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Help Soldiers and Marines bring their Best Friends of War back to US!


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Donations for 2010 Goal of $5,000

Donations for 2009  Goal of $5,000 for USPS shipping costs: $4,630 raised

11/02/09 Payson WalMart raised $3,000

Past donors: Update10/19/09 Thank you Sheresse in Cache Valley for the $300 donation.

Update 09/10/09 SEnator Bennett's office just pledged $750 donation to send 75 Utah Servicepeople care packages. Thank you so much.

Attorney General MArk Shurtleff's office donated $1,000 and we thank him also 09/25/09 From our wonderful Utah Attorney General: Join his FACEBOOK
"

Mark Shurtleff "You are welcome for the donation! I hope those soldiers have a great Christmas. Message me where to send the check!"

What wonderful officials we have in Utah.  Last  year Governor Huntsman and his wife donated $1,000.  Would anyone like to match their donations?

Letters:

 16,330 and counting

Kids make cards: 

 28,297 and counting

5,038 Christmas Cards have come in so far in 2009

Packages:

900 of 2,500 care packages for Operation Ensuring Christmas 09

3,000 to date

Stockings:

 2,088 of Goal of 2,500 for 09

Ann  of Santaquin, UT was Queen of Stocking makers, for recruiting 50 volunteers that made 1,100 Christmas Stockings this year. 500 put into Soldiers' Care packages 10/17/09, 300 given to HAFB for their packages, and more going out

1,638 in 08

Winners of Valentine's Cards for 2010: Leah of Spanish Fork, UT and her daughters and grandkids made 200 of the most beautiful hand made cards (Click to see them all)

Winners of Valentines 2010 Best Banner is Brownie Troop 723 of Airmont,NY (click to see larger)

 

Winner of 2009 Christmas Card is Eliana from West Hills Christian School in Portland, OR

 

Winner of 4th of July card  from school in NY

Winner of 2009 May Card:(click pic to see large) Brownie Troop 2049 from Newport Beach, CA

 Valentine's Day Best Card: William Onofre  Corona, NY

Click card to see inside letter and more Valentine's Cards

08 winners:

Winner of 4th of July best card from Primrose School in GA

August Winner, Aaron K., took an hour to make this card for our Troops at the Army Reserve Family Days, SLC, Utah

Operation Ensuring Christmas 08 Card Winner From Lehi, UT is Layne

 

Come listen to Gospel Singer Angela Winston that came to sing at our Welcome Home Troops Celebration June 14th!!  She headlined at our Operation Ensuring Christmas Nov. 5, 2008 in SLC. Come order the DVD!!

Watch the Operation Ensuring Christmas Concert 08 entirely here

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our hearts and prayers are with the soldiers and their families of those lost in Mosul today 02/09/09

05/01/09 We lost two more soldiers in Iraq today.

05/10/09Our Prayers go out to the families and fellow soldiers of Camp Liberty where we lost 5 soldiers today.

03/01/10  Our Hearts to out to a true hero and his family:

 

 

 

 

 

 

March, 2010:

 

Event: Fundraiser for MiCHAEL M.and Dance Concert       "Come support our wounded soldier!!!" Start Time: Saturday, March 20 at 6:30pm End Time: Saturday, March 20 at 10:30pm Where: Lakeridge Junior High School, Orem Utah   Drew Reese singing! Great Job Malory and Jenn for putting this on. 4 banners were signed for Michael, and so many gave so much. Col. Longboat expressed her love of country and gratitude for the opportunity to serve 4 tours in Vietnam and the Gulf War, though it cost her her sight and much suffering. What an example she is to us. She will be in contact with Michael to help him adjust to his new life without sight.


Letters To Soldiers is a volunteer program of Save A Dog & Kids Inc. 501c3 since 1999 sending letters, care packages and support to our troops in Iraq, Afghanistan and a hospital in Kuwait. Letters to Soldiers Inc. is now incorporated as of 03/26/10 and hoping to raise $5,000 this year for shipping costs and 501c3 application on its own. EIN number 90-0539279. Click for our Certificate from Consumer Protection

How Can I Help?

