Support our Soldiers - Xmas Parcel Appeal
Discussion
Thought I would post a reminder for anyone interested in making a donation this year - a throughly worthwile cause, in my opinion. I received a thank you letter from one of the soldiers last time which was very touching.....obviously in true PH fashion I sent it back having pointed out all the spelling mistakes. 
I received the following today...........
Last year you very kindly donated towards our Xmas Parcel Appeal. Thanks to the overwhelming generosity of both individuals and companies alike, over 15,000 parcels were sent to those serving in Iraq, Afghanistan and on other overseas operations. Here are just a very small example of the thank you letters received from the recipients of your parcels –
“It is difficult to be away from home, especially at this time of year and I would like to pass on just how much the support we receive means to us. It means a great deal to us all to know that members of the public are thinking of us. It is truly touching to know we have your support."
“I cannot thank you enough for your Christmas gift box. It brought a tear to my eye that we are so well thought of back home. My boys and I are so appreciative for the effort which goes in to the presents and it makes us proud to serve for the greatest nation of people on earth.”
"I'm currently serving on my first tour of Iraq. I'm only 19 and it was the first time I've not been with my friends and family over Christmas. The best thing about Christmas was an unexpected gift from someone who I didn't know. The fact that people really care about us even though we've never met made me and all the lads feel really good. I'd just like to say THANK YOU to the people who sent me and all my fellow comrades these gifts; it's so nice to know you care."
“I wanted to send you a thank you from everyone at 40 Commando for all the things you have sent out. We have been genuinely AMAZED at how wonderful everyone has been back home. I cannot begin to thank you all enough. Thanks to the great British public I think we will have as merry a Christmas as could be expected in Helmand. Thank you all so very much… to everyone who contributed. We won’t forget it.”
Our Appeal for Xmas 2008 is now live and we’d like to ask if we can possibly count on your support once again. £5 will cover the cost of a parcel to one of our brave Servicemen or women away from home this Xmas, and in addition £1 for every parcel pledged will go to BLESMA which means we can all help on a more permanent basis too.
We do hope you’ll consider our request. It really is only with the support of people such as yourselves that we can carry out our work, and bring a little bit of festive cheer to our brave boys and girls.
Donations this year are being managed through our Just Giving page, and the link to make a donation is -
www.justgiving.com/SupportOurSoldiersXmasParcelApp...
Full information about the Appeal can be found on our website www.supportoursoldiers.co.uk. We will be limiting the number of parcels sent this year to 12,000. However any donations, parcels or parcel fillers received once we have reached this limit will be used for the benefit of our Servicemen and women during 2009.
Thank you for your support last year, and we hope you'll be able to help out once again this year.
Very kind regards
Karen
Karen Webster
Founder
Support Our Soldiers Registered Charity Number 1120684
Head Office: 20 Fairfax Road, Bingley, West Yorkshire BD16 4DR
Email: karen@supportoursoldiers.co.uk
Website: www.supportoursoldiers.co.uk
Xmas Parcel Appeal now live - http://www.justgiving.com/SupportOurSoldiersXmasPa...
I received the following today...........
Last year you very kindly donated towards our Xmas Parcel Appeal. Thanks to the overwhelming generosity of both individuals and companies alike, over 15,000 parcels were sent to those serving in Iraq, Afghanistan and on other overseas operations. Here are just a very small example of the thank you letters received from the recipients of your parcels –
“It is difficult to be away from home, especially at this time of year and I would like to pass on just how much the support we receive means to us. It means a great deal to us all to know that members of the public are thinking of us. It is truly touching to know we have your support."
“I cannot thank you enough for your Christmas gift box. It brought a tear to my eye that we are so well thought of back home. My boys and I are so appreciative for the effort which goes in to the presents and it makes us proud to serve for the greatest nation of people on earth.”
"I'm currently serving on my first tour of Iraq. I'm only 19 and it was the first time I've not been with my friends and family over Christmas. The best thing about Christmas was an unexpected gift from someone who I didn't know. The fact that people really care about us even though we've never met made me and all the lads feel really good. I'd just like to say THANK YOU to the people who sent me and all my fellow comrades these gifts; it's so nice to know you care."
“I wanted to send you a thank you from everyone at 40 Commando for all the things you have sent out. We have been genuinely AMAZED at how wonderful everyone has been back home. I cannot begin to thank you all enough. Thanks to the great British public I think we will have as merry a Christmas as could be expected in Helmand. Thank you all so very much… to everyone who contributed. We won’t forget it.”
Our Appeal for Xmas 2008 is now live and we’d like to ask if we can possibly count on your support once again. £5 will cover the cost of a parcel to one of our brave Servicemen or women away from home this Xmas, and in addition £1 for every parcel pledged will go to BLESMA which means we can all help on a more permanent basis too.
We do hope you’ll consider our request. It really is only with the support of people such as yourselves that we can carry out our work, and bring a little bit of festive cheer to our brave boys and girls.
Donations this year are being managed through our Just Giving page, and the link to make a donation is -
www.justgiving.com/SupportOurSoldiersXmasParcelApp...
