One of my first (and best!) AnySoldier pen pals was Cpt.--now Major--Todd Schmidt in Kandahar, Afghanistan in 2004-05. Todd started a program called Operation Dreamseed to supply the Afghan children in his area with school supplies.  He began building the website, put together a board of directors, and got many of us to send supplies--all while being an active duty soldier in Afghanistan!  School supplies will soon be dirt cheap when the back-to-school sales begin. Please go to operationdreamseed.org to see how you can help this program. It is also being implemented in Iraq and Kosovo. Todd's philosophy is that by helping the children in these countries, we are reducing the number that will become future terrorists--and thus helping our military members deployed in those places.

Thanks, and have a great weekend!

What a great organization, thanks for sharing.  You are right, the school supplies are about to get ridiculously inexpensive.  I don't currently have a contact requesting these supplies, so this is a great thing to know!

Blessings,

Sara B. 

I was at Target last night, and the school supply section was already set up!! I remember buying  a zillion boxes of 24 crayons there last July for 5 cents a box when they went on sale!!  (There was a limit per customer, but I just kept checking out and coming back in a different line!!)

I was a little hesitant to send them to Afghanistan that early because of the heat, but my soldier (an Operation Dreamseed contact) said they were ok when he got them.

  Please check out this site if you haven't. It was publicized on AnySoldier when it first started out and has the same mission of helping our troops--in a not-as-direct way. Thanks!

I also supported then Captain, and now Major, Todd Schmidt years ago when he was in Afghanistan.  His posts are very interesting, and well worth reading (again) under "Old Contacts."  Todd and his support team have done wonders for the Afghan population; many of his soldier contacts are also on the AnySoldier.com website as well.  I believe Todd and his wife are in the DC area, where he is currently working for one Dr. Gates (as in the Secretary of Defense!).  You can check out his website at www.operationdreamseed.org to see all the great things he has done in Afghanistan.

Thanks everyone for the positive comments about Operation Dreamseed! Without AnySoldier, Marty and Sue, we wouldn't exist. They have been there from day one to offer encouragement, advice and support.

Daya

Just got our tiny local newspaper today and right there big and bold was the header:  Cottage Grove Resident raises awareness for children of Afghanistan.   Following that was a long article I wrote about Operation Dreamseed.  I figured the more people that know about this here at school opening time the better.  There are so many good deals out there.  And if the people want to contribute money I put the address in there for that as well.  Dreamseed can buy the supplies even cheaper than we can. 

Tommorrow's job.  Write every newspaper in any and all of the surrounding towns and on the map of Wisconsin and send them two articles.  One about AnySoldier.com and the other about Operation Dreamseed.  I love to talk - just ask anyone who has to listen to me.  And I am constantly bugging people about AnySoldier.  Now I have two things to nag them about. 

 And just tonight I got an e-mail from one of the men who runs the Wounded Warrior Project with the names and e-mail addresses of persons who have volunteered to be our contacts at the different Veterans Hospitals so we can send letters to the Wounded Warriors like we do our regular soldiers overseas.  I e-mailed the persons to thank them and have them send me the exact addresses to send our letters to and also explained about AnySoldier - altho they probably already know about AnySoldier - but wanted to make sure they knew who we were.  A bunch of "Junkies" not a bunch of NUTS.  Caring and loving Americans who want only the best for our young men and women.

I'm pumped!

Mary 

Congratulations to Maj. Todd Schmidt and Operation Dreamseed, for winning the Everyday Difference Award in the Microsoft Above and Beyond Contest.

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