seed" and other VERY local (but packaged) goodies that have been quite a hit.   Once I sponsored a unit with a large contingent of SW and Mexican background soldiers:  they got torillas; cheeses; salsas and hot sauces; and "Mexican candy" (ie, rather exotic sweets often with a lot of hot pepper mixed in...fortunately available in California where we live the rest of the year.)  I got some very nice feedback from those boxes also. 

           SO -  while I do appreciate whatever anyone is doing for our military abroad to warm their hearts, and bring them a taste of home -- I just thought I'd mention that for any addresses we get directly from AnySoldier.com,  we are expected not to send home baked goods.  

       If this other website gets their addresses from other sources and wants to set up different rules, then so be it.  But I just thought that a reminder of the AS restrictions might be appropriate in the context of this posting.

           Aloha,   Donna

Not sure what this has to do with Any Soldier but if you have any doubts about the Any Soldier policy check the FAQ question "Can I send Homemade cookies?"  It is quite clear on sending only factory sealed food items. Any Soldier contacts are instructed to toss anything that is not factory sealed.

The article about Baking Gals did not mention anysoldier.com. That link was posted in the Cookie Mom article--two separate stories.

I have been sending packages for five years, and am very clear on the AS rules. Not all sites have the same guidelines or ways of operating. This section is for mentioning other organizations that support the troops. Most people are capable of investigating a new site and discerning for themselves if it's something they would like to become involved with.

Just a thought, my daughter is stationed in Washington State, I also send her care packages. Everytime I send her a package, her entire shop acts like a bunch of kids, and if I put cookies or candy on the form, they all make her open it in front of them so they can have some. There are a lot of stateside military that are on bases that also don't have families to support them, I understand the concept of getting things to deployed, they cant get to Walmart or the grocery store and really need to know they are supported from home.  I hopefully will always be able to support our deployed military, but I am sure if there is a point of contact on a base that many would love to get homemade baked goods. There has to be at least 8 military bases in Washington State alone. Just another thought!

I could not agree more that sending homebaked goods is the way to show a 'bit of home' and true support, but it is also the BEST way to kill them.

DO NOT SEND HOMEBAKED GOODS TO TROOPS THAT ARE NOT YOUR DIRECT RELATIVES.  PERIOD.

There is no descretion on this.  Use the AnySoldier.com site to get addresses you will abide by the rules.  The troops are warned about this anyway and will throw out your world-class cookies, cakes, whatever, as their not wanting to be poisoned is likely more important to them than eating your stuff.

Sorry, a terrible sign of the times, but we want these troops home...standing up.