Every year during the holidays we are inundated with charity options. Something about the holidays puts people in a giving spirit - and the charities count on that spirit. I try to be charitable throughout the year (insert cashier: "Ma'am would you like to donate $2 to children with Cancer/starving puppies/homeless vets". Well geez, how do you say no to THAT?) but I try to up the ante at Christmas time. Each year I try to pick one charitable cause to focus on and really put thought and feeling into my donation. Last year I chose Toys For Tots and went buck-wild on arts and crafts - what child doesn't love busting open a fresh pack of Crayolas?? This year a few have crossed my mind - and with the clock ticking 'till Christmas I needed to decide.
The second I stumbled across the website for Any Soldier I knew this would be my charity. Any Soldier's mission is to provide letters and care packages for our service men and woman currently serving in Afghanistan. The point is - they're cold. They're hungry. They're bored. They're lonely. They're fighting for US. Many of them rarely (if ever) get mail, much less a care package. When you send an item through Any Soldier, it gets specifically delivered to someone in need of a little love. Their website is amazing and you can pick specifically who to send your package to. They tell you what they are in need of, their favorite items, etc. and you get to bundle whatever you want and send it off!
I was especially touched by an entry made by a female soldier. She commented on the number of mothers in her group and it tugged my heart strings. The mere thought of being away from my child in that capacity brought tears to my eyes. (ok, I silently cried at my desk for a good 5 minutes - lay off me.) She mentioned wanting to have a "girls night" and they would love supplies for such an event. This would be too much fun - a shopping spree at Ulta for a bunch of woman more deserving of a girls night than anyone could ever be. So here's my loot:
- Organix Shampoo and Conditioner
- Organix body scrub
- A variety of OPIs in all my favorite girly shades
- Nail files
- Polish removing pads
- Cotton Rounds
- "Stress Reliving" face masks (this one was too ironic to pass up)
- Shick Quattro razors
- OPI travel hand lotions
- Burts Bees lip balm
- December Issues of Glamour and Allure
They request that packages not be more than 10 lbs - but I wanted to be as close to that as possible - so I added some junky snacks (pringles, gummy worms, etc) - and sent my package on its way!
One of the first things they tell you on their site is not to expect anything in return. The soldiers are all extremely thankful of contributions, but often they have a lot more on their minds than writing thank-you notes (...like staying alive.) So I wasn't expecting anything. But yesterday when I went to get the mail, I see a red-enveloped holiday card. I tear it open, and it's a Christmas card from the solider my package was delivered to!! I couldn't believe it, it was so exciting! She even sent some pictures of their unit, and one of all the girls at their girl's night. In grinch-like fashion, my heart grew three sizes.
That's all it took - and now I'm hooked. I've decided to break my own rule about silly New Year's resolutions. I've decided to send one package a month to a different solider. I realize I probably won't get mail from each of them - It only took that one. I'm pretty excited and have already started perusing the site to decide who my next package will go to. (I'll send two in February to make up for January).
So if you're looking to make a charitable contribution, please consider writing letter or sending a care package to one of our service men or women. Any Soldier accepts mail all year-round - let's show them some appreciation.
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