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Thank You from Military Missions, Inc

December 31, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Once again, Operation SEND Christmas was a success! All the care packages have been shipped and we have received a few thank you’s already. It is so heart warming to read the notes. It is very clear that receiving a care package makes their day a little better!

 

A total of 2,880 packages were shipped during Operation SEND Christmas. That brings the total number of boxes shipped during 2012 to approximately 6,000!

 

During the past year, boxes have been sent to troops deployed in Afghanistan, Kuwait, Africa, South Korea, Bahrain, Iraq, Qatar, Kosovo, England and also to many ships that are positioned in the Middle East.

 

We want to thank anyone and everyone who was involved in any way. None of this would be possible without YOU!

 

Boxes upon boxes of donations poured in from all across the United States. A total of 264 Heroes were adopted as you shopped for and paid to ship their care package. Many people volunteered at the office during care package assemblies as well as day to day activities.

 

While our list of deployed Heroes continues to grow, so does our passion and determination to assure that every single one of them receives a care package.

 

Thank you for partnering with Military Missions, Inc. to support and encourage those that ensure freedoms known only to Americans.  

Filed Under: Care Packages, Christmas, Deployment, Military Support, Updates, Volunteers Tagged With: , , , ,

Make a difference on 12-12-12

December 12, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Can you spare $12 today?

Today is a date that will never come around again… 12-12-12. Six months from now, if someone were to ask what you did on 12-12-12, you probably couldn’t remember what you did.

Here is your chance to answer “I made a difference in the life of an American Hero!”

Our true Heroes are the men and women who are protecting our freedoms by serving in the US military. They make many sacrifices EVERYDAY for us. One major sacrifice is being away from their loved ones while they are deployed overseas. Thousands of miles from home, with no comforts of everyday living like you and I have.

You can make a $12 donation today, 12-12-12, and know that you have made a difference. Military Missions, Inc. works year round to send care packages to our deployed troops. We are a 100% volunteer operated, IRS approved 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, so your donation is tax deductible.

You may say “What would my one donation of $12.00 do?? How could that make a difference?” …  Well, let me show you.

Your donation of $12 will purchase any one of the following groups of items:

*12 packages of baby wipes*

*8 pairs of socks*

*13 Chap Sticks*

*24 decks of cards*

*12 puzzle books*

*15 cans of tuna*

*12 cans of chicken*

*25 cans of Vienna sausage*

*32 packages of Pop-Tarts*

*48 granola bars*

*24 bags of hard candy*

*48 pkgs of chewing gum*

*12 boxes of drink mix*

*Shipping of care pkg*

You may think $12 doesn’t go very far when you’re shopping, but to a deployed service member, the items above mean more than you can imagine.

Please consider donating $12 to help support our deployed troops during the next 12 months.

www.military-missions.org/donate

THANK YOU!

Filed Under: Care Packages, Deployment, Military Support, Updates, Volunteers Tagged With: , , , , ,

Best deal for your dollar on Cyber Monday!

November 26, 2012 By Leave a Comment
We receive many emails each day requesting care packages. Read and find out why your donation makes a real difference in the life of an American Hero!

Dear Military Missions, 
Just wondering if it was possible to get a  care package for the Christmas holiday? I currently have no family members in support of my military career. It would be greatly appreciated.

 

Dear Military Missions,

Thank you so much for accepting our request. He is truly my hero. He is really struggling right now and his spirits are really down with the Christmas holiday right around the corner and money being so tight. I am worried about him not getting any packages while we adjust back home to our new budget.  I am thankful for your help! I submitted a recent pic of my sailor and hope you can use it! Thank you so very much!


Hello! My brother just recently deployed to Afghanistan and won’t be home until NOV 2012. I would love it if you could add him to your mailing list. He is in the Army and it’s hard for us to get stuff shipped to him (money) so please, anything will help him get thru this.

 

Dear Military Missions, I came across your website.  This is the second year in a row that I will be deployed throughout the holidays.  I greatly appreciate everything you are doing.  I hope you don’t mind that I signed myself up.


Dear Military Missions, 

I have names of four Marines that our Family Readiness Office has given me. They are not getting any mail from family members so if it would be ok, can I send in their info so they can receive care packages? Thank you.

Dear Military Missions,

Thanks for replying back with an email. We have 42 Marines in the platoon.  We really appreciate all the stuff you guys are doing for the troops. I told Marines about the care packages and they were super excited about it. We’ve been here for only a couple of weeks now but are really short on food so this would definitely be a morale booster!!  Some Marines never receive any packages or mail. We haven’t received any mail yet in the platoon because we just got here, but I’ve seen multiple occasions where Marines didn’t receive anything just simply because they didn’t have any family members back home. Once again thank you so much and hope to hear from you soon. We are working on taking a platoon picture and we would be glad to send you guys back some pictures and letters. Thank you and have a good day!

