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. The organization does special mailings at holidays such as Operation Christmas Stocking and the recent mailings of bags of jelly beans at Easter.

Contact and donation information is available online, as are photo albums from various years. A list of items Boatsie’s needs to send to the troops also is posted; goods especially necessary for the upcoming hot-weather months are listed in red.

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. The signers often include governors, mayors, other civic leaders, a senior military representative and a service member as well as his or her spouse and child. The document is intended to be displayed in a public area.

The purpose of the covenant signing is to invite states, cities and towns across the United States to demonstrate their support for the military community during this time of war—the longest in U.S. history with an all-volunteer force. Since April 2008, 85 communities have signed Community Covenants, and often the events become an opportunity to announce new regional initiatives or programs to support service members. Army Community Covenant’s goal for 2009 is to offer every state, city and town the opportunity to host these ceremonies.

More information, including contacts and how to host a ceremony, is available on the Web site or by contacting Maj. Gen. Craig B. Whelden, USA (Ret.). In addition, visitors to the site can learn more about other efforts designed to support military families as well as state and local best practices. Community Covenant was also featured in Outreach Opportunities Abound Through Community Covenants, from last month’s SIGNAL Connections.

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 $60,000 being distributed at the judges’ discretion. The deadline to apply is May 1, 2009, and winners will be announced in September 2009. Application guidelines and more information are available online.

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. In addition to receiving a troop pen pal, participants also receive a bracelet, taking a cue from the POW bracelets popular in the 1970s as well as the yellow Live Strong bracelets. The bracelets are only available to program enrollees.

More information about My Soldier and how to donate or participate is available on the Web site. Additional offerings include educational materials to encourage people to communicate with and understand the needs of troops and veterans. My Soldier also has spawned the spin-off program Hats Off to Veterans, which supports and honors veterans and their sacrifices.

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. For each Freedom Cake purchased, an identical cake will be sent to a warfighter overseas in the name of the cake recipient. The Freedom Cakes include cards, alongside U.S. flag imprints, to the recipients explaining that other cakes have been sent to military members in their names.

Loved ones also can send cakes to their specific, special military member by choosing a cake from those listed on the Web site. Five percent of the order will be contributed to Operation: Birthday Cake. Bake Me A Wish can only accept “requested” delivery dates for these cakes. It takes approximately 10 to 14 days for the baked goods to reach their destination.

Anyone who would like to make a donation to Operation: Birthday Cake or ask a question can contact Bake Me A Wish at this link.

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.

Pro vs. GI Joe works with its official partner the USO to identify participating troops and arrange for them to play from USO centers worldwide. Events have been held with troops from Iraq, Kuwait, Japan, Germany, Cuba and other locations. Currently, Pro vs. GI Joe does not have the bandwidth in Iraq to support online gaming, but service members can obtain permission to travel to Kuwait and play from Camp Virginia.

The organization attempts to pair up pros and Joes from the same area—for example troops from Arizona with the Arizona Cardinals—to make it easier for family members to participate. It also works to match up troops with their favorite celebrity or team, working with the USO to identify the biggest fans.

Information about how GI Joes are chosen for events is available by e-mailing addie@prosvsgijoes.org. Professional athletes and celebrities who want to participate can request more information online as well by following a link after clicking on “The Pro” from the home page. Average Joes who want to help out can obtain information on donating money, sponsorships and volunteering on the Web site. Additional Web offerings include lists of competitions already held along with photos and multimedia options.

Dust off those bikes, take them out of the garage and get rolling for a great cause! Face of America 2009 begins April 25 in Bethesda, Maryland, to raise awareness of service members injured in the line of duty. The 110-mile bike ride, which ends April 26 in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, also raises funds for World TEAM (The Exceptional Athlete Matters) Sports, an organization that strives to increase awareness, acceptance and integration of people with disabilities through sports. Face of America focuses specifically on disabled veterans by reaching out and actively including troops who have been severely injured in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The ride honors wounded warriors by using sports to help integrate them back into society. World TEAM Sports wants to thank these young men and women for their service and also let them know that they still can be active members of the TEAM. The event focuses on meeting challenges, promoting camaraderie and developing the lasting knowledge that all of the participants are integral members of society. The group works with several other organizations including Soldiers’ Angels, the Injured Semper Fi Foundation, and service members from military hospitals and installations around the country to put on the ride.

