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How to support the American soldiers and help the people of Iraq
National Veterans Foundation
The mission of the National Veterans Foundation is to serve the crisis management, information and referral needs of all U.S. Veterans and their families through:
1. Management and operation of the nation’s only toll-free helpline for all veterans and their families.
2. Public awareness programs that shine a consistent spotlight on the needs of America’s veterans.
3. Outreach services that provide veterans and families in need with food, clothing, transportation, employment, and other essential resources.
Homes for our Troops
Their mission is to build specially adapted homes for our severely disabled soldiers and their families. Since they started this organization, they have had an outpouring of support from all across America including monetary donations, donations of building materials and equipment, and fundraisers being hosted for their benefit. They build homes across the country all at no cost to the veterans.
HireVetsFirst
The comprehensive career website for hiring veterans of America's military. Whether you're a manager, human resources specialist, or veteran, you'll find the resources you need for matching employment opportunities with veterans.
AnySoldier.com
AnySoldier.com provides soldier contacts, and you read through the names and select the ones you wish to support based on their lists of what they need and want. AnySoldier even has a search capability so you can easily identify specific needs and requests.
The soldiers are volunteers for this effort, they see the "ATTN: Any Soldier" line and put your letters and packages into the hands of soldiers who don't get much or any mail.
AnySoldier also has guides for "What to Send and How to Send" to help you properly send letters and packages, and a FAQ page. This effort is 110% voluntary. You send your support, and maybe some stuff, directly to whatever unit or units you want.
Iraq Veterans Against the War
Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) is a group of veterans from Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. We are committed to saving lives and ending the violence in Iraq by an immediate withdrawal of all occupying forces. We also believe that the governments that sponsored these wars are indebted to the men and women that were forced to fight them and must give their Soldiers, Marines, Sailors, and Airmen the benefits that are owed to them upon their return home.
Operation Iraqi Children
Operation Iraqi Children is a grassroots organization co-founded by actor Gary Sinise and best-selling author of "Seabiscuit: An American Legend," Laura Hillenbrand. Operation Iraqi Children was inspired by conversations with Operation Iraqi Freedom soldiers as well as by Sinise’s recent tour of Iraq. OiC encourages ordinary citizens to send school supplies and Arabic translations of Seabiscuit to Iraqi children.
Mother Speak
Mother Speak started with one scared and isolated mom worrying about her son, an Army Ranger and Sergeant with the 82nd Airborne. He was deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq.
That one scared and isolated mom traveled to Iraq, visited her son on a military base in the Sunni Triangle, wrote a daily travel journal, met Iraqis, and interviewed Iraqi mothers. Now she shares mothers voices from all over the United States and the world.
She is honoring her son’s efforts and the efforts of all soldiers by creating a book featuring mothers with children engaged in The War on Terror.
The scope of this book, tentatively titled, Long Time Passing: Mothers Speak about War and Terror, includes interviews with multi-generation American mothers, naturalized American mothers, mothers of non-US citizen military combatants, Iraqi mothers, and Iraqi émigré mothers.
Mother Speak seeks a range of worldviews and opinions. Interviews will not exceed 1,200 words. Photos of mothers and children are included when possible. If you are interested in volunteering for an interview, or if you know others mothers who may be interested, contact Mother Speak.
Eyes Wide Open
BEYOND FEAR-TOWARDS HOPE: AN EXHIBITION OF THE IRAQ WAR
The Eyes Wide Open exhibition is a multimedia journey through the words, images, and sounds of the Iraq war. Visitors move through a vivid memorial to the war's soldier and civilian victims, a searing exposure of the statements told to the U.S. public to justify the war, a compelling outline of what the war is costing us at home, and finally to an interactive, easy way to contribute their voices to help steer our country off the war path and into a more peaceful future.
In this critical time, Eyes Wide Open speaks directly to our hearts and minds, shattering the claim that the war has made America safer and challenging us to confront our fears and let our dreams, not our nightmares, shape our collective future. Follow the exhibit as it criss-crosses through America informing the public of the truth behind the Iraq War. join the campaign to inform public officials and major newspapers outlets of your feelings on war in Iraq.
