I’ve always had a really soft spot for the men & women serving our country in the armed forces. So soft that sometimes I start tearing up when approaching them to say thank you for all they are doing. And I always make sure if I do see a soldier, I do say thank you.

I’ve had this project in my head for a while and am finally doing something about it. I had originally (and still do) wanted to do a few free mini sessions each month for deploying soldiers and their families so that they will both (the soldier leaving and the family staying) have photos of eachother to hold on to until they get back. But I have found that it’s really hard to get in contact with anyone in the military to get that started, even after numerous phone calls and emails. Unless you know someone, it’s next to impossible getting in touch with someone enlisted that can help me get the word out. **(so, on that note if any of my local blog readers do have any military contacts or know of any enlisted men or women who will be deploying anytime soon and would like a free mini session from me, please, please, please get in touch with me by leaving me a message on the blog, on Facebook or by email (bethbeyrer@yahoo.com)).

So, since I can’t seem to get the photography project off the ground (as of yet), I felt like I had to do something to show the troops how much I appreciate their sacrifice and service. So after some research into different organizations, I’ll be sending a bunch of boxes each month to soldiers in Afghanistan. I have an address for a soldier over there with a list of some of his/his unit’s requests. I found them on Anysoldier.com. I am also going to be sending some boxes to Operation American Soldier where they send packages to soldiers who get very little (or sometimes even NO) mail.

Here’s this month’s boxes and a list of what’s in each one.

2prs white tube socks, 2 pkgs beef ramen noodles, 2 pkgs Ritz bits with Cheese, 1 pkg mini choc chip cookies, 1 box EasyMac, 1pkg chicken ramen noodles, 1pkg goldfish, 1 pkg twizlers, 4 nature valley granola bars, 9 quaker choc chip chewy granola bars, instant coffee pkg, 1 mini can spagettios w meatballs, 1 mini can tuna, 1pkg choc chunk brownies, 1 pkg milanos, 5 slim jims, 1 deck of playing cards, 2 chap sticks, handful jolly ranchers, loofah, 1 paperback book, 1 video, 1 pkg candy buttons, 1 pkg candy drinks (you remember those wax bottles w the sugary drink in it), paper, envelopes, 2 pens, handmade cards from the boys, and a letter from me.

I’m hoping that I hear back from the guys that I’m sending to and they send me a request list for another set of boxes, or even a new unit’s address who could use some cheer. I’m also hoping that the boys get some pen pals- some real life heroes (not celebrities, not musicians, not sports figures- but REAL heroes who risk their lives daily) to write to. And next month, I’m hoping to send even more!!

I’d love it if any of my blog readers would like to contribute to the cause, or even send out your own boxes. I’m happy to take donations (either for stuff or funds to buy more stuff). It doesn’t matter your political stance, your feeling on the war, your feeling on American troops being sent to all of places they are stationed in the world. These guys give up their whole lives to serve our country. The conditions they face are everything from scary to beyond imagination. (I found some pictures online of the soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan sleeping in what looked like graves while on patrol. Holes dug in the dirt. That’s where they sleep. In the hot and freezing desert. I will do my best to never complain again about being hot, cold, hungry, tired, etc.  When I think of them out there for months at a time the mommy in me says I have to send them some comforts from home.

Thanks for reading!