"The Memorial Day Concert narrowed our focus to the important thing - the price paid by our brave soldiers through the years. You may have changed lives either by saying 'thank you' or by motivating folks to reach out to our surviving vets and the countless families who have sacrificed so much. Thank you!"

Roddy and Pam
TX

HEALING & SUPPORT

Practical Ways to Support the Troops

There are many things Americans can do to support the active duty troops, veterans and their families who have been directly impacted by wartime service.

The following is a list of useful links and ideas about how to help and support our troops:

Helping Individual Service Members or Families

Operation Gratitude

An organization seeking to lift morale and put smiles on faces by sending care packages addressed to individual soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines deployed in harm's way.

Our Troops Online

An organization that sends care packages to support U. S. troops stationed overseas.

Support Our Troops

Support Our Troops online is a nationwide platform for individuals, organizations, businesses and non-profits to bolster America’s troops and their families.

A Million Thanks

Non-profit that offers simple guideline and drop-off locations for letters written to letters to active and reserve service members and veterans serving at home, abroad, or who are injured in hospitals.

Milserve.org

An all-volunteer organization that connects volunteers with expertise with Service Members, Veterans and their Families in a wide variety of areas including financial counseling, job search guidance, even carpentry for building wheelchair ramps.

Military.com “Support Our Troops” Page

Site that includes links to programs that offer aid to our military – everything from gifts, cards and care packages to emergency services to military family support.

Adopt a Platoon

This website encourages support to deployed soldiers through letters, care packages, pen pal campaigns, and monetary donations.

Guardian Angels Soldiers Pets

Foster the pet of a deployed soldier, wounded warrior, deployed military family, homeless veteran or family of a fallen service member who needs temporary assistance.

Coupons For Troops

Military families can use coupons for up to six months past their end date. Send your expired coupons or cut and donate new ones.

Operation USO Care Package

One of the many USO programs that benefit troops and transitioning military families, this care package program was created to provide a safe and secure way for the public to show support for our men and women in uniform. For a $30 dollar donation, Americans can sponsor a care package for a service member who is either en-route to an overseas assignment or currently deployed.

Soldiers’ Angels

Soldiers’ Angels provides aid and comfort to tens of thousands of service members stationed around the world. Supporters can “Adopt a Soldier” by sending regular letters and care packages to an individual service member, join a “Soldiers Angels Team” or simply make a donation, among other ways to help.

AnySoldier, Inc.

Visitors to the website can select one or more soldiers’ names from the “Where to Send” page. Each soldier’s address contains the line “ATTN: Any Soldier.” When the recipients - who are all AnySoldier volunteers - see that line, they will put the letters and packages into the hands of those service members who don’t get much or any mail.

Operation Homefront

This organization provides emergency financial and other assistance to the families of service members and wounded warriors through programs offering food assistance, auto and home repair, transportation and moving help, morale initiatives and a program that paves the way to home ownership.

Be A Big Brother or Sister

The BBBS Military Mentoring program supports children in military families and engages active duty, reserve or retired/separated military personnel, as well as civilians as volunteer mentors.

ThanksUSA.org

ThanksUSA is a non-partisan, nonprofit 501(c)(3) effort to mobilize Americans of all ages to “thank” the men and women of the United States Armed Forces. They provide college scholarships of up to $5,000 per year for the children and spouses of our troops.

Cell Phones for Soldiers

The program seeks to help soldiers serving overseas call home. Individuals and communities can donate cell phones and accessories or volunteer to set up drop-off centers for cell phone collections.

Health Services

Give an Hour

If you are a mental health care practitioner, consider volunteering your time with this nonprofit organization providing free mental health services to U.S. military personnel and families affected by the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

National Initiatives

Joining Forces

A national initiative that mobilizes all sectors of society to give our service members and their families the opportunity and support they have earned.

Community Blueprint Network

The Community Blueprint Network is a set of promising practices that address eight critical issues affecting veterans, active military and military families: behavioral health, education, employment, family strength, financial-legal services, housing and homelessness, reintegration, and volunteering leading to community change.

VA Voluntary Service

Founded 60 years ago, VAVS is one of the largest volunteer programs of the federal government. Volunteers assist in community-based programs, hospital wards, nursing homes and veterans outreach centers. VAVS also offers a special program for student volunteers and runs a volunteer transportation network.

DOL: Veterans’ Employment & Training Services

The Department of Labor’s VETS is a comprehensive career website for hiring veterans of America's military, where managers, human resources specialists and veterans can find the resources they need to match employment opportunities with knowledge, skills and abilities.