Any service member—injured or otherwise—who wants to ride is invited to participate for free. Anyone else who wants to join in can register online at www.worldteamsports.org. Service members and sponsors also can attend the kick-off dinner the night of April 24. Civilians must pay a $50 registration fee and raise a minimum of $600 in donations. All registrations must be in by April 23 at 8:59 PDT.

Additional information, including instructions on what to bring, where to stay, how to sign up as a team captain, schedule, links to registration and more, is available on the Web site.

G.I. Woodshop helps bring a little bit of home to troops overseas by shipping hobby and woodshop items to deployed service members. These tools are difficult to obtain in combat zones, and for troops to do something as simple as hanging a picture they have to search for a nail and a hammer (frequently a combat boot!). Warfighters also can use the materials to build common objects such as chairs and reading tables that often are missing in budgets focused on battle needs.

Normally, G.I. Woodshops fulfills request lists with items such as screws, nails, saw blades, drill bits, hand and power tools, glue, sandpaper and other woodshop supplies, but at military members’ requests, they also send other hard-to-get, useful items. These include waterproof sunblock and bug repellent, fly glue sticks, gel shoe inserts and body powders. The group even has sent liquid coffee flavors at chaplains’ requests for use in their coffee shops.

Deployed troops can sign up for packages by sending a letter or e-mail with their wish lists to the G.I. Woodshop. Contact as well as donation information is available on the Web site.

Dust off those bikes, take them out of the garage and get rolling for a great cause! Face of America 2009 begins April 25 in Bethesda, Maryland, to raise awareness of service members injured in the line of duty. The 110-mile bike ride, which ends April 26 in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, also raises funds for World TEAM (The Exceptional Athlete Matters) Sports, an organization that strives to increase awareness, acceptance and integration of people with disabilities through sports. Face of America focuses specifically on disabled veterans by reaching out and actively including troops who have been severely injured in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The ride honors wounded warriors by using sports to help integrate them back into society. World TEAM Sports wants to thank these young men and women for their service and also let them know that they still can be active members of the TEAM. The event focuses on meeting challenges, promoting camaraderie and developing the lasting knowledge that all of the participants are integral members of society. The group works with several other organizations including Soldiers’ Angels, the Injured Semper Fi Foundation, and service members from military hospitals and installations around the country to put on the ride.

Any service member—injured or otherwise—who wants to ride is invited to participate for free. Anyone else who wants to join in can register online at www.worldteamsports.org. Service members and sponsors also can attend the kick-off dinner the night of April 24. Civilians must pay a $50 registration fee and raise a minimum of $600 in donations. All registrations must be in by April 23 at 8:59 PDT.

Additional information, including instructions on what to bring, where to stay, how to sign up as a team captain, schedule, links to registration and more, is available on the Web site.

Like so many troop support organizations, Operation Support Our Troops grew out of a family’s effort to be there for their soldier as well as all others serving their country, and when these people got started, there was no stopping them. What began with rallies has grown to a full-fledged support mechanism that involves the provision of packages at holidays, fundraisers, and visits and supplies for those injured in combat as well as tributes to those who paid the ultimate price for home and country. The mission of Operation Support Our Troops is to offer opportunities for all Americans to demonstrate to members of the armed forces and their commander in chief that they are supported and appreciated for their service. According to the organization, the goal is to ensure that troops know that “united we stand and divided we fall are not empty words, but words to which we subscribe.”

Most recently, Operation Support Our Troops adopted 10,000 deployed service members and sent them packages for Christmas. The organization collects items for these types of mailings. In addition, it also accepts cash donations and sells merchandise to raise funds for various efforts. Items can be purchased and donations can be made online. Also online are photo albums and links to various resources for the military and general public.

Anyone interested in receiving regular information about the organization and its activities can subscribe to the e-mail distribution list by following the “OSOT Sign-Up” link. People interested in learning more about Operation Support Our Troops and its various programs should click the “Contact OSOT” link and find the correct point of contact for their query.