 

Click here to find out how you can make a donation.

BEST DEAL FOR YOUR CYBER MONDAY DOLLAR IS RIGHT HERE AT MILITARY MISSIONS!

If you are planning to spend any time today shopping online please be sure to stop by our donation page on our website at Military Missions Inc and make what is sure to be the best purchase of your day. You can make a tax deductible donation via PayPal, and bless the socks off a deployed hero! We have over 4,000 names on our Christmas list this year, but we may not have enough money in the bank to pay the postage to send a package to each one. We need YOUR help!

Do you have someone on your Christmas list who already has everything?  Why not make a donation in their honor. We will send them a letter notifying them of your generous gift in their name and you will make it possible for every soldier on our list to receive a package for Christmas.

We receive many emails each day requesting care packages. Messages like the ones you just read above are just a few we have received. As you can see your donation can make a real difference in the life of an American Hero! We thank you for your support and partnership to SEND CHRISTMAS to our deployed troops!

Click here to find out how you can make a donation.


 

Filed Under: Care Packages, Christmas, Deployment, Military Support Tagged With: , ,

A Seat of Honor: Giving Thanks for our Military

November 21, 2012 By Leave a Comment

As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, most of us will stop and count our blessings.  Many of us will count living in the United States of America and all the freedoms that come with our citizenship as one of our biggest blessings, but most of us will not feel the sacrifices made for that blessing on a personal level.

For those who have a loved one serving, there will be an empty seat at the table. There will be a missing smile and a void that no one can replace while their loved one is deployed.

For many families, the smile and presence of their hero will be only a memory because their loved one gave their life so that we can continue to live in a free nation and celebrate this annual holiday.

As we pause to give thanks for all of our blessings, let’s set an extra place at our tables this year in honor of those who serve.

Let’s give that place setting the seat of honor at the head of our tables.

Let’s remember that while we are gathered with family and friends, there are many who stand watch over us and our families and ensure that we can continue to celebrate our freedoms and our blessings each year.

We also ask that you consider showing your gratitude by making a donation to ensure that each of the deployed troops on our list can receive a package for Christmas.

Our staff at Military Missions Inc is made up completely of volunteers.  No one gets paid, so every dime of your donation goes to ensure a package gets into the hands of each hero on our list.

You can donate right from our website via Paypal. You can also mail us a check, or you can stop by our office and make a cash donation.

Here are a few of the faces of those who have received our packages.

Thank you for your continued support of our troops through Military Missions Inc. It is our honor to be able to partner with you in this way.

On behalf of Military Missions Inc., we want to thank each one who is currently serving, and all who have worn the uniform in the past.  We also want to thank the families who serve here on the homefront.

We are forever grateful for your service and your sacrifice.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Filed Under: Deployment, Military Families, Military Support, Updates, Veteran Family Support, Veterans Tagged With: , , ,

Donation Ideas for Operation S.E.N.D. Christmas

October 29, 2012 By 2 Comments

OPERATION S.E.N.D. CHRISTMAS

One week from today is our BIGGEST care package assembly of the YEAR!! If you have never attended this event, then you don’t know what you’re missing!

We will be packaging HUNDREDS of items, within a couple hours, to send to our deployed troops. It takes many donated items to make this event a success.

Maybe you’re wondering… WHAT CAN I DONATE??  Well, here is a list of suggested items that we are always in need of. (Click here for print version.)

First of all, POSTAGE money is always needed! Even if we have shelves full of stuff to send, we can’t send anything if we have no money to pay the shipping. Many people think we can ship care packages for free… I WISH!! It’s costs an average of $10 per box for postage. Our goal for Operation SEND Christmas is to ship around 3,000 packages… you can do the math! So… with that being said, monetary donations are ALWAYS GREATLY APPRECIATED!!  (Click here to donate.)

Another item at the top of the list is PERSONAL CARE ITEMS. This would include lubricating eye drops, foot powder, baby wipes, chapstick/blistex, lens cleaning wipes, pocket size tissues, hand sanitizer, nasal spray, socks, vaseline, boot insoles, electrical tape. Imagine being deployed, probably in Afghanistan, with only the bare necessities. No bathrooms or showers for weeks or months at a time… Baby wipes are the showers… foot powder helps soothe feet that may have remained in boots for days. Receiving these personal items in a care package could mean the world to someone.

Next on the list, DRINK & SNACK ITEMS. How would you like eating MRE’s (Meals Ready to Eat) all day, everyday, for months? How often do you get the urge to run to McDonalds or Taco Bell? I’m sure you would look forward to receiving items like Slim Jims, beef jerky, cookies, granola bars, pop-tarts, gum, coffee, tea, hot cocoa, etc.