Veterans Against the Iraq War
"Veterans Against Iraq War is a coalition of American veterans who support our troops but oppose war with Iraq or any other nation that does not pose a clear and present danger to our people and nation."
"Until and unless the current U.S. Administration provides evidence which clearly demonstrates that Iraq or any other nation poses a clear, direct and immediate danger to our country, we oppose all of this Administration's pre-emptive and unilateral military activities in Iraq. Furthermore, we cannot support any war that is initiated without a formal Declaration of War by Congress, as our Constitution requires."
Military Families Speak Out
"Military Families Speak Out is an organization of people who are opposed to war in Iraq and who have relatives or loved ones in the military. We were formed in November of 2002 and have contacts with military families throughout the United States, and in other countries around the world.
"As people with family members and loved ones in the military, we have both a special need and a unique role to play in speaking out against war in Iraq. It is our loved ones who are, or have been, or will be on the battlefront. It is our loved ones who are risking injury and death. It is our loved ones who are returning scarred from their experiences. It is our loved ones who will have to live with the injuries and deaths among innocent Iraqi civilians."
The Fisher House
The Fisher House program is a unique private-public partnership that supports America's military in their time of need. The program recognizes the special sacrifices of our men and women in uniform and the hardships of military service by meeting a humanitarian need beyond that normally provided by the Department of Defense. These homes enable family members to be close to a loved one at the most stressful time -- during the hospitalization for an unexpected illness, disease, or injury.
There are currently 31 houses located on the grounds of every major military medical center and several VA medical centers. These houses play a key role and are a vital asset to our military by allowing them to care for casualties, and their families, from Operation Enduring Freedom and will play a critical role in caring for casualties from Operation Iraqi Freedom as well.
It is our goal to create "a home away from home" that allows guest families the opportunity to address any challenge they must face during a time of crisis with dignity, and to give them a sense that there really are those who care about them in their time of need.
You can donate to the Fisher House here. This money will go to the upkeep of existing Fisher House locations, to a fund for families who have lost a son, daughter, husband, wife, father or mother, and also to building a new Fisher House at Walter Reed Hospital where many of those injured in Iraq are now being treated.
Wounded Heroes Tribute Page
Leave a message in tribute and support for the men and women injured in the war.
Donate Groceries
Give the Gift of Groceries!
A new partnership between CertifiChecks, America's hometown gift certificate resource center, the United Service Organizations (USO), the Air Force Aid Society (AFAS), Fisher House Foundation, Inc., and the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) lets every American make a significant material contribution to the morale and well being of military personnel at home and across the globe. To donate, go here.
Operation Uplink
You can donate calling cards so military families can stay in touch during their extended separations.
Operation Hero Miles
Through Operation Hero Miles you can donate your airline miles to American soldiers so they can get home to visit with their families. go here.
United Services Organization: Care Packages
You can donate money to the USO to help sponsor care packages sent to the troops through this site.
Armed Forces Emergency Relief Funds
Each branch of the Armed Services has an emergency relief fund. Their money goes to help the soldiers and families with paying for food and rent, medical and dental expenses, personal needs when pay is delayed, and funeral expenses.
Army Emergency Relief supports the families in the United States Army, as well as the members of the US National Guard and the Army Reserve.
The Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society accepts donations at any of their locations across the country, which you can find here.
The Air Force Aid Society helps to relieve financial distress of Air Force members and their families and to assist them in financing their higher education goals. They can be found here
Red Cross: Helping Military Families
Contact your local Red Cross chapter and find out how you can help the military families in your area who are struggling in this time of war.
Books for Soldiers
At Books For Soldiers you will find a forum where active duty soldiers have posted requests for books and dvds from back home which you can purchase and send to them. Check it out and help keep these men and women entertained.
If you know of another good organization that is helping the soldiers and
their families as well as ones helping the people of Iraq, please send the
link and a brief description to the Web Editor
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