Archive for the ‘Americanism’ Category

Honor Flight Guardian

Tuesday, March 16th, 2010

A few weeks ago, I sent out an email about the Honor Flight of Southeastern North Carolina. The non-profit program is operated entirely by volunteers, the Wilmington, NC headquarters is affiliated with the national Honor Flight Network and serves veterans of southeastern North Carolina and surrounding areas.
On April 13th North Carolina’s Inaugural flight will leave Wilmington (ILM) with a group of World War II veterans who will make their way to Washington, DC to visit the World War II Memorial.
Last week, I learned that my application to be a Guardian (volunteer) was accepted. Guardians play a significant role on every trip, ensuring that every veteran has a safe and memorable experience. My duties will include assisting veterans at the airport, onto and off of the plane, navigating steps at the memorials, making sure they stay safe and have everything they need in order to enjoy their trip.

Guardians are responsible for paying their own way for the trip, which at this time is $250 per guardian - a small price to pay to spend an unforgettable day with members of our Greatest Generation!

Yesterday I learned that I am a member of the White Team and I have been assigned three veterans. I’ll make calls to these three men before the week is out, so that I can introduce myself to them before our adventure.

If you are interested in participating, check out Honor Flight.


Send ‘Thanks’ to Servicemembers the Easy Way

Friday, November 27th, 2009

In this season of hope and giving the American Red Cross and Pitney Bowes, Inc. have joined forces to invite Americans to “send a touch of home” to United States service members and veterans across the country and abroad. In its third year, the Holiday Mail for Heroes program is an opportunity to share joy and thanks with our service members throughout the holiday season by way of a greeting card.   Today over 1.4 million men and women serve in the U.S. armed forces and over 24 million veterans have served in the past. The holiday season is the perfect time to honor and extend a warm holiday greeting to those who’ve served and continue to do so.

How Holiday Mail works - We have established an extensive process to ensure all cards sent to our service members are safe and arrive in time for the holidays. Holiday cards will be collected through a unique P.O. Box address from Monday, November 2 through Monday, December 7*.   First, cards from across the nation must be sent to this address:

Holiday Mail for Heroes

Post Office Box 5456

Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456

Every card received will be screened for hazardous materials by Pitney Bowes and distributed to participating Red Cross chapters nationwide. Once the cards arrive at the Red Cross chapters, they are sorted and reviewed by volunteers who then distribute them to service members, their families and veterans in communities across the country.   Please don’t forget to follow these guidelines while preparing your holiday greetings!

Do…

* Sign all cards

* Entitle cards “Dear Service Member, Family or Veteran”

* Limit cards to 15 per person or 50 for school class or business group

* Bundle groups of cards in single, large envelopes (there is no need to include individual envelopes and postage for cards)

Don’t…

*Send letters

* Include personal information such as home or email addresses

* Use glitter - excessive amounts can aggravate health issues of wounded recipients

* Include inserts of any kind as they must be removed in the screening process

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