Be a Host - A simple thing goes a long way

For the last four years USAWTFM is doing its annual “host a soldier for Thanksgiving dinner” event along with Guardian Overwatch where they are matching families and soldiers that are unable to go back home for Thanksgiving.

Click the button to fill out the form they will get in touch with you if you are matched with a soldier.

Please note that they receive hundreds of submissions so you may not be ended being paired with a soldier.

Thank you from all of us for your interest and your support to our troops.

It is the least we can do

With Veterans Day approaching, it can be difficult to know how you can contribute and give back to our nation's veteran and wounded warriors. There are many charities focused on everything from veterans assistance to more targeted organizations focused solely on Special Forces soldiers. If you want to support veterans and servicemen and women this November (or any time during the year), here are a few good places to start.

Currently the Indy Blue Star Mothers are working on an extensive project to provide Hoosier veterans and active military an extensive library of resources designed for easy and quick access to the multitude of programs available through profit and non-profit organizations throughout our nation but more importantly available right here in the Hoosier state.  We are aiming to have it available by end of November.  In the meantime please review how you can get involved to show your appreciation to veterans year round.

Disabled American Veterans

Disabled American Veterans (DAV) offers a variety of services to disabled veterans and their families. With more than 1.2 million members, DAV has tremendous reach and provides invaluable service to wounded veterans. DAV provides its members (veterans and their families) help with disability assistance, their VA pensions, job programs and more. It receives no government funding, so donations and gifts are crucial to keep providing services to veterans. DAV offers many ways to give back to the men and women who defended our country.

Wounded Warrior Project

Wounded veterans all require a different recovery process. TheWounded Warrior Project (WWP) provides rehabilitation, activities and career counseling for our nation's wounded warriors and their families. You can support the Wounded Warrior Project in a number of ways:  by hosting a Supporter Event, sending letters to an injured service member, giving a monthly gift, or making a donation in honor of a loved one. This holiday season, WWP encourages supporters to establish employee giving drives by creating Casual Fridays, departmental competitions or office parties to benefit WWP.

Don't Forget About a Soldier's Best Friend

Dogs are a big part of the lives of our soldiers and veterans. From military working dogs on the front lines to guide dogs providing safety and companionship for wounded veterans, military service dogs need love too. There are many programs to help provide for these brave dogs. Companies like Petco and natural pet food maker Natural Balance are offering special treats to raise money for a military service dog memorial. Working dogs have saved thousands of American lives and continue to impact the lives of thousands of veterans who have returned home.

The USO

Veterans definitely need a lot of assistance, but the USO provides a way to support active-duty troops. Though the USO does take cash donations to provide many services, there are better ways to support the troops during the holiday season. The holidays are a particularly tough time for many troops and their families. The USO offers USO Operation Phone Home, which delivers a $50 prepaid international calling card to troops, allowing them to make up to 140 calls home.

Operation Write Home

While active duty soldiers appreciate the huge amount of notes and letters they receive from citizens, many would prefer to be able to simply write home to their loved ones. Operation Write Home offers them that opportunity by sending blank, handmade greeting cards that service members can send back home, along with 20-30 letters of encouragement from citizens. OWH asks for supporters to donate money to help cover costs or to make their own card design to help brighten the correspondence of active military. Since 2007, nearly 2 million cards have been sent to soldiers overseas.

Operation Gratitude
www.operationgratitude.com
This organization says thank you to veterans, wounded warriors and their caregivers as well as active-duty personnel by sending care packages that include snacks, hygiene supplies and handmade items. You can also join its letter-writing campaign, expressing gratitude to veterans for their service.

Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation
www.fallenpatriots.org
Founded in 2002, the foundation provides college scholarships and educational counseling to military children who have lost a parent in the line of duty. You can participate in the #DropAndGiveMe10 Challenge by posting a video of yourself doing push-ups in honor of fallen patriots and donating some amount to the foundation for every successful push-up — and then challenge three others to do the same. Or you can contribute panels to a charity knitting/crocheting project to raise awareness of the foundation's mission.

Fisher House Foundation
www.fisherhouse.org
Fisher House operates a network of homes at major military and VA medical centers nationwide where military and veterans’ families can stay for free while a loved one is receiving medical treatment. It also operates a Hero Miles program and a Hotels for Heroes program that accept donated frequent flier airline miles and hotel points to help veterans’ family members travel to their bedside and stay at a hotel for free.

Hire Heroes USA
www.hireheroesusa.org
Hire Heroes USA provides job training for veterans from other vets who have business experience. If you own a business, you can become an employment partner. Or you can volunteer to assist with mock interviews, fundraising, career counseling or outreach to veterans and their spouses.

Operation Homefront

Operation Homefront is a Texas-based nonprofit organization that offers a litany of special and very important food-assistance services for military families enduring difficult financial times. Sadly, many military families have to suffer from not only the long months during which a family-member is abroad, but also the difficult times that can endure when they return home and struggle to return to “normal” civilian life. Operation Homefront is a great organization that provides much needed help to struggling military families.

