Ship some love to our servicemen overseas

This holiday season send “Thank you” in a box.

If you’ve ever been away from home for long periods of time, you can relate to the thousands of US troops deployed overseas. To hold their loved ones close, to have their favorite flavor toothpaste or even read their favorite magazine are all basic things most of these men and women long for.

This holiday season consider doing something extraordinary in the lives of our servicemen. With about the same amount of money you would spend at the movies including popcorn and a drink, you can send some love and light to our troops through USO’s Operation Care Package.

According to the USO website, a $25 donation sponsors one USO care package and allows you to include a personal message of support and appreciation. The program also takes care of families by providing a Military Family Care Package, which are packages that deploying troops can have sent to their families once their deployment begins. Care package items are purchased directly from or donated by the manufacturer. Your monetary donations are used to purchase these items.

Another great way to honor our servicemen is by supporting the Army Emergency Relief, which provides emergency financial assistance to members of the United States Air Force, or by volunteering to be a “foster parent” for the pet of a deployed service member through the Military Pets Foster Project.

To find more ways to help this holiday season and all year long, the Department of Defense has approved several organizations through their America Supports You Web site.

This post is also available in: Spanish