Post specific acts to support the troops here.

[Rosemary2205]

Please no "impeach Bush/Cheney" or "get out of Iraq" posts. That's a given. I'm talking about actual things we can do to help soldiers, disabled vets and their families. Many in DU are military families but some of us have no experience with anyone in the military and want to do something concrete but don't know where to start.

If you know of a specific organization in your locality or know contacts that can assist well meaning Americans with military families in need please post it here and be as specific as you can. How does one help the soldier's families back home keep the grass cut, clean the gutter and fix the sink? How does one volunteer to transport disabled vets to medical appointments? Those of you in the know - what can we do?

The only help I know about is at http://www.iava.org/troops-charities - most of these charities involve donating money.

This post was inspired by DUer and disabled Iraq Veteran "GA Democrat"

America needs to get off it's butts and do more than email and call elected reps. (that's important too but we need more)

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. Care packages are great

http://anysoldier.com/

I used then last time to get an adress

[malta blue]

4. My daughter and I have done this every month

since October. She chose the soldier through www.anysoldier.com and we sent him a package and letters every month. He has sent a couple of emails, and thankfully he is unharmed. He is scheduled to leave Iraq in September, so we will choose another at that time.

[Rosemary2205]

2. kick in hopes the day crowd will have ideas.

[Solly Mack]

3. For military families that live on base/post, people can't just come

fix what's broken - we have in-house services that do that.

So you'll do better with military families that live off post/base for that.

On post/base you can hire services to mow your lawn but they have to be services that are cleared to operate on post/base.

If you know people that live on a base/post then they can have you as a guest and if you cut their grass or make a repair while there - well, that's one thing...however, if your repair is later considered a problem, the family could be held liable for the cost of re-doing the repair work. As anything they consider outside contracting would be considered against the rules.(and in fact is against the rules)

Mostly it's just lawn care services - and then only the ones already cleared to operate on post - that are allowed as posts/bases do have their own repair services.

Check with local VA hospitals and places like Walter Reed for volunteer driver service to help vets get to and from their medical appointments. Look around your community.


Check with your area bases/posts to see what you can do. Sign on as a visitor, get directions to the ACS building and then ask for Volunteer Services. Ask there for what you can do.

You might want to call ahead to the base/post information line to see what the sign-in procedures are for entering that base/post. You'll find the number in your local phone-book.


While some needs are the same all over, some bases/posts have region specific needs.

The armed forces are geared toward volunteering from within the military community but you could always check to see if you can do something.

Check to see if there is a way to have a blood drive. The Armed Forces blood supply comes primarily from within the military community...and we do run short. See if the local Red Cross is willing to help get the civilian community involved in a blood drive for the Armed Forces.

There's always Fisher House.
http://www.fisherhouse.org/

Collect care package items from within the civilian community and then donate them to your local post/base/VA hospital. The FRG's (family readiness groups) can then box and ship the items to their soldiers/sailors/marines. Call ahead to the post/base to make arrangements to make the donations.



School will be starting up soon...collect school supplies and ask if you can donate to the local military schools. There are always children who don't have everything they need. Again - call the post/base and make contact and let them know what you would like to do..and see if you can.


We have fairly specific guidelines for accepting donations. So call ahead.

[The Stranger]

5. So long as this isn't used to whitewash reports of U.S. troops committing atrocities,

such as the rape and murder of an Iraqi girl, the burning of her body to destroy the evidence, then the murder of her family as well -- not to mention the courts martial being conducted involving the possible murder of numerous bound or innocent Iraqis.

[Rosemary2205]

6. hoping the evening crowd will have ideas.