Some other things we send are items to help take their mind off things if possible. Items like a book or magazine to read, some playing cards, a CD or DVD, a Bible, pocket size games, puzzle books, nerf balls, or hacky sacks. We also include at least 10 hand written cards or letters in each care package. We’ve been told MANY times that these cards and letters mean the most to them. Someone telling them they are appreciated and cared about. Sometimes we send pictures drawn by young kids. Those always put a smile on someone’s face when they open their box.

So as you can see, there is meaning and love behind every single item that goes into a care package. I guess that’s why it’s called a “CARE” package!

So I hope you will be able to join us for OPSEND at the National Guard Armory on Airport Rd on Nov. 5th. (Be sure to register.) If you haven’t adopted a Hero yet, you can do that while you’re there. You can do a video shout out to the troops and thank them for everything they do. You will be AMAZED at how good you will feel afterwards!

If you have questions, email info@military-missions.org or call 859-221-9477.

HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!!

MAKE A DONATION ~ MAKE A DIFFERENCE

ADOPT-A-HERO

REGISTER FOR OPSEND

DONATION SUGGESTION LIST

 

 

Filed Under: Care Packages, Christmas, Deployment, Events, Military Support, Updates, Volunteers Tagged With: , , , , ,

OPERATION S.E.N.D. CHRISTMAS

October 18, 2012 By Leave a Comment

 

Don’t miss Military Missions Annual Community Care Package Assembly!

Monday, November 5, 2012

6:00 to 8:00 PM

Kentucky National Guard Armory

4301 Airport Rd., Lexington, KY

 

For more info about attending the event, please contact Linda at info@military-missions.org or call Barbara at 859-221-9477.

OPERATION S.E.N.D. CHRISTMAS is just one of the projects that MILITARY MISSIONS INC undertakes each year, and it is definitely one of the biggest! Military Missions, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting our military and their families, as well as our veterans. The organization sends care packages out on a year round basis, but efforts for Christmas increase tenfold.

On Christmas Day, our troops will not be gathered around the tree at home with family and friends. Instead, they will be standing watch over each of us, protecting us from harm and defending our liberties. Each one is a parent, a sibling, a child, a spouse, a friend, and an American. We need to send them encouragement as well as our thanks.

Several events around the community are planned during the months of October, November, and December each year. Military Missions Inc typically holds a community wide care package assembly which is open to the general public. The event takes place in early November at the Kentucky National Guard Armory in Lexington, Kentucky.

There are a number of ways that people can get involved in OPERATION S.E.N.D. CHRISTMAS. Military Missions, Inc. accepts donations in the form of care package items, personal cards and letters written to the troops, and monetary donations to cover postage which will be about $20,000 for boxes mailed out in December alone. Christmas care packages are typically mailed during the first week in December in order to reach our troops by Christmas Day.

Schools, churches, organizations, businesses, and individuals from all over the USA participate in OPERATION S.E.ND. CHRISTMAS. To find out more about how you can get involved, spend some time on our website. You may contact the organization via email at info@military-missions.org or by calling 859-221-9477, or you can drop by the office located in Millpond Shopping Center at 3650 Boston Road, Suite 146, in Lexington. Kentucky.

To find out more about Military Missions Inc., you can visit our website at www.military-missions.org.

 HOW CAN YOU PARTICIPATE?

PLEASE REGISTER IF YOU PLAN TO ATTEND THE EVENT!

* * *

BRING CARE PACKAGE DONATIONS
Help fill thousands of care packages being sent to our
deployed troops who will not be home for the holidays.

A care package suggestion list can be found on our website at

http://www.military-missions.org/care-packages/

* * *

DONATE FUNDS FOR POSTAGE
Make a Tax Deductible Donation to Cover Postage Costs
Suggested Minimum Donation: $10

* * *

ADOPT A HERO
Send some Christmas cheer to the Hero of your choice
by shopping for and assembling a care package

 

YOU

can make a difference in the life of an American hero!

Filed Under: Care Packages, Christmas, Deployment, Events, Military Support, Updates, Volunteers Tagged With: , , , , , ,

ADOPT A HERO

October 17, 2012 By Leave a Comment

HELP DECORATE OUR TREE BY ADOPTING A HERO

We are starting with a bare tree. Each time a Hero is adopted, an ornament will be placed on the tree.

YOU get to provide a little Christmas cheer for a deployed Hero of your choice by shopping for and assembling their care package!

* * *

How do you adopt a Hero?

First, choose a name from our Hero listing. These names are just a handful picked for our website. The list will be updated as names are removed and others are added.

~~

If you live in the Central Ky. area, you will shop for the suggested items and bring those items to our office or to Operation S.E.N.D. Christmas at the National Guard Armory on November 5th where you will assemble your Hero’s care package. Remember to bring $10 to cover the shipping charge on the package.