Your donation will help us ship what soldiers need most - messages from home.

Come see our newest Sponsor helping us raise the shipping costs for care packages:(Thank you Doug Osmond and Richard!!!)

Alphajobs.us is helping companies look at military resumes to offer them jobs, come add your resume for free. SErvice is free to military.

New WEbsite design and Logo by MarketSpash by HP sponsorship coming soon!!

Discounted Prepaid Shipping Labels sponsored by Sponsor just one soldier to get a package with $10.20

DubLi - Save Money!

click Logo! (Bid down to the lowest price for all your shopping needs:

Or just come get items, certificates to all major stores from Apple, SONY, Wii, Target, Itunes, and more at the lowest price on the internet and you support Letters to Soldiers.

 Another Great Sponsor:

"Thanks for your patience. YouSendIt would love to help! Below is a promo code for one year free YouSendIt Corporate Suite. For further reading about this plan you can check this link: "www.yousendit.com/plans/corporatesuite.

Gina B.

Marketing Specialist

YouSendit
YouSendIt  
1919 S. Bascom Ave, 3rd Floor  |   Campbell , CA |  95008

 

Receive monthly letters and pictures from our Troops for only $1 a month: Find out more...

Volunteer

Help us send letters and packages, or organize letter-writing in your area! Find out more...

Send a Letter To a Soldier

Take a few minutes and send a message to a soldier in Iraq.

Help Us Help Others

Do you know a soldier who could use a letter? A military family in need? Have a cause that could use some help? Let us know!

Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has been Invited to deliver opening remarks at The 2010 Milblog Conference
Admiral Mullen was sworn in as the 17th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on October 1, 2007. He serves as the principal military advisor to the President, the Secretary of Defense, the National Security Council, and the Homeland Security Council...
More
here Congrats JP! About JP: Milblogging: on Twitter

·         Name Military Blogs
·         Location Home, D.C. Metro Area
·         http://milblogging.com
·         Bio Founder of Milblogging.com which was acquired by Military.com, Cameraman in the PBS War Documentary Bad Voodoo's War, OEF & OIF Veteran "

"Thanks for all you do, Denise. 

Sounds like a "Welcome Home" series would make a great coffee table book with wonderful photos.
 
I'll get your link up later today on my regular News posts. 
Returning home from tours is a difficult adjustment and it can be very tough for some who experienced alot over there.

I'll add him to our prayer list at Church and hope to see you someday at the conference.

Best regards,"

JP

VA Mortgage Center.com is pleased to announce they will provide live streaming video coverage of the 2010 MilBlog Conference on their leading milblog You Served http://www.vamortgagecenter.com/blog .  VAMC and the staff of You Served are proud to offer this to those that are not able to join us in Washington, D.C. this year, but still wish to watch the many panels and participate as if you were there.  In addition to the live stream, online viewers will be able to chat in the chat room, and even ask questions of the speakers. 

 

WE are just one chapter of Letters to Soldiers  in Utah that in 3 yrs has sent 3,000 care packages to deployed military, compared to 30 chapters of other great national organizations like USO and Operation HOmefront (that we hope to grow to our mentor's levels of help to our military)

BUY A READY MADE BASKET: brian@gourmetgiftbaskets.com

http://www.GourmetGiftBaskets.com

http://www.twitter.com/GmtGiftBaskets

http://www.facebook.com/GourmetGiftBaskets

 

Thank you donors for helping us ship 1,600 deployed military their Christmas Care Packages with this year's Operation Ensuring Christmas: Come to Operation Ensuring Christmas 2010 to see who we are supporting overseas

The Biggest Thank You to J im from West Jordan, UT for the most generous donation of $1,000

