Veterans Support Organizations Dedicates Plaque to Honor Staff at Winder Walmart

(BUSINESS WIRE)--Over Memorial Day weekend, while there were many tributes, backyard barbeques and pool parties, the local chapter of Veterans Support Organization took time to thank the staff of the Winder Walmart for their commitment to local veterans.

“Without the dedication of people like Chris, we would not be able to bring aid to so many of our local area veterans”

With the help of Walmart store #520 on Atlanta Highway in Winder, Georgia, the Georgia chapter of the Veterans Support Organization is able to help countless area veterans.

As a result, and to show their appreciation, Kelley Cassani and Chris Tullis, of the Veterans Support Organization, presented Chris Talley, operations manager of the Winder Walmart, with a plaque in recognition of his and the company’s ongoing support of the organization.

With Walmart’s permission, the Veterans Support Organization is able to raise funds at the Winder store. The organization’s fundraising efforts help them to provide ongoing assistance to local area veterans in need.

“Without the dedication of people like Chris, we would not be able to bring aid to so many of our local area veterans,” said Bill Mock, administrative director of the Georgia chapter of the Veterans Support Organization. “Walmart has been instrumental in our efforts in this area; their support is invaluable. We are extremely grateful.”

The Veterans Support Organization is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit that helps veterans who are homeless, or near homeless, organize a “path” to independent living. The organization has created and manages several programs that specifically address the emotional and financial needs of veterans.

The Veterans Support Organization currently operates in 11 states, including Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee and Texas. The organization plans to continue to open chapters in states that are not currently served.

To help, donate or learn more about the Veterans Support Organization, please log on to www.veteranssupportorganization.org or contact Bill Mock directly at 912.704.5523 or by email at bmock@veteranssupportga.org

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Soldiers' Angels Unveils New Text-to-Donate for Military Support

/PRNewswire/ -- Nonprofit Soldiers' Angels today announced a new way to support the troops just by using a cell phone. Patriotic Americans can now text "Soldiers" to 20222 to donate $5 toward care packages, assistance for wounded warriors, and support for veterans and their families.

A volunteer-based nonprofit awarded the prestigious Spirit of Hope by the Department of Defense, Soldiers' Angels has a long history of using high tech and social media platforms to motivate volunteers and donations. From raising hundreds of thousands of dollars through military and political blogs to winning a Twitter-based "Social Media Makeover" competition last summer, Soldiers' Angels has demonstrated a continuing commitment to using all available technological resources in its mission to support the troops.

"We are so excited to give Americans this great, cutting-edge way to help make sure our heroes receive the support they need in this time of war," said founder Patti Patton-Bader. "Five dollars really is a modest amount of money, but it adds up so quickly and means so much to our efforts. With text-to-donate we are continuing to use the latest technology to draw more Americans into this important work."

Along with text-to-donate, Soldiers' Angels is rolling out its new Mobile Support Club. Members of the club will receive up to four monthly alerts and updates on events, projects, soldier stories, support needs and much more, right on their mobile phones. Supporters can sign up automatically by texting "Soldiers" to 20222 to donate $5, or by visiting www.soldiersangels.org and clicking on the "Stay Connected" graphic.

Established in 2003, Soldiers' Angels is an award-winning 501(c)(3) with hundreds of thousands of volunteers providing aid and comfort to the men and women of the United States Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard, as well as veterans and military families through a wide variety of hands-on projects and volunteerism. For more information, visit www.soldiersangels.org or call 615-676-0239. Tax ID# 20-0583415

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Cell Phones for Soldiers Announces Free Phone Program for Returning Troops

/PRNewswire/ -- In response to a growing need to support military members returning from active duty, Cell Phones for Soldiers today announced an expansion of their services by offering free cell phones to all armed forces returning from service in Iraq and Afghanistan.

To achieve this goal, the charity is calling on all Americans to donate their old phones to the cause. The free phones are drawn from those donated by individuals and corporations; to achieve this goal, an additional 1 million phones will need to be donated in 2010.

"With tens of thousands of our brave troops returning from active duty this year, the need to help them get back on their feet here at home has never been greater," said Brittany Bergquist, cofounder of Cell Phones for Soldiers. "We are thrilled to be able to provide this tremendous service to our brave men and women."

The Helping Heroes Home campaign relies on the donations of used phones. Qualifying phones are refurbished and given to requesting soldiers along with a month of calling time. Other donated phones will either be recycled or used to fund the charity's free calling-card program for troops overseas.

Cell Phones for Soldiers was founded in 2004 by brother and sister Robbie and Brittany Bergquist. To date, they have provided more than 60,000,000 minutes of free calling cards thanks to a national network of individual and corporate supporters donating phones and money.

"There are more than 130 million phones retired every year in the United States," said Robbie Bergquist, cofounder of Cell Phones for Soldiers. "If just 2% of all American's were to donate their phones, we could supply every troop with a phone as a small measure of the gratitude of a nation."

Sponsors for this initiative include the Consumer Electronics Association, One Source Inc. and ReCellular Inc.

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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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