A card will be placed in your care package stating “This care package was made especially for you by:” where you will sign your name. You will be sending a touch of home to your chosen Hero who is serving in harm’s way on our behalf. What better way to let them know they are not forgotten during the holiday season!

~~

If you do not live in the Central Ky. area, you can still participate by shipping the items to our office or by donating a total of  $30. This will cover the cost of the items and the postage for the care package. We will do the shopping and packing for you. The special card will also be placed in the box stating it’s from you and your family.

Please remember all the troops, defending our freedom, who are deployed and away from their families during the holidays.

Visit our adoption page today and ADOPT A HERO! You’ll be so glad you did!

 

Filed Under: Care Packages, Christmas, Deployment, Events, Military Support, Updates, Volunteers Tagged With: , , , ,

Thoughts for the Holiday

September 2, 2012 By Leave a Comment

This Labor Day weekend you have probably enjoyed a cook out with your family and friends. Maybe you have watched a few movies or went swimming in the pool.

Have you taken a second to think about the ones who haven’t had such a relaxing weekend? Thousands of troops, who are deployed overseas, have many other things on their mind this weekend.

They are standing on the front lines fighting for us and our continued freedom. They are without the convenience items and luxuries that we are enjoying this weekend.

So, as you are celebrating this weekend, please take a moment to say a prayer for all the ones who can’t be home enjoying the holiday with their families.

 

Filed Under: Deployment, Military Support Tagged With: , ,

What Can I Do??

August 20, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Things are beginning to get busy at Military Missions, Inc!!

We will have a care package assembly in September and then OPSEND Christmas is right around the corner. We will be assembling and packing boxes to send to the many deployed soldiers on our mailing list. The list of soldiers continues to grow daily but with the sluggish economy and high gas prices, the donations are not keeping up with the growing demand.

Many people ask “What can I do to help?”  We can use your help in so many ways!

DONATE MONEY – It costs approximately $11 to mail each care package… that is strictly postage, not including the content cost. Last December, during OPERATION S.E.N.D. CHRISTMAS, Military Missions sent 2,900 care packages to deployed soldiers. In addition, there were 2,500 unit bags and boxes sent during the remainder of the year. You can do the math. This year we will need to raise over $20,000 to pay for shipping the Christmas packages. Monetary donations are ALWAYS needed and very much appreciated. You can make a TAX-DEDUCTIBLE donation directly from our website or by mailing a check to our office.

DONATE YOUR TIME – You can help out during the care package assembly. We will meet Sept. 12, 2012 from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm at our office in Millpond Center, 3650 Boston Rd, Suite 146, Lexington KY 40514. If you plan to participate please send an email to volunteer@military-missions.org or call Barbara at 859-221-9477. Our OPSEND Christmas will be on November 5, 2012.

DONATE ITEMS – Check out our donation suggestion list and shop for items on your next shopping trip. If you are a coupon clipper, sometimes you get items at extremely good deals or as freebies… and you just can’t pass them up.  (I know because I clip coupons!) Therefore, you have a “stash” with some items you’ll never use. Why not donate these items. Wouldn’t you feel better knowing it was being used and appreciated by a deployed soldier who received it in a care package? The care packages contain essential items like eye drops, shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste, foot powder, and socks. You don’t realize how much these items are appreciated when our troops receive them! The items can be dropped off at our office in Millpond Center during office business hours or during the care package assembly.

Money, volunteers, and items… those are the things we will be needing over the next several months. We need all of these because one doesn’t work well without the others. We hope you will help us make this OPSEND Christmas a success!!

As always, we are extremely grateful for any and all support of our troops through Military Missions, Inc.

MAKE A DONATION ~ MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!

 

Filed Under: Care Packages, Christmas, Deployment, Events, Military Support, Updates, Volunteers Tagged With: , , , ,

Bring Them Home

August 15, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Over the past few weeks, the Olympics have dominated most of the channels on TV. We have watched as the USA brought home a total of 104 medals, of which 46 were gold. Americans are very proud of the athletes who represented the USA at the Olympics.

What else are we proud of?  Our troops that are fighting for our continued freedom each and every day. Many people have the misunderstanding that all the troops were brought home a few months ago. The confusion was caused by the news headlines when our troops were pulled out of Iraq in December.  However, the truth is, a war is still being fought and more troops continue to deploy overseas.

So, if you happen to hear someone saying the war is over, please inform them that many of our troops are still in Afghanistan and other countries. They are making sacrifices being away from their loved ones and are risking their life every day for us. Military Missions, Inc. would like to say THANK YOU to all of our military, our veterans, and their families for everything they do. We anxiously await the day when all of the troops are brought home safe and sound!

 

Filed Under: Deployment, Military Families, Military Support Tagged With: , , ,
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