Homes For Our Troops

Homes For Our Troops builds specialty houses for wounded and disabled military veterans — completely free of charge. Homes For Our Troops specializes in provided for wounded troops who require special access to and throughout their homes, like wheelchair ramps and other necessities. I learned about Homes For Our Troops through one of its celebrity advocates, guitarist and singer Aaron Lewis of the popular rock band, Staind.

A Rhode Island Blue Star Mother Story - More than just care packages

To All Blue Star Moms,

When I got this email asking to update my son’s address for a Christmas package it brought back such a good memory for me when last year held not much more than worry, anxiety and angst. Last year my boy was deployed and I never thought I would make it through the year…as a matter of fact sometimes I almost did not.

I reached out several times to the Blue Star moms for comfort and that is exactly what I got. To my surprise on the end of the phone line I found someone who knew and understood that the sight of coffee syrup on the grocery shelf was reducing me to tears. She knew that it is likely, acceptable and expected to wake up in the morning and burst into tears, just because the sun was shining or the snow was beautiful or there were left over lunch bags that might go used.

Then I got the email about packages for Christmas. I sent in my son’s deployment address. Shortly after that I received a call from my son. He was laughing and happy, a much different tone from that which I had become accustomed. He began to describe a scene at base camp of a soldier waking past him. As my son passed the solider he immediately noticed the coffee syrup under his arm. My son came to an abrupt stop and pointing to the coffee syrup asked the solider “where did you get that?” The solider said “over there Sir, there is a package with your name on it” My son rushed over and saw what he described to me as a large container of RI. He told about his excitement in discovering everything RI. He told his soldiers “you don’t understand this is how I grew up!!”

My son spent the next few minutes laughing with the soldiers and telling stories about RI and these things that were so special to him. He told them about the coffee syrup and how it is used (they thought it was a coffee additive) the Dels Lemonade mix, the Providence Journal, Paw Sox and Red Sox games and all of the other special items in the package.

This gift from the Blue Star moms made his Christmas and the resulting phone call from him lifted my deployment depression, if just for a little bit.

Thank you Blue Star Moms!!

Much love and gratitude

Rose Bottari

Press Release - Chapter IN14 Organization

Indy Blue Star Mothers Chapter Press Release

August 24, 2015

Indianapolis, IN – Local military mothers from all branches of service here in Indianapolis have come together to form a Blue Star Mothers Chapter to serve Indianapolis and surrounding cities.  President - Vickie Sullinger, Vice President - Autumn Cordell, Treasurer - Melody Syck,  Secretary - Maureen Sullivan-Bennie, and Financial Secretary - Kelly Vazquez took their oath’s to serve on August 23rd, 2015. 

“We are extremely excited to serve our Hoosier veterans and active military,” said Vickie Sullinger, President of Indy Blue Star Mothers.  “Our mission is not only to provide care packages to our troops and supporting each other but to provide an extensive library of resources not only to assist veterans with integrating back into civilian life, but also to those with PTSD.   By providing state-wide resources for treatments to their symptoms we can also reduce the homelessness that is a direct result of lack of support.   We should all support our troops but don’t ignore the veterans, because the battle continues here at home.   It is important to educate our communities that we are still losing on average 22 veterans to suicide every day, and a vast number of people that are directly affected by their deaths are devastating.  The stigma attached to their trauma needs to end and it starts with them, but more importantly right here in our communities.”

Indy Blue Star Mothers, Chapter IN14 will have their website available sometime during the month of September but in the meantime they are looking for local business partners to help provide non-perishable items and magazines for care packages, and toiletries and other items for veterans.  If needed a team of Blue Star Mothers will arrange a pick up.  

They hold their meetings on the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at the Financial Center at 7101 E. 56th St., Indianapolis, IN.  All military mothers are welcome to attend and join.

About Indy Blue Star Mothers

We are mothers, stepmothers, grandmothers, foster mothers and female legal guardians who have children serving in the military, guard or reserves, or children who are veterans. We support each other and our children while promoting patriotism.  The chapter focuses on supporting military troops while serving veterans here at home in the state of Indiana.   

About Blue Star Mothers of America

On February 6th the organization was reported on Congressional record. Chapters then formed in Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, New York, Pennsylvania, Oregon, California, Iowa and Washington. In June of 1960 the organization was chartered by congress.

We are a non-profit 501(c) 3 service organization supporting each other and our children while promoting patriotism. As stated in the U.S. Code as of: 01/26/98; Title 36; Section 943; The purposes of the corporation shall be: To perpetuate the Blue Star Mothers of America, Inc., and the memory of all the men and women who have served our country as members of the Armed Forces; the further object of this organization shall be patriotic, educational, social, and for service; to maintain true allegiance to the Government of the United States; to educate our members and others not to divulge military, naval, or other Government information; to assist in veterans' ceremonies, to attend patriotic rallies and meetings; to foster true democracy; to care for the unsupported mothers who gave their sons to the service of the Nation; to aid in bringing about recognition of the need of permanent civilian defense for each community and to ever be alert against invasion of un-American activities; to uphold the American institutions of freedom, justice, and equal rights, and to defend the United States from all enemies.

Contact

To learn more about this chapter, at IndyBlueStarMothers@gmail.com;  (317) 775-4984or (317) 371-3209

Indy Blue Star Mothers

PO Box 269543

Indianapolis, IN 46226-9543