Thursday, November 19, 2009

Community Supports the Homefront

There are so many ways we can support the organizations which are the foundation of support for our community. Everyone always thinks when a non-profit looks for support they mean CASH. That's not always the case.

Operation Homefront looks to find a broadbased way of providing support for military members in crisis. One family arrived in our area and after a short waiting period were offered on base housing. For many families this is a huge cost savings when they are able to use their military housing allowance for privatized housing on post. This particular family had only one problem...they had housing with no furniture. Not a bed, not a dresser, no living room furniture and no washer or dryer. Operation Homefront stepped in with donations from the community, providing slightly used furnishings for the family until they were able to afford their own.
All too often we look to find "what can we get" for those items in our home we are able to afford to replace. Why not reverse the thought and think "what can we give" and "who can benefit from it?"

Donated furnishings, vehicles (in working order only), non-perishable food items, grocery store or WalMart Gift Cards, all provide a level of support for our military families that can be turned into help for those military families in need. From the business community why not provide an in-kind donation to Operation Homefront. Instead of charging full price for your services, maybe you can provide a discount or "parts only". When service providers are able to share in the cost of a repair, Operation Homefront is able to stretch that donor dollar farther and is able to serve more families. Case in point, last Christmas a service member returned from Iraq and purchased a vehicle which "didn't run for very long". Because the vehicle was worth $500 and the repairs were in excess of $4,000, it wasn't cost effective to fix the car. Operation Homefront found a donated vehicle which needed a few repairs from one of the local used car businesses. Working with these two businesses, Operation Homefront was able to save 35% on the total cost of the repairs while getting the service member and his family back on the road and home for Christmas.

Non-profits to a lot with very little...but, what they are able to give to their clients is worth a fortune!

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Ways You Can Help

It seems as though the holidays bring out the best in people -- and for that we are grateful. During this time of year people are more aware of the needs of their fellow man. They think about that neighbor who has no family nearby on Thanksgiving. They realize the kids down the street whose father is in Iraq and their mother just got let go from her job might not have such a great Christmas. We are so glad that these needs are recognized and even more glad when they are acted on.

But what about every day? When the holidays are over and it's the middle of a bleak February, many of those needs are still there. The helping hand that was there in December is not extended in March. Those warm thoughts and feelings are shelved until the next holiday.

There are ways you can meet the needs of your neighbor, your brother, your fellow man or woman year-round. Applying for an Operation Homefront Credit Card allows you to donate whenever you make a purchase (Operation Homefront receives 1% of your purchases as a donation. It's a way of giving without spending more -- and helping our troops and the families they leave behind.


Monday, November 16, 2009

Military Family Month

"No one pays a higher price for our freedom than members of our Nation's military and their families. As sons and daughters, husbands and wives, and mothers and fathers are deployed, military families endure with exceptional resilience and courage. They provide our troops with invaluable encouragement and love, and serve our Nation in their own right. During Military Family Month, we honor the families of our Armed Forces and thank them for their dedication to our country." -President Barack Obama

This is how President Obama opened his proclamation to make November 2009 a Military Family Month. He encouraged "all Americans to honor military families through private actions and public service for the tremendous contributions they make in the support of our service members and our Nation."

He set an example of both private actions and public service by signing the Military Spouses Residency Relief Act which exists to ease the paperwork and hassles that come from changing one's residency every time the military moves a family. Now spouses can maintain a residency in one state, in much the same way service members have been able to for decades due to the Soldier and Sailor Relief Act. Taking time out of his Veterans' Day plans, Obama showed military families that he makes them a priority.
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What are you doing to honor military families this month? Have you chosen a public service such a volunteering with relief organizations or donating to morale groups? Have you done private actions such as bringing a family dinner while their dad is deployed or helping a struggling mom with a gift card to Harris Teeter? Every act, small or large, makes a rippling effect- blessing a family, strengthening morale for a deployed service member and, generally, aiding the troops in accomplishing their mission with a little less worry for their families tonight.

Remember if you are looking for a public opportunity, in the privacy of your home or office, just text PATRIOT to 90999! $5 can go a long way in supporting military families this month!

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

What to do on Veteran's Day

Have you thought about what you are going to be doing on Veteran's Day? Many will still be working their regular job and it will probably be just "another day". For others, particularly those in the military or in government positions where they have a day off, they may be thinking about a day at home with family. But, for hundreds of thousands of our nation, we will be looking back and reflecting on the sacrifice and service provided by our veterans.