Lindon, UT WalMart and Jackie for getting a $500 Grant

Hall family in UT $200

Garry P. of WEst Bountiful, UT $50

Renee T. of Utah for donation of $30

Jill in Lehi $30

Michelle, mom of daughter and son in law in Army

Jim and Sherry Retired ARmy

Kendra S. MA $30

Cell Phones for Soldiers for the 1,600 calling cards

Ann, Shirleen and other wonderful volunteers for making Christmas Stockings, Hankerchiefs, brownies, Popcorn Balls, Rice Krispie Treats, and making phone calls for donations for shipping costs.

Ann  already collected $500 from one company in Santaquin, UT  and last year collected 1,100 Hand Made Xmas Stockings.  See her article in our Utah Deseret News: Click "Press" to the left

 

08/12/10

Want to know what we do? Come watch this short Movie:

(sorry for technical difficulties, we need video editor to help make it 10 minutes in movie maker, see other videos below of what we  have done)

 

Thank you for helping Letters To Soldiers pick our New Logo Donated by Logoworks!

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OPERATION ENSURING CHRISTMAS 2010

We have committed to 3 Battalions/Brigades/Units this year for a total of 1,600 care packages and need to raise $16,000 for the USPS shipping costs of Flat Rate Boxes to Iraq & Afghanistan. We need volunteers to help collect funds, help at booths and make items.

Happy Memorial Day to all over beloved VETERANS. We will be handing out flags donated by Colonial Flag of UTah MEmorial Day at VFW service at AF Cemetary to Veterans, as well as special awards and flags to all VEterans at DAV Convention, and VFW Convention. We are collecting REd, White & Blue Card Making, Banner Making Supplies to make 10,000 4th of July Cards and Banners by June 1st. Schools get your students to make 4th of July Cards, Welcome HOme Banners, and Thank you Soldiers Banners!!!  Wow We have over 3,200 4th of July Cards so far. Way to go Cache Valley schools, they are the winner of the most cards and get a special Gift Basket of Scrapbooking supplies when they go back to school that we will deliver in person!!!! We have been giving these to returning soldiers as well as deploying soldiers and Marines!!! (1,300 cards mailed to one Battalion of  Marines.  WE will also be passing them out to military at Stadium of Fire, which MAAKAO is sponsoring Military tickets for only $10.

4Th of July Stadium of Fire with Carrie Underwood, Osmonds 2nd Generation, Our Families of Deployed soldiers, Just Returned Soldiers...come see pics by clicking Carrie

Wow Excelsior Academy middle School Students made 28 amazing banners to welcome home our soldiers (click picture below to see all)

Come see pictures and video of Returning ARmy Reserve soldiers as they come home to airport aired on Fox 13, ABC4 and KSL as well as their Welcome HOme Celebration and Another Brigades' too in July by clicking pictures above.

 

Happy Valentine's Day Cards/Banners are in and sent to our

troops. ( see winners on left)

Come read the cards, letters and see pics from our troops we mailed care packages to at Operation Ensuring Christmas 2009

Sneak Preview of WElcome Home Troops Celebration and Concert 2010 in planning

 

 

THank you:  DAV, VFW, American Legion in Utah for  your help doing United Way

count of homeless veterans and to help them get resources. This Veterans Day was extra special sharing it with our soldiers, our DAV & VFW Veterans, and Payson WalMart and City.

