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Fairfield’s American Legion post donates $50K to Operation Lakeshore

Printed today in The Birmingham News:

American Legion Post 137 in Fairfield has just 155 members and runs public bingo twice a week.

The paper cards cost a dollar apiece, and the small jackpots each night total about $1,750.

But large deeds can grow from small gifts.

Next week the post will donate $50,000 to Operation Lakeshore for naming rights to a duplex being built on the campus of Lakeshore Foundation in Homewood.

The duplex is one of 10 new homes called The Cottages of Lakeshore. After opening next month they will offer free lodging for injured veterans and their families who come for a Lima Foxtrot program at Lakeshore that teaches active and independent living — despite paralysis, blindness, amputation or other service injury.

“We figured we couldn’t afford not to do it,” said Roy Gallups, commander of the Fairfield post. “When it was brought to the floor, it was a unanimous decision to do that for veterans.”

Members of the American Legion post were swayed by a video that featured Noah Galloway, a double-amputee 101st Airborne veteran from Alabaster, and by a story about the cottages in The Birmingham News.

Gallups said the gift fits one of the main missions of the American Legion — veterans rehabilitation. Other missions of the nonprofit organization for veterans who have served in the military during times of war are Americanism, such as the civics learned in Legion-sponsored Boys State and Girls State; child welfare, including youth baseball; and national security.

“Our commander wanted to do something that would be a lasting reflection of everyone who has gone before us in the post,” said post adjutant James Mosier. “It’s the largest gift we’ve ever attempted to accomplish.”

The cottages are a $2.3 million charitable effort organized by Birmingham’s Capstone Companies and supported by more than 90 companies and groups that have donated labor, materials and money. They fill a need for veterans and families who come to a Lima Foxtrot program — the chance to stay together as veterans learn how much they can accomplish physically.

Up to now, the 800 military service members who came to a Lima Foxtrot program stayed in dorms, while their families stayed elsewhere off campus.

This gift from the Fairfield American Legion pushes fundraising for the cottages past $2 million, with just $260,000 to go.

Operation Lakeshore is still offering several naming rights at the cottages, from benches to the naming of the entire community.

The gift from American Legion Post 137, founded in April 1932, is the second from a west Jefferson County veterans group. Last month the Veterans of Foreign Wars Bailey-Rogers Post in Bessemer gave $50,000.

The two posts have decided to share one duplex, and plaques on each front door will mark the donations.

Mosier said the American Legion gift fits the pledge that post members recite at the close of each monthly meeting: “Let service to the community, state and nation be ever a main objective of the American Legion and its members . . . (and) nothing shall swerve us from the path of justice, freedom and democracy.”

American Legion Post 137 can be contacted at (205) 788-1432‎ or www.legion.org.

Help for the Holidays

This winter, an estimated 140,000 U.S. military personnel will be serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, in combat environments or in support of combat operations. Some will be on their 4th or 5th deployments–spending yet another Holiday away from the loving arms of family and friends. We want them to know that they are remembered, that we are thinking of them during the winter Holiday Season, and that we are grateful for their service. Since we can’t all wrap our arms around them in person to show how much we love and appreciate them, Soldiers’ Angels needs your help to make sure each one of America’s heroes is Wrapped in Holiday Spirit.

Wrapped in Holiday Spirit & Blankets of Belief

Please help us make sure that our deployed Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines this Holiday Season know: “We haven’t forgotten you, we support you, and we believe in you!”

Handmade “Blankets of Belief” form the heart of the Soldiers’ Angels Wrapped in Holiday Spirit care packages for the 2009 Holiday Season. These special Blankets are designed to tell America’s service men and women, “We believe in you.” When deployed service members receive a Blanket of Belief, they know that somebody back home remembers them, that somebody labored over a handmade blanket with love and belief in them. Along with the handmade Blanket, each Wrapped in Holiday Spirit care package includes a collection of yummy snacks, socks, and a holiday card with a personal note of thanks and support.

Many Ways to Help

• Spread the word with a general info flyer, or a flyer about sending holiday greeting cards [pdf files].
• Make a Blanket of Belief (we have a no-sew-option!)
• Donate a complete care package (you can now donate in honor of someone) or contribute hot chocolate packets toward care packages — select “Any Hero” for shipping address
• Donate other care package items: gum, candy/health bars, Tootsie Rolls, and white or khaki athletic/boot socks. Please include a note inside each box that contains your name, address, phone number, and an itemized list of contents with estimated value. Click here to purchase bulk items at a discount rate and ship directly to Soldiers’ Angels.