If you are looking for something to do, check your newspaper or radio and you'll find many opportunities to participate in a local Veteran's Day event. Some local areas celebrate with a parade, others have speakers while others participate in a memorial event at the local Veteran's Cemetery. But, if you are one who's not shy, take the time to walk up to a military member you might see in uniform and say THANK YOU! I can guarantee you will bring a smile to their face and it might even give your "chills". It's not often that anyone takes the time to say thanks to our military. Isn't it sad that our lives get in the way of thanking those who secure our freedom 24/7/365?

Outback Steakhouse will be thanking our Veterans and Active Duty service members by providing a FREE Bloomin' Onion and beverage. Proof of military service will be required. At Applebees, Veteran's and Active Duty eat free at participating restaurants.

You can make a difference this Veteran's Day by saying THANKS. Smile at a service member, offer to pick up their tab at McDonalds or make a donation to your favorite charity that supports our military. Operation Homefront Hampton Roads provides emergency and morale support to our troops, to the families they leave behind and to wounded warriors when they return home. You can help our military families and wounded warriors here in Hampton Roads by texting PATRIOT on your cellphone to 90999. This will make a "no fuss" $5 donation which will be used to support the needs of our military families in crisis.

Operation Homefront Hampton Roads SALUTES OUR MILITARY, OUR VETERANS OF ALL WARS AND THE FAMILIES WHO ARE LEFT BEHIND during long and repeated deployments.

Happy Veteran's Day!

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Fear of Fundraising

Do you run for the opposite doors at the supermarket when you see the Salvation Army Bell ringers or look down at your keys with the Girl Scouts are selling their cookies? Don't worry, we've all done it. The important thing to realize is these activities, particularly those for the scouts, serve a purpose. For the scouting activities it's building leadership and community service. For the other organizations seeking assistance, it's helping other members less fortunate in your community who can't help themselves.

We are currently working with a client who has TBI (Tramautic Brain Injury) and PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) as a result of service in Iraq. This service member needs assistance with bills that he can't support with his current income which is disability only. Operation Homefront is assisting with his $675 dollars worth of bills to get his family back on track and not worrying about loss of home or collections while he waits for his open VA claim to be resolved. Another service member returned from overseas as a wounded warrior only to get 5 mos behind in mortgage payments and in danger of foreclosure. A family of 8, Operation Homefront is working with this family to keep them in housing as the weather gets colder and the holiday season approached.

Non-profits are continually looking for ways to make donating easy. At Operation Homefront we look to find ways we can make our fundraising efforts easy and non-threatening but still providing opportunities to raise funds for the military families in the junior enlisted ranks who need our help. What can you do to help? You can text PATRIOT to 90999 on your cell phone and donate $5 to Operation Homefront Hampton Roads. The $5 will be added seamlessly to your cell phone bill. You can use www.goodsearch.com as your search engine and a portion of the advertising fees collected by GoodSearch will be donated to Operation Homefront Hampton Roads. All you do is list Operation Homefront Hampton Roads as your charity of choice and GoodSearch makes the donation at NO COST to you. You can purchase a $25 gift card from Food Lion or Farm Fresh and drop it by the chapter office. These cards are invaluable during the holidays when we try to make certain military families have a pleasant holiday meal with all the trimmings. Have you thought about adopting a family during the holidays? Your choice on location and size of the family and we match you with military families in the area who are experiencing financial issues which place their family in need this coming holiday season.

It's not what you do or how much you choose to donate...it's merely the fact that you have! Take the time now...make that call to your favorite charity or visit our website www.operationhomefront.net and let us help you help a military family in need.

Monday, November 2, 2009

Sending some cheer...

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I was living two months ahead last year.
My husband was deployed,
so I was making stockings in October and
preparing Valentines in December.
It was a little weird, but I was determined
to bring as much joy to my husband's little stateroom
as USPS box would hold.
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The USPS has published the mailing deadlines
to guarantee holiday arrival to our troops overseas.
And don't forget to ask for flat rate boxes!
They save money when you are sending heavy items.
(Food, Books, DVD's, etc.)
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Send some Cheer!
And don't forget the families here at home.