It's that time again!!!
This will be the last net of the year and we need everyone's help to make it great. Use as many posts as you like to suggest gifts for all the outdoor adventurers you know.
DTK's LIST
The top of my list is something that every American should consider.
Our troops are stationed on every continent on this planet. None of them are serving to receive a fortune in riches. They join to serve their country. Many return home having lost limbs, injured, crippled, or worse. Many serving in foreign countries lack the simple comforts and necessities of home. This is where we must come in. Here are some suggestions.
PLEASE, give this some thought!
1. ANY SOLDIER.COM - http://www.anysoldier.com/index.cfm
I suggest that you read the entire first page of the site (and they do as well), to get a feel for what they do. As the name suggests, all branches of the military are served by this charity. You get to select the branch(s), the type of support you prefer, where to send it, and what to send. Donations of money are appreciated and it gives them a chance to direct support where it may be most needed.
2. THE FISHER HOUSE FOUNDATION - https://www.fisherhouse.org/about/
Fisher House Foundation is best known for a network of comfort homes where military and veterans’ families can stay at no cost while a loved one is receiving treatment. From their website:
3. OPERATION FINALLY HOME - https://www.operationfinallyhome.org/Fisher House Foundation ensures that there is never a lodging fee. Since inception, the program has saved military and veterans’ families an estimated $360 million in out of pocket costs for lodging and transportation.
Fisher House Foundation also operates the Hero Miles program, using donated frequent flyer miles to bring family members to the bedside of injured service members as well as the Hotels for Heroes program using donated hotel points to allow family members to stay at hotels near medical centers without charge. The Foundation also manages a grant program that supports other military charities and scholarship funds for military children, spouses and children of fallen and disabled veterans.
Operation Finally Home designs and builds custom homes for our badly injured wounded warriors, most of whom are multiple amputees. para or quadriplegics. The homes are given to them absolutely free, with no mortgages.
From their website:
4. TROOPS DIRECT - https://troopsdirect.org/Operation FINALLY HOME was established in 2005 as a nonpartisan/nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization and has already had a significant impact across the country. To date, we have 218 homes completed or in planning in 33 states providing custom-built, mortgage-free homes to America’s military heroes and the widows of the fallen, those who have worn America’s uniform and sacrificed so much to defend our freedoms and values. While we are very proud of the work we have been able to do, we are keenly aware that there is much more to be done.
Their website says it best of all:
5. SOLDIERS' ANGELS - https://soldiersangels.org/Soldiers-Ang ... Drive.htmlTroops Direct makes the difference…now. No red tape, bureaucracies or chains of command. Just a commitment to those who serve.
When a specialized unit was deploying without the needed helmets & body armor carriers, TroopsDirect was there with this life saving equipment for their entire team.
When a generator powering a remote Special Operations outpost failed and replacement parts were on a 12 month backorder through the military supply chain, TroopsDirect acquired and shipped the needed parts in less than 72 hours.
When a unit was rushed to fight terrorism in the Middle East but did not have the necessary communications equipment, TroopsDirect special ordered and delivered the needed equipment for 16 American – ON TIME.
When medics in a combat zone were waiting over 4 weeks for additional stretchers, stethoscopes, syringes and gauze from their own military supply lines, TroopsDirect filled their request for help in less than 3 hours.
When one unit was unable to get fresh uniforms to replace their torn and bloodied ones, TroopsDirect acquired and shipped the needed uniforms. IN 72 HOURS.
When one battalion was resorting to using bottle caps to mark where land mines were emplaced, TroopsDirect was there with over 50 cases of chalk powder for marking these areas and saving American lives and limbs.
When an elite team was deploying from the U.S. to a critical ‘hot spot’, TroopsDirect got them all the requested items that were unavailable to them here in the States. OVERNIGHT.
When several units had no protein in their diets and were eating less than one meal a day, TroopsDirect was there with over 5 tons of nutritional supplements, energy bars & protein powder.
When our troops were going over a month without bathing or brushing their teeth, TroopsDirect was there with over 10,000 packets of body wash & 2000 tubes of toothpaste.
When our service members were drinking impure well water pumped out of the ground in 130 degree heat, TroopsDirect shipped over 50,000 units of hydrating drink powder.
When an infantry unit of 150 service members was without gloves and replacement socks in the dead of winter, TroopsDirect shipped a full resupply of these items.
Soldiers' Angels provides direct aid to all branches of our military, whether at home or abroad. One of our best friends, who is now a Gold Star Mother, has coordinated a Soldiers' Angels "No Sew Blanket" drive, which has been an ongoing project now for several years. Just one way to give. Here is what their website says:
Soldiers' Angels provides aid and comfort to the men and women of the United States Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, their families, and a growing veteran population.
Thousands of Soldiers' Angels "Angel" volunteers assist veterans, wounded, deployed personnel, and their families in a variety of unique and effective ways.
"May No Soldier Go Unloved" encapsulates the motivation behind Soldiers' Angels. The volunteers of Soldiers' Angels work tirelessly supporting our nation's veterans, wounded heroes, deployed service members and their families.
In 2016 alone, Soldiers’ Angels provided over $15 million in aid to over 360,000 service members, veterans, wounded heroes, and military families. Through the Deployed Support Programs, combat deployed service members were supported with 24,350 care packages and 148,984 letters. The Veteran Support Program served over 10,133 veterans with food assistance and handed out over 42,000 items bedside to patients in VA Hospitals across the country.
- Soldiers' Angerls.jpg (124.61 KiB) Viewed 1565 times
(I hope to make it to at least half the places this bike has been)