Every year, we raise money to send books, DVDs, video games and other care package items to deployed US troops. We encourage everyone to help is on this relief mission. Visit BooksForSoldiers.com to sign up today.
What is SupportTheSoldiers.org?
This is a community-based service that sends care packages to deployed US troops. Every year, our network of 50,000 volunteers sends books, video games, Bibles, movies and the occasional box of brownie mix to US service members deployed outside of the United States. Last year we shipped over $2.7 million in total aid to our brave men and women in uniform.
What are some of the other programs does SupportTheSoldiers.org support?
SupportTheSoldiers.org funds a great many troop and combat related programs, from direct soldier contact, Chaplain programs to combat surgical centers and rehab centers. Below are just a few of the programs funded by SupportTheSoldiers.org.
BooksForSoldiers.com – This is the site that started it all and the hub of all of our charitable services. Soldiers come to the site and submit their book request and one of the volunteers will see if they have that title on their bookshelf, then the volunteer sends the book directly to the soldier.
This was our first soldier support mission. Books For Soldiers was founded on March 1st, 2003, three weeks before the US invasion of Iraq.
During the first Gulf War, several college friends of the founder of BFS were in the reserves and were activated to fight the Iraqis. CNN reported that once the soldiers were deployed, they were faced with massive downtime and were restricted to their base due to the travel limitations set by the Saudi government.
Being a voracious reader and at the beginning of the Gulf War, he had a closet full of paperback books – books that were not being used. So instead of selling them at the used book store, he packed them up in small care packages and sent them out to all the soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen he had addresses for.
Within a few weeks, he ran out of books before he ran out of addresses. Friends and family members began donating their paperback books and in the end, over 1000 books were sent to the Gulf.
After 9-11-2001, we knew we wanted to do the same thing for our troops that our founder, Storm Williams, did back during the first Gulf War, but we knew we couldn’t do it alone. That is when he came up with the idea of creating a self-serve website that puts volunteers directly into contact with the troops serving overseas.
Regardless of our feelings on the war, the troops deserve our support and if we can make their deployment easier, then all the better.
CollegeForSoldiers.com – A sister site that helps US troops to enroll, continue and complete their college education regardless of their deployment status. Many soldiers are missing their educations while they are serving and protecting us overseas. This web site offers a brochure “Guide To Rapid Graduation” (download PDF) especially designed to use new Internet technologies so deployed soldiers can earn a college degree from a regionally accredited university. College For Soldiers also recommends several colleges who have robust degree programs that are superb for soldiers on the go. Soldiers can also order a free text book from the site.
BiblesForSoldiers.org – We have been shipping Bibles and other aid to deployed US troops since 2003, during our first six months in existence we shipped over 400 tons to our troops, mainly in Iraq and Afghanistan. In partnership with our sister site, BooksForSoldiers.com, we built the largest English language library in the Persian Gulf States. With BiblesForSoldiers.org, any deployed American soldier, sailor, airmen or Marine can get a free Bible or any Christianity related book, DVD or musical CD. It is also a great resource for Chaplains to get study material for Bible study classes conducted on the front lines.
Operation Forgotten Soldier – Many of our brave young men and women in uniform literally have no one back home. No one to write them, no one to send them any snacks, no one to talk to except those they are deployed with. This war has had the highest suicide rate of any other war. And because our soldiers now face the most strenuous deployment schedules of any other war, many can quickly fall into despair. We work with Chaplains in forward combat areas to help identify soldiers that show signs of isolation and are in need of a boost, a friend – just someone to reach out and care.
Birthday Card Jamboree – We organize postcard parties for soldiers on their birthday. We coordinate our army of volunteers to keep the birthday wishes flowing.
Christmas Trees In A Box – Every Christmas, many troops find themselves in the most remote and despicable places on the face of the Earth – without running water, hot food or shelter. For these brave soldiers, we ship a tiny Christmas tree complete with tinsel and ornaments so they too can have a little piece of home while they are at war.
Deployed In Afghanistan – Serving in Afghanistan is difficult duty. Soldiers often go weeks without hot showers or hot food. We target these soldiers with regular books and DVDs but also include more personal hygiene items and more snacks to these troops.
Pen Pals United! – Some soldiers are more interested in pen pals than books or care packages. As anything, personal letters are much more valuable to soldiers in the field. We have a program that coordinates and matches soldiers with pen-pal volunteers.
SundaysForSoldiers.org – This is a site to better help Christian churches host “packing parties” to ship mass quantities of aid to US troops.
TorahsForSoldiers.com – BFS has a strict non-proselytizing policy. No solider shall receive any religious or political materials unless specifically requested by the soldier. With the success of BiblesForSoldiers.org, Torahs For Soldiers is planned for a 2011 launch and will be a portal to connect with Chaplains to help them get Judaic-based books and materials to help their troops and improve the lives of Jewish US military personnel.
What is the tax exempt status of SupportTheSoldiers.org?
SupportTheSoldiers.org is a ministry of the Red Grail Ministries, a non-denominational, interfaith church in North Carolina. You can download our Articles of Incorporation and IRS approval letter from the About page of RedGrail.org.
Can I or members of my church congregation send care packages directly to our troops?
Yes! We have a whole website devoted just to that; SundaysForSoldiers.org. Be sure to download our PDF Guide For Pastors and Deacons.
My scout troop, church, company or civic group wants to help. Do you have any guidelines?
Here is our advice for a company, scout troop, or church or other group that wants to send packages to troops.
Tell everyone. Send out an email, mention the project in a meeting, or send out a memo to everyone in the organization. Tell them about the site and let them get a good look at BFS; that helps drive enthusiasm.
Remember to collect funds for postage. Always check to see what is the most economical rate for you to use (media rate is great for sending boxes of books). Military bases no longer accept packages for soldiers so you may not drop them off there.
Build your care package. Collect the books and other entertainment or care package items (paperbacks, hardbacks, video games, CDs, and DVDs are all fine). You can place donation boxes around your workplace, place of worship, or meeting place. After two weeks, you will probably not get any more donations. Be sure to remind people of the troop support drive halfway through. It is also a good time to remind them to bring in spare boxes to ship and tell them of the packing party to come.
Get the boxes. At the beginning of the drive start gathering shipping boxes. Packed boxes that weigh more than 25 pounds are not recommended. The US Post Office will give you free boxes for shipping if you use their “Flat Rate” shipping program. We recommend their Flat Rate shipping program because you can cram everything you can in one of their Flat rate boxes and the postage will be the same. And, while you are gathering boxes, do not forget the shipping tape!
Get the customs forms. You will need to complete one for each box you send. Forms are available at your post office or you can order them online at www.usps.com. Especially if you are in a more rural area, you may need to go to several post offices to get enough. Our local post offices are out of the forms quite often.
Get the addresses. This step should be saved until last; that way you will get the most recent addresses. You must be an Official Books For Soldiers Volunteer in order to access the soldier address database where we post the troop addresses. We know this is not convenient, but this is a security measure to help keep our troops safe. To become an Official Volunteer, visit the home page of BooksForSoldiers.com.
Have a packing party. Have your group sponsor a cook-out or other event and get everyone in on the festivities. After the hot dogs have been consumed, set up an assembly line to pack the boxes, apply the shipping label, and fill out the customs forms (use neat handwriting). The last step is to drive the boxes to the post office.
