Inspiring people to practice kindness and pass it on to others
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Adopt a Soldier
Raise a soldier's spirits and make a friend by adopting a soldier as a pen pal. Showing your encouragement and gratitude for the hard work they do will be appreciated.
Often soldiers don't get enough sleep or food and are dealing with difficult weather and high pressure situations in a foreign country. They are far from the comforts of home and working 24 hours a day. Let them know you care about them and are thankful for all that they are doing.
Benefits:
Your encouraging note or package may be the only mail they receive for weeks or months. While some soldiers to have loved ones back home, others may not have any. They may have become a soldier for a fresh start and may not have a support network to help them through the tough times. You can be the person that makes their day!
Step It Up:
Don't just send a letter or card, send a care package. Shop for items that would be hard for a soldier to find in a foreign country--favorite foods or snacks, even some hygiene products. Put together a package and send it on it's way to a lucky soldier. Get your friends, family, co-workers or classmates involved. Have everyone in your family write a letter to include in the care package. Or encourage your entire class to adopt a soldier together. Each day have a different student write a letter, ensuring that your soldier will receive a different letter everyday for a month! If you really want to step it up, think about adopting an entire platoon of soldiers.
Keep It Simple:
You can even use email to express your thanks. Ask your friends and family if they know someone who has served or is serving. Chances are someone will know a soldier. Ask if you can write to them and thank them for their service. If you are not able to consistently write or send care packages you can still help! Make a one-time donation to an organization that adopts soldiers. If that organization is located near you, offer to volunteer to help with filing or making cold calls.
Related Resources:
- If you live in the US, visit Adopt a Soldier to adopt a soldier as your pen pal.
- You can adopt an entire platoon as well! A great option for a classroom, church/religious group or athletic team.
- Maybe you know of a soldier who could use some encouragement. There is a "submit a soldier" feature on the Soldier's Angels website.
Comments
I would like to be a soldiers pen pal. And I would like to share the idea with friends on facebook.
Posted 11 months ago by Shirley Motsenbocker from Oklahoma City Okla
I would like to be a soldiers pen pal. It would be nice to raise someones spirits and be kind:]
Posted 11 months ago by Tessa Slechta from Sioux Falls South Dakota
I think that this is an amazing idea, is there a website where you can go to start doing this?
Posted 11 months ago by Katie from Dunkirk NY
There are several websites where you can make care packages and write letters to deployed soldiers. If you would like to contact me, slsteven00@yahoo.com, I would love to have some caring women across the country to help me with a "pen pal" project I've begun for members of 2nd Tanks Batallion Bravo Company--my boyfriend is in the company and I wanted to find a way to support his men-- in the Marine Corps who don't have family/friends to receive mail from. Bravo deployed yesterday July 3rd and are going to be stationed in Afghanistan for 7-10 months. Their mission is going to be rough, and any letters are greatly appreciated to lift their morale. I would love to hear back, but if not, I can give you several links to websites. God bless.
Posted 11 months ago by Summer Stevens from Spanish Fort, AL
Hey I would be willing to write them some letters! I hope you don't mind but I will just email the address you have posted above.
Posted 11 months ago by Sammi from Indianapolis, IN
Count me in!
Posted 11 months ago by Sandi from Mansfield, Tx
I would like to be a pen pal, please send me the info and address!
Posted 10 months ago by Toni Fisher from Arlington VA
I would love to help in your efforts to support our military men and women. My family recently lost a wonderful brother & uncle who spent over 20 years of his life serving the county he so loved. This would be an excellent way to honor my uncle and to show my support for our military.
Posted 10 months ago by Lisa from Otho, IA
I remember doing this in high school during the Viet Nam war. Our Home Ec class also put together boxes of treats and items and sent to soldiers. I still have a beautiful oil painting that my pen pal soldier had painted of me from a photo he had.
Posted 9 months ago by Maxine from Indiana
I would love to do this because I'm also thinking about joining the military and I would very much appreciate something like this
Posted 8 months ago by Robert from Monrovia, Ca
My second grade class would love to adopt a platoon....it would also help them to read and write and understand what it is to do an act of kindness for someone.
Posted 8 months ago by cperks@dadeschools.net from Miami, Florida
I am taking a course in Human Services and we are supposed to do Acts of Kindness first throughout our school and then through the community, this is a brilliant idea! I am going to bring this up to my instructor.... Thank you <3
Posted 7 months ago by Tina from Moncton
I would like to recommend a site I have personally used and is extremely reputable: anysoldier.com.
Posted 5 months ago by Diane from Montana
Just signed up cant wait to get started...Awesome idea
Posted 4 months ago by Penny from Maryland
Brilliant! I will definitely be doing this! :)
Posted 3 months ago by Amanda from Hawaii
This is a brilliant idea! I'd love to participate.
Posted 3 months ago by Chelsea from California