Category archive for ‘Homefront Help’ 
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Military Family Support Centers Incorporated
Military families requiring just about any kind of help—from supplies to camaraderie—can find what they need here. Military Family Support Centers (MFSC) Incorporated, located in Salem, Virginia, is dedicated to identifying and meeting the needs of the families of deployed military members. The organization seeks to reduce the stress for troops and their families by providing ways for the community to express its gratitude through offering services, volunteering or making donations.
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Project Healing Horse
Injured veterans looking to get back in the saddle can find what they need through the help of Project Healing Horse. The veterans therapeutic riding program uses horses as a medium to provide physical, psychological and social benefits to recovering veterans. The group raises money and promotes therapeutic riding at facilities across the country to heal troops who are injured or suffering from illness.
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Boatsie’s Boxes
Boatsie’s Boxes started out sending packages to the base hospital in Balad, Iraq, and now gives goodies to several military hospitals as well as young troops deployed for the first time. In addition, through help from service members, items now are reaching the front lines of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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Battelle Receives Contract to Develop Defense Exercises
The U.S. Air Force is awarding a cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to the Battelle Memorial Institute for an estimated $22.5 million. The objective of this task is to develop chemical/biological defense exercises for the Center for Asymmetric Warfare, Naval Postgraduate School.
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Army Community Covenant
In the sphere of military community support, Army Community Covenant operates at the strategic level. The organization aims at raising awareness and encouraging businesses, agencies and groups at the local and state levels to create and foster state and community partnerships that assist service members. The first phase of the program is the signing of the Community Covenant. Each community determines its own wording for the document and decides on the number of signatories, usually between 16 and 20 people.
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New England Center for Homeless Veterans
The New England Center for Homeless Veterans (NECHV) extends a helping hand to any homeless veteran facing the challenges of addiction, trauma, severe and persistent mental illness, and unemployment; however, the veterans must be committed to sobriety, nonviolence and working for personal change. The organization is located in Boston, and though most clients are from the Boston area, the NECHV has aided veterans from all 50 states.
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Newman’s Own Awards
The Fisher House Foundation, in concert with Newman’s Own and the Military Times Media Group, is sponsoring the 2009 Newman’s Own Awards. The program awards grants to organizations with ideas to improve the quality of life for military and veterans’ families. A total of $75,000 is available. The top prize is $15,000, with the other [...]
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My Soldier
By enrolling in My Soldier, participants adopt deployed service members provided by the program and agree to send them periodic upbeat letters or e-mail messages. Care packages also can be sent but are not required. After enrolling, participants can download a My Soldier Starter Kit that contains instructions on how to begin the process as well as letter-writing guidelines.
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Operation: Birthday Cake
Want to do something sweet for deployed service members? How about sending them a gourmet cake from Bake Me A Wish! In partnership with Soldiers’ Angels, Bake Me A Wish offers two ways for folks stateside to send a special treat to troops in combat areas. The first is by purchasing The Freedom Cake, which features a layer of chocolate brownie covered with fudge frosting and topped with sprinkles and bittersweet chocolate shavings.
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Pro vs. GI Joe
Doin’ a little for those who do a lot, this atypical nonprofit offers troops a chance to battle professional athletes and celebrities in head-to-head video game competitions via the Internet. Pro vs. GI Joe sets up real-time video game competitions among celebrities, high-ranking military officials and politicians stateside and troops overseas using Web-connected technologies such as PlayStation, Xbox Live and Nintendo Wii. The group also attempts to reunite warfighters with family members via webcam during the events.
