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Somebody Loves You
Ministries

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Operation
Christmas for
Our Troops
& Their
Families VI
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MEDIA ADVISORY
November 23rd, 2009
The California State Legislature & Yellow Ribbon America
Launches 6th Annual
Operation Christmas for Our Troops and Their Families
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Goal is to deliver Christmas support to over 300,000 of
California’s, Arizona’s and Nevada’s military members
and their families here and serving throughout the world
IRVINE, CALIF – The California State
Legislature and Yellow Ribbon America have launched its fifth
annual Operation Christmas for Our Troops and Their Families, a
statewide and national non-partisan holiday effort to give support
to America’s deployed and at home military members and their
families. The effort, which supports the National Guard, Reserve and
Active Duty deployed and at home military members and their
families, began in November 2004 and has grown every year since. It
is not just the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guard
members that are affected when they are deployed and away from home
but also the families who are left behind. According to the
Pentagon, this is the largest Christmas Holiday effort for both our
nation’s military and their families.
Over the last four years with the help of thousands of our fellow
Californians, Operation Christmas for Our Troops and Their Families
has collected over 368,000 donated items such as food for
various Unit Christmas parties, bikes, toys, DVDs, games, all types
of gift cards as well as financial donations for military families
in need and for the Family Readiness programs offered by all
branches of service in California’s National Guard, Reserve and
Active Duty Components.
This year our statewide goal is to deliver Christmas community
support to over 300,000 of California, Arizona and Nevada’s
military members and their families here at home and serving
throughout the world. Through the generous donations from all of
California’s communities we will be able to give gifts to military
families especially the children of America’s military to help them
through the emotional difficulties of the holidays while their loved
ones are far from home. “Operation Christmas for Our Troops V” will
provide support from local communities, which helps bring all
Americans together to support their local military and their
families. Locals Helping Locals -- local businesses, residents,
churches and community groups focusing their resources on helping
their military members and their families located in their own
community. That’s what the Yellow Ribbon America (YRA) Campaign is
all about.
Because the Christmas shopping list is so large, Yellow Ribbon
America, which manages the volunteer effort and project
coordination, is already in FULL-TIME Community Outreach mode for
Operation Christmas for Troops & Their Families V. They have been
doing events from Sacramento to San Diego with our YRA volunteers,
local California Troops and their families generating support for
the military units, families and those who have emergency needs.
For more information on how to participate or donate visit
www.YellowRibbonAmerica.org.
On behalf of Yellow Ribbon America and the California State
Legislature we wish to thank you for being part of the largest
Christmas Holiday Community outreach effort in the nation for both
America’s military members and their families.
Help America’s 1# Cause! TM
DONATE TODAY! |
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Deployed Military & Family Support
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The mission of Yellow Ribbon America is to provide a national
framework to organize America's cities and towns, to deliver
immediate and direct support to our deployed military personnel and
the families who are left behind. Our Deployed Military Members &
Family Support Program continues to grow as do the needs of our
military and their families. Yellow Ribbon America continues to
organize community outreach events to help communities welcome home
our military members and thank their families for their sacrifices’
for us all. |
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Welcome Home Project /
Military Injured Support
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They never asked for anything. Not
sympathy, not understanding not even a thank you. Soldiers returning
from this war wounded have had their lives forever changed.
Transitioning back to civilian life for these folks is daunting. Our
idea was simply to have a welcome home ceremony for these brave men
and women and say thank you for your sacrifice, and your service. We
had no idea how a simple gesture like this would grow into what this
has become.
We asked local businesses and community
leaders to support our idea. In no time, we had commitments for as
many gift baskets as we needed, containing everything from two
round-trip tickets on Mesa Airlines and $200.00 dollar dinner
certificates to the finest steak house in town, to a nearly a dozen
free car washes, free gasoline, groceries, movies, even a Visa card
for $100.00 - all practical gifts to ease their transition. To date
we have given away nearly $150,000.00 in gift baskets to Arizona and
California Purple Heart recipients and their families and are poised
to do the same in 2008.
Our goal was to unite America’s communities. Without regard for
political leanings we just wanted folks to know that the men and women
risking their lives for our Country are fathers and mothers, sisters
and brothers, and sons and daughters. Our Welcome Home Project
ceremonies brought an incredibly diverse group of people. CEO’s,
politicians (both Democrats and Republicans), teachers, police and
fire fighters, journalists, school children, and anyone who wanted to
say thanks. We could never have known the power of thanks. Soldiers
cried at seeing this kind of unexpected appreciation.
Since the Welcome Home Project got
started it has gained amazing energy, and is beginning to spread. The
CEO of Mesa Airlines was so moved by his involvement that he’s now
partnering with us to take this effort to other states.
We have received letters of thanks from those in the community who
didn’t know this kind of avenue existed to thank our troops. We have
heard a lot from Vietnam Veterans who wished that something like this
existed when they returned from war. We can only hope that a simple
gesture such as this will bring some closure to those returning now.
President Lincoln once said, “We are the land of the free because of
the brave.” We agree, we owe these brave men and women a debt we can
never repay, but at the very least we can say “Thank You, and Welcome
Home”. |
Yellow Ribbon America is proud of the fact that we have been able to
organize and unite communities to give real help to many military members
and families. We believe by helping the families of our nations military
we have helped them to be able to focus on their mission which is to fight
for and protect our freedom.
With your help the Yellow Ribbon America campaign can continue to bring
immediate assistance and necessary community support to America’s
military families and members. Then they will hear the powerful message
that America does cares. We Support Our Troops with our words and deeds.
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