Showing Troops America Cares - Soldiers' Angels Send Holiday Care Packages

/PRNewswire/ -- American military personnel stationed in the war zones will soon receive Holiday care packages from nonprofit Soldiers' Angels. This holiday season, Soldiers' Angels aims to ship 140,000 Wrapped in Holiday Spirit gifts to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan and is calling on all Americans to join the final push to that goal.

Each Wrapped in Holiday Spirit care package includes a handmade "Blanket of Belief," snacks, socks, holiday cards and other treats with a personal note of thanks and support. Troops in the most remote regions of Afghanistan will also receive beautiful stainless steel coffee mugs. The "Blankets of Belief" forming the heart of the care package tell America's service men and women, "We believe in you." When they receive a Blanket of Belief, service members know that somebody back home remembers them, that somebody labored over a handmade item with love and belief in them.

Founder Patti Patton-Bader describes how important it is for the troops to know America believes in them and supports them, especially during this time. "Holidays away from home are very tough on our deployed troops," she says. "Please help us show them America cares--be there for a hero this holiday season."

Soldiers' Angels is soliciting donations, as well as offering a 15% discount at www.AngelsStore.org on Wrapped in Holiday Spirit care packages that allow patriotic Americans to order a package for a specific soldier or have their gifts sent to "Any Soldier" with a personal note of gratitude and support.

Donations for the Wrapped in Holiday Spirit project can be made online at http://soldiersangels.org/holidays-for-heroes.html, or sent to Soldiers' Angels, 1792 E Washington Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91104.

Care packages at www.AngelsStore.org are offered as a convenience for those who support America's troops, giving them an easy way to send a personal message with a gift especially designed to meet the needs and interests of deployed service members. The cost includes shipping, and any payment above the base cost of the contents helps to fund the many military support projects of volunteer-led non-profit Soldiers' Angels.

SOLDIERS' ANGELS is a volunteer-led 501(c)(3) non-profit providing aid and comfort to U.S. military personnel and families. Over 200,000 volunteers also provide assistance to the wounded, support for veterans, comfort for families of the fallen, and immediate response to unique difficulties. www.SoldiersAngels.org, TAX ID #20-0583415.

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How You Can Support Our Troops

(StatePoint) With hundreds of thousands of U.S. troops continuing to be stationed everywhere from Iraq and Afghanistan to Germany and Japan, American citizens at home are continuing to mobilize to show their support of our men and women overseas.

Individuals and businesses are doing everything from organizing donation drives and sending care packages to actually getting involved in developing medicines for soldiers on the front lines or working to find homes for disabled troops when they return.

Some of the more popular things you can do to help include donating computers, frequent flier miles, DVDs and phone cards, or sending care packages and letters to the front lines.

To help people learn how to get involved with donation drives and troop outreach programs, the U.S. Department of Defense has set up a Web site, listing such initiatives by type. Visit www.ourmilitary.mil/help.shtml to peruse the ways you can help.

Many are choosing to not only get involved themselves, but to organize their co-workers to help out. This can increase the effectiveness of a donation drive, as many employers are choosing to match donations or simply to donate resources like computer and phone time or stamps to help expand a donation drive.

Some small businesses are taking the patriotic call a step further by creating much-needed products for the troops. One such company, PolyMedix, Inc., a biotechnology company that develops drugs for infectious diseases and cardiovascular disorders, has turned its attention on helping the armed services by creating drugs and other treatments that soldiers can use against anthrax and other biowarfare pathogens.

And the company's work is being recognized by the U.S. Government, which has awarded it several grants and research contracts through the Defense Threat Reduction agency, the Office of Naval Research, and U.S. Army Research Office to help PolyMedix develop new drugs for the troops.

"We sincerely appreciate the support of the U. S. Army Research Office and its recognition of the significance of our work," said Nicholas Landekic, President and CEO of PolyMedix. "We are making good progress towards developing new types of antibiotic drugs which may be useful against infections caused by biowarfare pathogens and other serious infectious agents. We have received eleven grants and research contracts from different organizations, including DTRA, the Navy, and the Army, which all are going to support work that we would otherwise not be able to pursue."

So, when looking for ways to help out, consider things you can do at home and at your job with the participation of your employer.

Of course, most citizens don't have the resources to develop medicines or ship lots of goods overseas. But there are many ways individuals and families can help out.

If you are getting involved in any initiative to help the troops, consider asking friends and family for assistance and for participation from your employer, your child's school and even local community and religious organizations.


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The Phoenix Group Launches Wish Foundation for Active Military

/PRNewswire/ -- The Phoenix Group today launched a non-profit foundation that grants wishes for active duty Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen and their families. The Foundation strives to relieve the burdens of family separation, re-integration for deployed soldiers, hardship circumstances, and other means of assistance not covered by existing military charities.

The Foundation is driven by an interactive website (www.wish4ourheroes.org) allowing anyone to request a wish for active duty members of our Armed Forces. The website allows 'wish granters' to view wishes and contribute donations. Pictures and accounts of the granted wishes are posted online to allow contributors to see the impact made in the lives of our nations' heroes. The website also has apparel and merchandise available for purchase, and all sales benefit the wish program. The Phoenix Group's for-profit companies will contribute 10% of pretax earnings toward the Foundation, and will give employees the option of contributing a percentage of their paychecks to the cause. The Foundation will also rely on the generosity of other corporations and individuals to grant as many wishes as possible. Many foundations focus on assisting wounded soldiers and families of deceased soldiers, but Phoenix's foundation will focus on providing assistance and rewarding our heroes who may be experiencing other types of hardship.

"The Phoenix Group hires many former military soldiers into our various companies, and we would like to give something back to our nation's heroes who sacrifice so much to defend our great country," said Jeff Wells, President of Phoenix's Wish For Our Heroes Foundation.

The Foundation is headquartered in Greenwood, IN, with a second office in Houston, TX. It is dedicated in memory of 1SG Thomas G. Wells (1933-2009), a Marine Corps veteran of the Korean and Vietnam wars, as well as all of our active duty military heroes. To learn more, volunteer, or make a donation, visit www.wish4ourheroes.org.

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