Soldiers’ Angels
Wrapped in Holiday Spirit
4408 PanAm Expressway
San Antonio, TX 78218

Soldiers’ Angels
Wrapped in Holiday Spirit
112 Greenhill Road
Ramseur, NC 27316

Soldiers’ Angels
Wrapped in Holiday Spirit
914 Tourmaline Dr
Newbury Park, CA 91320

Help cover the cost of shipping 140,000 care packages overseas

Soldiers’ Angels
Wrapped in Holiday Spirit
1792 E. Washington Blvd
Pasadena, CA 91104

140,000 Care Packages!

Please help Soldiers’ Angels place a gift and personal message of support into the hands of each deployed military man and woman this December. Help us tell them, “We believe in you!”

We are committed to providing Wrapped in Holiday Spirit care packages to every Soldier, Sailor, Airman and Marine deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan. That’s around 140,000 gifts to purchase, assemble, and ship halfway around the world! This is a big challenge but with your support and our wonderful group of hard-working volunteers, it can be done!

“I am part of [an] Air Control Squadron deployed to Iraq. I would like to thank your organization for the care package I received on Thanksgiving Day here in Iraq. The contents were very thoughtful and useful, and I greatly appreciated it. I would also like to thank the young ladies of Brownie Troop 547 in Buxton, Maine for their Christmas card.

Being away from our families and loved ones at this time of year is a definite hardship and this package has helped deal with the stresses of deployed life. Thank you again and God Bless you.”

Captain A.B.

“To those that have taken their time to prepare the packages for soldier’s here in Iraq: Thank you so much for the kind Christmas thoughts. Please see the attached. Happy holidays!!”

MSG Hyer

Tremendous thanks to Business Christmas cards leader Prudent Publishing for their generous donation of cards for the care packages for the third year in a row!

Soldiers’ Angels is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and donations are tax deductible. Please consult your tax adviser for details.

Tuskegee VA needs your help

I received an urgent message from fellow Bama Angel Bonnie regarding the Tuskegee VA’s needs:

I spoke with a Volunteer officer (Lisa) yesterday regarding her immediate needs. This facility has had a sudden influx of new patients both at the their hospital and nursing home. There has been an increase of homeless vets showing up now as well.

Please send what you can ASAP of the following:

• Full sizes can be used in the nursing home, hotel sizes can be used in hospitals and by the homeless vets. Anything will help as they are having to take $$$ from other programs to purchase basic necessities.

• Body wash
• Toothpaste, Toothbrushes
• Deodorant
• Shampoo
• Body lotion
• Vaseline

Please send what you can, or send gift cards from Walmart to purchase these supplies.

CHECKS/CASH DONATIONS:

Please specify in a letter which account or program you wish your donation to support. Also include a name and complete address for acknowledgment of donation.

Please mail to:
Attn: William H. Petty
Central Alabama Veterans Health Care System
2400 Hospital Road
Tuskegee, AL 36083

PLEASE be sure to note that you are a Soldiers’ Angel. We are developing a relationship with all of these VAs and we WANT them to know that we are here for them and they can count on us!

Thanks Angels!

April Showers Bring Soldiers Dollars

Courtesy of the Soldiers’ Angels blog:

Help Us Collect Dollars to Cool Down 140,000 Soldiers

THE HEAT IS ON!!!

With temperatures soaring up above 120 degrees some days, cool packs are needed for our Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen and Coast Guardsmen!

Help us cool down our heroes!

“We will strive to make sure that every soldier deployed in a combat area receives a cool pack stuffed with lip balm, snacks, gum, drink mixes, sunscreen, wet wipes, sand scarf, and other comfort items to endure the extreme desert heat.”

How can you help? Please donate a dollar!

Capture the spirit, donate your dollars, and challenge your schools across the nation, PTA groups, teachers, parents, senior citizen centers, businesses, churches, colleges, radio & TV stations, and newspapers. Get the word out -– tell everyone you know you we are collecting dollars to provide care packages for our soldiers.

Please send your check or money order donation to:

Soldiers’ Angels
1792 E. Washington Blvd
Pasadena, CA 91104

www.soldiersangels.org