Click picture to see more

Thank you so much  to the 35 members of the Payson, Utah Orr family for collecting 35 coats, toys, and other items for the homeless. And Jana McDaniel for making hats.  Thank you also Brittney Naverez for infant clothes for the 150 plus small children in the Shelter and Utah County families. This year thanks to the generosity of families like these, many who would freeze and go without Christmas will get much love from you and your efforts. Thank you also ANgela of UVRMC REhab department for collecting Sub For Santa items for one military family with father in Afghanistan, and mother who was hospitalized and could not pay the medical bills

 Come read some of the amazing letters that come in from our American Children from all over America for our Heroes:

 In Memory of 9/11 and those who rose to defend our country

  read letters coming in today 9/11

UPCOMING & ONGOING EVENTS

OPERATION ENSURING CHRISTMAS 2010 is under way!  WE need volunteers, donations of funds for shipping and donations of items for packages please. info@letterstosoldiers.org *we still need some of the following items:  shoes, paperback books, games, toys, candy, small posters, women’s personal care products, Gold Bond and other foot products, card making supplies and stationary, sweat and T-shirts, pure white ankle socks, jerky, dried soups, dried fruit and other snacks, CDs, DVDs,  DVD players, any kind of Computer games and systems, small Christmas Decorations, nonpershishable smaller  dry drink and food items not in glass or cans, vitamins, soccer balls and school supplies to give to poor Iraqi and Afghani children

CLick here to read updates of what we are doing, who is helping, and letters from the military units we are sending to this year.

 

 

Last year's Operation Ensuring Christmas:

Come read updates here on what we worked on ,and new letters and pictures from our  Troops we served in 09.

Click to see all the pictures of the Event

The Biggest Thank you and Congratulations goes out to Payson, UT Walmart Employees that volunteered 185 hours on this project and raised $3,000 for the shipping costs of the care packages.

 

 

Click here to  Check out Operation Ensuring Christmas 09 TV Spot

KSL Ch 5 NBC affiliate to start running it

4th of July! Thank you Katie:

"We received the PSA and have put it into our system.  It will begin airing Saturday.

Click "Events" button on left to see all past events 

 

 

From our

Aeromedical Hospital team under A1c LL and A1c A.

A. that received the packages, cards and banners like this one for

two years.  

and come read

letters from military we ship to this

 year here  and see what we are doing this year. 

really need donations please! 

 

 

"Denise-

We would like to mail something to you to express our gratitude for all of the 1,000 packages you sent sent us.  Could you please send me your mailing address?

Blessings,
B.
 
CHAPLAIN B.
 MARINES "

 

Thank you Senator Bennett and Mark Shurtleff for your offers to help. Thank you Attorney General Mark Shurtleff for offering $1,000 and Senator Bennett for $750 for shipping costs of packages to our troops.  We hope Governor Herbert, Senator Hatch, and others will join them. See 4th of July Concert pictures and videos here

Thank you for coming to the Letters to Soldiers Booth with Civil Air Patrol Cadets, VFW and ARMY volunteers, and supporting our Troops with a letter, a small donation on the 4th of July Mini Concert Event.  We need to raise $25,000 to ship 2,500 Utah military care packages with www.letterstosoldiers.org/OperationEnsuringXmas09.htm  Thank you One Voice Children's Choir and Masa for the  special 10 yr old singing "Tell Me Why" to Kick Off Our "For the Children" project to send supplies to poor Iraqi children, and thank you Orem Civil Air Patrol Cadets for all your service that day!  Thank you TAYLOR AUDIO and crew for the amazing job you donated of stage, stage cover, PA system, sound board and amazing engineering as always, thank you DJ Shawn Phillips for mixing the best spinning as always, thank you all those that volunteered including our Marine Bradley, helpers Hussein and Omar, and all other wonderful helpers.

HELP US MEET OUR GOAL!

Thank you for helping us help the military and their families that are separated from their loved ones this Christmas. Donations also accepted here for shipping cost Goal of $5,000 for 2010

Receive monthly letters and pictures from our Troops for only $1 a month:

Also check out Milblogging.com by JP of PBS "Bad Voodoos War" and 10,000 plus military bloggers and cool films, books all done by military. Thanks JP for sending HR 707 to your Twitter, Milblogging 48,000 contacts.

