AFCEA SIGNAL Scape

The overwhelming interest and generosity of the American public toward U.S. soldiers and their families prompted the Army to launch Gifts to Army as a centralized source of information for contribution and support opportunities. The Army Gift Program is an established effort, but an amendment to the law now enables the Army to accept donations that assist wounded soldiers, wounded civilian employees and their families. The goal of Gifts to Army is to answer the frequent question from the public: “What can I do to help?”

Rather than solicit funds, the Web site intends to inform individuals, organizations and corporations how they can donate cash, goods and services to benefit the Army community, although the site does accept online contributions. Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) programs will process general unsolicited funds for use in Army programs. A list of supported programs as well as ideas for how much certain organizations or individuals could donate and what the money will do is available online. Site visitors can learn more about MWR programs under the “Soldiers and Families” and “Army Installations” links, with information about specific posts under the latter. There is also a “Wounded Warriors” link with information on how the Army cares for injured heroes and how the public can participate in those programs.

The Gifts to Army site gives detailed information about contributing to soldier support efforts and contact information for certain programs and coordinators. Under the “How to Contribute” link, the Army instructs donors to submit written donation offers that include the value, cost to the Army and any associated conditions. The offer will be submitted to the installation or organization that will receive or manage the contribution. The section also includes points of contact for people with questions. More information about giving to Army support programs is available on the site, including an FAQ, Community Support and Other Links sections.

Friends and family members of U.S. Marines deployed to an operational location in Iraq can send their loved ones a message without ever visiting the mailbox. MotoMail aims to bridge gaps in communications between parties who may not have e-mail access or who just want to send a physical letter for a more personal touch. MotoMail, in conjunction with SuperLetter.com Incorporated, operates a Web site that allows users to create a message online that will be downloaded and printed out at a Marine Corps post office then physically delivered to the deployed Marine. MotoMail messages are downloaded at least once a day in the operational theaters, and the organization strives to deliver all letters within 24 hours of printing. The Delivery Status feature enables senders to keep track of their messages through the three delivery stages—Stage 1: received at the MotoMail server; Stage 2: letters downloaded to the MotoMail terminal; and Stage 3: letters have been printed and sent for delivery. The service is provided at no cost. While the service is geared largely toward Marines, troops in other military branches who are collocated with the Marine Corps can receive the mail as well.

MotoMail also offers two-way services so troops can send letters back home by creating an account on MotoMail using credit cards. Letters are sent to a regional SuperLetter office determined by the first digit of the destination zip code for printing. Postage is applied, and the mail is placed in the U.S. Postal Service system. Troops can send up to five letters for free, and all additional messages cost 50 cents.

Users can create accounts on the Web site as well as find answers to frequently asked questions and other resources.

Tomorrow, June 26, 2008, Move America Forward is putting on a daylong telethon in support of the troops, with the goal of collecting at least $500,000 in sponsorships for “the largest single shipment of care packages in U.S. history.” The program, “From the Front Lines,” will be available on the web at www.HotAir.com or via UStreamTV. Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Mark Levin, Laura Ingraham, Dr Laura Schlessinger, Ollie North, Monica Crowley, Ann Coulter, Nancy Reagan, actor Kelsey Grammer, and Five for Fighting’s John Ondrasik are scheduled to appear during the 8-hour webcast, which begins at 4 p.m. ET on Thursday.

Hat tip to eMail Our Military.

CharityWorks, an organization in the Washington, D.C., area that fundraises for nonprofits, has partnered with Fisher House to raise money for the construction of the new Fisher House at the Washington, D.C., Veterans Affairs Medical Center. The house will have 16,000 square feet and 21 guest suites. The goal is to raise $2 million by the end of September. The selection of Fisher House as this year’s charity marks the first time a partner was unanimously selected by the advisory board and membership of CharityWorks.

The main fundraising event will be the CharityWorks Dream Ball on September 27 at the National Building Museum. Other funds come from personal and corporate donations. CharityWorks keeps administrative costs to a minimum, and 100 percent of all online donations go to the partner nonprofit. Computer Sciences Corporation is the host sponsor this year, and the chief executive officer of ManTech International and his wife are leading the fundraising campaign. Both organizations have made major contributions, have launched employee giving campaigns and are reaching out to industry peers. Other Honor Guard donors (those who pledge more than $100,000) include BAE Systems, Bearing Point, L-3 Communications, Fisher Brothers, Freddie Mac and Freddie Mac Foundation.

CharityWorks also is hosting an invitation-only Housewarming Party for the new Fisher House at the Fisher Houses at Bethesda Naval Station Hospital in an effort to gather items needed for inside the facility. In addition, CharityWorks will have Booth 631 at the AFCEA Joint Warfighting Conference to raise awareness of the campaign for Fisher House and to invite participants to learn more about how they can support the effort. For more information, or to receive an invitation to the ball, visit the CharityWorks Web site.

Members of the public eager to show troop support can do so through eMail Our Military (eMOM). The organization was created in response to the U.S. Defense Department’s cancellation of the “Any Service Member” and “Operation Dear Abby” programs because of security concerns. By using e-mail instead of regular post, eMOM offers a secure method to continue the tradition of troop support with an even more personal touch. Military members sign up with the organization and are matched with civilian registrants. eMOM tries to match up correspondents based on age or interests, but because the goal of the program is to provide moral support to all troops who request it, sometimes those matches are not realized.

Scout troop leaders can involve their scouts through a special account created for children. The youngsters can include their e-mail address in their signature block if they want to receive reply messages from deployed military members. Scout leaders should register their addresses because they act as guides for the program. All registrations—individual or group—require a one-time fee of $2.

In addition to sending e-mails, eMOM offers other ways for civilians to take action for service members, including getting involved in military support projects, sending an e-message of support, purchasing eMOM’s online products, promoting the program in a local area or simply telling a friend about the program. Information about these projects is available on the Web site.

Just as eMOM is the next generation of soldier letter-writing programs, the organization is using a new breed of networking to spread the word about troop support. eMOM can be found on a variety of Internet social networking sites, including Twitter, Pownce, Jaiku, Flickr, Facebook Fan Page, Facebook Group, LinkedIn, Technorati and Magnolia.

More information is available here.

Operation Iraqi Children

No longer limited to Iraq, this organization assists troops who want to ensure local school children have the educational supplies they need. Founded by actor Gary Sinise and author Laura Hillenbrand, Operation Iraqi Children sends supply kits with school items and other necessities overseas for U.S. troops to distribute. The goal is to bring together U.S. personnel and the citizenry of other countries to foster understanding and goodwill. The program also helped victims of Hurricane Katrina by shipping school supply kits for distribution in hard-hit areas.

A typical kit contains one pair of blunt-end scissors, one 12-inch ruler with metric markings, 12 new pencils with erasers, one small pencil sharpener, one large eraser, one box of colored pencils (crayons melt in the Iraqi summer heat), one package of notebook paper, one composition book, three folders with inside pockets and one zippered pencil bag. Contributors who would like to pack their own kits should place the items into a two-gallon zipper seal plastic bag. Operation Iraqi Children also accepts sports equipment and stuffed animals, but balls should be deflated with a pump included so they can be inflated later. While the organization is always gathering school supplies, it also has a list of “urgent need items” such as blankets and shoes that changes based on requirements.

People to People International administers the program and actively seeks volunteers to assemble kits in a warehouse in Kansas City, Missouri. More information is available online, including how to donate funds or create kits. The Web site posts a variety of information including photos, letters, endorsements and a mailing-list sign up.