Ways to support service personnel
Eliane Notah sits at her desk in her office at the National Guard Armory Friday, October 7. — © 2008 Gallup Independent / Cable Hoover

Copyright © 2008
Gallup Independent
By Elizabeth Hardin-Burrola
Staff writer

GALLUP — With the holiday season approaching, many people are looking for ways to support active duty service men and women, particularly those serving in the Middle East.

Eliane Notah, the family assistance coordinator for the New Mexico National Guard Family Program, offered some advice recently. Although Notah said she is not allowed to provide mailing addresses of service personnel, she has worked with school groups who would like to send cards and letters to U.S. soldiers. Interested teachers are welcome to contact her, she said. Individuals or organizations interested in possibly sending out a holiday care package are also welcome to contact Notah for advice at (505) 862-1404 or eliane.notah@nm.ngb.army.mil or eliane.notah@us.army.mil

For individuals who do have a soldier’s current APO/FPO address, the U.S. Postal Service sells — for a rate of $10.95 — a large Priority Mail Flat Rate Box for shipping a care package to an APO/FPO destination. However, for U.S. servicemen and women serving in Muslim countries, no pork, pork products, alcohol, or pornographic material can be sent in care packages. Because of the heat, chocolate should also not be mailed.

Notah cautioned area residents to be wary of Internet Web sites that ask for donations for U.S. soldiers or that sell care package items that they claim they will ship to Iraq or Afghanistan. Because there are many scams on the Internet, Notah encouraged people to investigate the sites first with charity watch dog organizations like www.charitywatch.org.

However, several local residents have reported participating in programs sponsored by the following Web sites:

• A Million Thanks: Started in 2004 by Shauna Fleming, who was then a California high school student, the project collects greeting cards, letters, e-mail messages, and prayer messages and sends or delivers them to active duty service men and women around the world, retired veterans, and patients in veterans’ hospitals. Children and adults are invited to participate in the project, and writing guidelines are posted on the Web site (www.amillionthanks.org). The cards and letters can be mailed to: A Million Thanks, 17853 Santiago Blvd. #107-355, Villa Park, CA 92861. The RMCHCS College Clinic, 2111 College Dr., in Gallup is also listed as a local letter drop-off point; Information: Emily at (505) 863-1860.

• Any Soldier Care Packages: Any Soldier Inc. started in 2003 as a way for the family of Sgt. Brian Horn to send care packages to Horn and his fellow soldiers. The project has grown into a huge Internet program whereby Americans can send care packages to volunteer soldier “contacts” in Iraq and Afghanistan who distribute the package items to fellow soldiers, particularly those who don’t get much mail. For details on the program, visit the Web site at www.anysoldier.com

• Wall of Prayer: Christian radio station K-LOVE sponsors a “Wall of Prayer” on its Web site (www.klove.com) where service men and women and their loved ones can post prayers and messages. Click on the “Ministry and More” link.

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