UPDATE: A big Thank You to bubbanomics for issuing a rec challenge for this diary!
ol' bubbanomics will donate 1 dollar for each recommendation this diary gets, up to a max of $300 (after which point ms. bubba would kick me out). That's right, each one of you that recs this diary will squeeze a dollar from bubbanomics' wallet directly into the NFTT coffers. Get to clicking.
When I was a little girl, my uncle served in the U.S. Army stationed in Germany. I had no idea where Germany was, other than that it was 'overseas' and it sounded like a long way away. I didn't understand why my uncle was there, but I had the impression that he was making things for us. In those days almost everything around me bore the words: "Made in USA". I thought the USA in that phrase stood for U.S. Army. So I believed that my uncle was making the toys I played with, my dad's tools, and the appliances in our home. I was very proud of my uncle for performing such an important duty.
One day, knowing that our soldiers looked forward to getting packages and letters from their loved ones back home in the states, my mom and I decided to send a package to my uncle. What better thing to send than a batch of his favorite home baked chocolate chip cookies? We lovingly and gently packed our fresh cookies into a box, and sent them on their way across the ocean to Germany. I'll never forget my uncle's return letter telling us that he'd received the box. He wrote that the cookies had broken into a thousand little pieces, but that he and his fellow soldiers had eaten every last crumb in that box and they were the very best chocolate chip cookies ever! I was so proud to have done something that made the soldiers happy.
Have you ever sent a package to a soldier overseas, or have you been on the receiving end of one of these packages? Please leave a comment to share your story with us. Each of us now has the opportunity to help soldiers in another place far away. I know that they look forward to letters and packages from home just as my uncle did all those years ago.
Our goal for Netroots For The Troops 2009 is $50,000.00 (cash or in-kind donations).
PLEASE DONATE HERE
We realize that you would like to donate something tangible to go inside the packages that will be mailed to the troops. Unfortunately, accepting in-kind donations from individuals is not practical in terms of storage and handling of the items. The Pittsburgh Convention Center is a union shop so we have more stringent rules that need to be followed. Instead, we will only be accepting corporate donations or cash from YOU to purchase items for the care packages this year.
Here’s how YOU can help:
- Please contact Donnamarie or VeloVixen if you know someone who might be helpful in securing the corporate in-kind donations. To help you think of companies who could donate products, see below* for a list of potential items. Put your thinking caps on and let us hear from you. It takes time to get through the corporate processes so we need to hear from you ASAP!
- We are accepting cash from individuals and
beg ask that you DONATE HERE to contribute to this worthy cause. Your donation will enable us to purchase the things that we are unable to obtain through corporate donations, and will help to pay the costs of shipping them to our troops. This year your donations will be tax deductible, thanks to Netroots Nation and their partner Netroots Arts and Education Initiative, a California 501(c)3 corporation.
- Sign up for a diary! Our goal is to post two diaries per day until NN09. That’s a lot of diaries! Don’t worry---we’ve made it easy for you. We’ve got a template set up, and all you need to do is add a small introduction telling us why you are donating, sharing a story of someone you know who has served or is serving, or any other thing you want to share that might help motivate others to donate. Please contact politik if you are interested in posting a diary.
- Do you know a service member who would like to receive a care package? Email a request to: NFTT.request@gmail.com before July 31, 2009.
Please include all of the following information. Unfortunately we will not be able to process any incomplete requests:
Rank:
Last name:
First name:
APO Address Line 1:
APO Address Line 2:
APO Address Zip:
- Help us assemble the packages in Pittsburgh. It's fun! More information will be forthcoming for those of you who are going to be in Pittsburgh and would like to help there.
- Please consider joining the NFTT FaceBook Group. Invite your FaceBook and non-FaceBook friends.
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*The following list contains some of the things we would like to include in the packages. Please let us know if you know someone who might be helpful in securing these corporate in-kind donations. (Please DO NOT send these items yourself! We have no way to accept them. Instead, your cash donation is the very best way to help make this happen on the ground in Pittsburgh.)
- Baby wipes
- Mechanic's gloves
- Language translation books or CDs (Rosetta Stone as an example)
- LED flashlights
- Gel shoe insoles
- Goop Cleaning Gel
- Powdered energy drinks
- Gel energy food packets
- DVDs and CDs
- Letters to the soldiers
- More suggestions coming soon
Books for Soldiers
Soldiers love to receive books, but due once again to the logistics of collecting and storing them prior to NN09, books will not be included in the packages that NFTT will put together this year. Other organizations are more specialized in the collection and distribution of books to Iraq and Afghanistan. If you are interested in sending books, please consider checking out the Books for Soldiers Website. It is run by DKos's very own StormBearand is a great resource for giving.
Important Note about Successful Online Donations
PLEASE DONATE HERE
When you make your online donation, the screen indicates that you are donating to Netroots Nation. This is the right screen! Rest assured all donations WILL go to NFTT. If you wish, feel free to use the comment area provided to note that your donation is intended for Netroots For The Troops. It isn’t necessary to do this however, as this is the only fundraising activity being conducted for Netroots Nation at this time. For further information about online donations, please read TexDem's diary on the subject.