WE have a Facebook page as "Letters Tosoldiers"

GREAT NEWS: Attention military who request packages from now on, just have everyone call to get this bill passed:  HR 707 WILL GIVE FREE SHIPPING TO OUR MILITARY.  CALL YOUR CONGRESSMAN & SENATORS TO PASS IT PLEASE! (237 CONGRESSPEOPLE ARE SPONSORING THIS BILL) What happened to this bill in 2009 in the SEnate?

  Jim Matheson, Working for Utah's Second District

 April 1, 2009

Knowing of your interest in veterans and military issues, I wanted to provide you with an update of recent congressional activity on this issue.

 When our soldiers are deployed, particularly to combat areas, their families immediately feel their absence.  These families are suddenly separated from their loved ones by thousands of miles, and often the only connection they have is the occasional telephone call or letter.  Our government recognizes the need for soldiers to maintain contact with their families and friends by allowing them to send mail and packages home postage-free. However, no corresponding benefit exists from the U.S. to the men and women serving in the Armed Forces.  Military families, many of them in financial distress, are forced to bear the expense of shipping packages and letters on their own.

 Recently, I co-sponsored H.R. 707, "The Home Front to Heroes Postal Benefits Act," which will give members of the Armed Forces serving in combat operations a free monthly postal benefit they can transfer to their loved ones. Members of the Armed Forces could also choose to donate their vouchers to charitable organizations, such as those that send care packages to soldiers. This simple, common sense legislation recognizes the integral role that care packages play in boosting the morale of the brave men and women serving our country in uniform. By providing much needed monetary relief to senders, this legislation shows appreciation for the sacrifices made not just by American soldiers, but also the people who love them.

If you have any questions or concerns about this topic or any others, please feel free to contact my office.


 

Sincerely,

  

      JIM MATHESON 
      Member of Congress

 

Our Operation Ensuring Christmas 08 for 1,543 National Guardsmen, Army Reservists, Marines and an Aeromedical Hospital  was a Big Success!  We have 1000s more cards and some candy and games that we wish to send to the ARMY in Kuwait from Utah that Chaplain A. told us about when we passed out 100s of cards, magazines and candy to the SLC VA. If you have any military that wish to receive packages, letters or cards please email us. Click here to see more pictures and letters from our  Troops that received our 1,543 packages.

WE REALLY NEED VOLUNTEERS THAT CAN DO CALLING to businesses for 2009!!! Sign up at info@letterstosoldiers.org

 For our Troops  Videos at bottom of page. Also watch "Saints and Soldiers" below thanks to www.gifamilytv.com Come watch our Operation Ensuring Christmas Concert and other videos there also or become a Friend on our FACEBOOK page "Letters Tosoldiers. "

Donations for shipping  being accepted here at

info@letterstosoldiers.org. Contact us at

info@letterstosoldiers.org to Receive monthly letters and pictures from our Troops for only $1 a month:

 

Come see how you can help two severely wounded Utah Soldiers get t heir home in Utah to be with their families.

_____________________________________________________________________

Help with a donation today for $9.95 (shipping cost for a flat rate box) to our Soldiers in Iraq  by  contacting us under "Find out more" in  box at the right--------- AUCTION TO RAISE SHIPPING COSTS CLICK HERE FOR AMAZING ITEMS, COURSES, SERVICES.

Please don't forget about our "FOR THE CHILDREN" PROJECT  to send pallets of school supplies, shoes, clothes, coats, first aid supplies, vitamins, soccer balls and more to the very poor children of Iraq so devastated and injured by this war:

 

Deseret News

 

_________________________________________________________________

 Listen To Bring Him Home Santa

You will cry when you hear this little girl sing this song!

http://www.bringhimhomesanta.com/  


Message from Congressman Jim Matheson

November 30, 2007

Dear Ms. Denise,

Thank you for sharing your concerns regarding the collection of letters and packages of support for soldiers currently serving overseas. I appreciate your interest in the issues facing our country and state, and I am happy to respond. When you contact me, you help me to better represent Utah in Congress.

