People wishing to send support to the United States Military could at one time send packages and items to “Any United State Servicepersonâ€. But after September 11th, 2001, everything changed. Due to the terror threat the ability to send packages in this manner was canceled by the Department of Defense.
Anthrax mailings changed all that. It became an obvious security risk, despite never having been a problem in the past. So the program was canceled. Even though the generic “send to any serviceperson†program was canceled, there are still ways to send products, encouragement and support to active duty Servicemembers. There are several methods to show Servicemembers worldwide that they are remembered and their effort appreciated. A couple of these methods are described below:
One organization is the Wounded Heroes Foundation. This group sends packages and special care mailings to Servicemembers and soldiers who have been wounded while serving on active duty. Based in Chicago, WHH provides support, packages, mail and encouragement to wounded soldiers, their families, and also financial support. It is an organization that provides money for medications, modifications for access and disability assistance, special needs, even to help pay the mortgage. It receives its entire funding from private and corporate donations.
It operates overseas in Germany, at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, as well as various other overseas and stateside locations.
Their Care Project Hospital program has urgent needs that people can help contribute to. Wounded soldiers returning from both Afghanistan and Iraq cycle through Landstuhl often, and the WHH is there to help them adjust and to give support. Some of the items they look for are:
-Travel sized toiletries.
-Pajama.
-Socks
Some of the items that they request you not send include blankets, used clothing, and full sized toiletries. Citizens and supporters that want to give to this program can visit their web site online.
Another group that sends support and packages to soldiers overseas is eCarePackage. It is part of the better-known Operation Homefront, and was created to respond to concerns by military families, and requests from various military and service organizations. This is a way to get around the security concerns and still assist and support Servicemembers a long way from home. Operation Homefront operates eCarePackage, and sends packages daily. A list of the items that donations support, and how to become involved in the program is also available on their web site on the Internet.