I greatly appreciate all the work you are doing to ensure that our brave soldiers currently serving overseas receive the recognition they deserve. Especially during the holidays, sending them care packages and letters from their families, friends, and communities can improve the morale of our troops. I have always been a strong supporter of our brave young and men who serve in the military, and I will continue to ensure that they get the funding they need both when they are abroad and when they return.

Again, thank you for sharing your concerns with me. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact my office.

Sincerely,

   Right-click here to download pictures. To help protect your privacy, Outlook prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet.

      JIM MATHESON 
      Member of Congress


Current Needs!

Public Relations & Funraising Geniuses Needed

We need volunteers to spread the word about this volunteer effort! Do you have experience in any of the following areas?

  • PR - press releases, public service announcements, contacting the media (TV, radio, newspapers)
  • fundraising
  • getting sponsors
  • if so, run, don't walk, to your e-mail and contact me!
  • FRG volunteers from Army, Air Force, Marines, Navy

LetterBox Makers

Crafty people needed to make letter boxes for our Troops! We need letter boxes to place at local businesses to collect letters for our Troops! Contact me for more info!

News

Thanksgiving Day thanks to NPR.org radio, we received over 40 letters online from all over the US, Germany, Argentina, England, Canada and other locations. All positive and in support of our Troops!

Cards made by kids are coming in from all over the US with postage cost donations.

THE KORENGAL VALLEY, THE MOST DANGEROUS PLACE IN AFGHANISTAN FOR OUR TROOPS. WON BEST DOCUMENTARY AT SUNDANCE:

"Dear Military Troop Support Group,
So many of you have responded enthusiastically to news of the upcoming screenings of National Geographic Entertainment's war documentary, Restrepo. The film is directed by Sebastian Junger and Tim Hetherington.
We'd like to make this offer to you of complimentary full-sized posters, mini-posters and postcards to give to your members at meetings.

Just email me with the a name of a person at your organization, the quantity, and a mailing address. We'll have them shipped directly to you. 
If you'd like to take part in either DC or Los Angeles, I'm attaching the invitations for your members. They can RSVP with the address on the evite. If you have members in other cities, we are also planning screenings in Boston, Chicago, Dallas, as well as Ft. Hood, and Ft. Benning. The film begins opening in theaters on June 25 in NY and Los Angeles, and rolling out across the country soon after.

Thank you so much for your interest

--
Very Best,"
K.
PR Team, Restrepo
Army Wife
The Kitchen Dispatch Blog
http://kitchendispatch.blogspot.ocm

 

Thank you Charlene for working on revamping our website and our angel Shoshana for always being there to help us with our website troubleshooting!! We need more Volunteers please, and donations needed still!

Come watch Trace Adkins and the USMC Glee Club

 

Movies to watch thanks to the VFW, check out their site!!

Click here for the full show!
- Two brothers went to fight. One went to find out why. The highly acclaimed documentary, "Brothers at War," celebrates the courage and integrity of the American soldier and the American family. We'll speak with Jake Rademacher - filmmaker, actor and brother, on his directoral debut.



"'Come Back Home' was written in the wake of me losing my longtime drummer and former Army soldier John C. Williams. But the song started off as a reflection of how a military couple deals with separation. After the release of Come Back Home, Johns little brother was killed by an IED in Iraq. His name was Blake Williams. His platoon used this track as the audio to a memorial slide show presentation they did in March of 2008. It was for all the courageous men and women they had lost in the month of March. I am humbled by their service to our great country and I hope this song brings them some peace. My father served in Vietnam and I truly appreciate their dedication and bravery." -Pat McGee

 


 
 
  NOTE; Band of Brothers WWII hero passes, read more
Copyright 2007 All rights reserved. This program is part of 9 yr 501c3 Save A Dog & Kids charity  "giving kids an opportunity to learn service, compassion and self worth."