Full information about the Appeal can be found on our website www.supportoursoldiers.co.uk. We will be limiting the number of parcels sent this year to 12,000. However any donations, parcels or parcel fillers received once we have reached this limit will be used for the benefit of our Servicemen and women during 2009.
Thank you for your support last year, and we hope you'll be able to help out once again this year.
Very kind regards
Karen
Karen Webster
Founder
Support Our Soldiers Registered Charity Number 1120684
Head Office: 20 Fairfax Road, Bingley, West Yorkshire BD16 4DR
Email: karen@supportoursoldiers.co.uk
Website: www.supportoursoldiers.co.uk
Xmas Parcel Appeal now live - http://www.justgiving.com/SupportOurSoldiersXmasPa...
should we be supporting this in this year of uncertain financial futures..after all they are being paid from honest taxpayers money.. There must be more worthy causes to support...think of all those unfortunate bankers in the city,, now left wondering if they can afford christmas now..shouldt we be colelcting for them instead?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7660389.stm
Quote:
The Ministry of Defence is asking the public to donate to military charities instead of sending surprise Christmas parcels to troops they do not know.
In recent years, many well-intentioned people have sent gifts to combat zones in Iraq or Afghanistan, asking that they are passed to service personnel.
But the MoD says this deluge has stopped personal letters and gifts from friends and family arriving in time.
Last Christmas, the public sent 21,000 sacks of mail to troops in Afghanistan.
The Mod said this volume of post caused problems with its "logistics chain".
'Priorities'
BBC defence correspondent Caroline Wyatt said that while the letters and gifts sent in by the public were appreciated within the Armed Forces, the MoD is keen to prevent the problems caused by the volume of post at Christmas last year.
Vice Admiral Peter Wilkinson, Deputy Chief of Defence Staff said the military's "logistics chain", which was there for "operational effectiveness", was hampered by the amount of Christmas post with which it had to cope.
"We need it to move supplies, ammunition, food, out to the troops, and there has to be a question of priorities," he said.
The post sent out to troops is usually transported by helicopter, but these remain in short supply.
This Christmas, the British Forces Post Office will limit its free postal service to friends and family, only accepting mail addressed to a named serviceman or woman, to ensure their cards and gifts get through on time.
Promises
The MoD says that those who wish to show their support this Christmas should donate money to Armed Forces charities instead.
The ministry said it is committed to ensuring that every serviceman and woman serving overseas receives a parcel on Christmas Day and for the past few years has worked in partnership with the charity uk4U-Thanks! to do this.
Last year the organisation sent 24,500 gift boxes to those on duty overseas or in hospital during the Christmas season.
Quote:
The Ministry of Defence is asking the public to donate to military charities instead of sending surprise Christmas parcels to troops they do not know.
In recent years, many well-intentioned people have sent gifts to combat zones in Iraq or Afghanistan, asking that they are passed to service personnel.
But the MoD says this deluge has stopped personal letters and gifts from friends and family arriving in time.
Last Christmas, the public sent 21,000 sacks of mail to troops in Afghanistan.
The Mod said this volume of post caused problems with its "logistics chain".
'Priorities'
BBC defence correspondent Caroline Wyatt said that while the letters and gifts sent in by the public were appreciated within the Armed Forces, the MoD is keen to prevent the problems caused by the volume of post at Christmas last year.
Vice Admiral Peter Wilkinson, Deputy Chief of Defence Staff said the military's "logistics chain", which was there for "operational effectiveness", was hampered by the amount of Christmas post with which it had to cope.
"We need it to move supplies, ammunition, food, out to the troops, and there has to be a question of priorities," he said.
The post sent out to troops is usually transported by helicopter, but these remain in short supply.
This Christmas, the British Forces Post Office will limit its free postal service to friends and family, only accepting mail addressed to a named serviceman or woman, to ensure their cards and gifts get through on time.
Promises
The MoD says that those who wish to show their support this Christmas should donate money to Armed Forces charities instead.
The ministry said it is committed to ensuring that every serviceman and woman serving overseas receives a parcel on Christmas Day and for the past few years has worked in partnership with the charity uk4U-Thanks! to do this.
Last year the organisation sent 24,500 gift boxes to those on duty overseas or in hospital during the Christmas season.
I have a bundle of letters still, received over the years from people I don't know and I can attest to the impact of receiving normal letters from people you never know. One, I read more often than others was from a girl in Hartlepool who (this was in the 90s) told me how great her new supermarket was. I have still got a small bottle of champagne donated by The Sun and someone sent me once, a mini bottle of gin, a small bottle of tonic and a fresh lemon (my god - FRESH!).
Military weeners and Incipid Serpants sitting on their arses back in a heated and air conditioned Main Building probably have no concept of the effect that getting a letter from home, even from someone you don't know, can have. Its not the usual laboured affair you might get from the wife about the kids when you know that all she wants to do is put her feet up and get some zzzs, its not a letter from your bird who is telling you what a great time she is having on the lash and its not a dull letter from your mum telling you how the garden is doing. These are letters from people at home, who don't know you and they all talk about normality.
This is a great cause, and yes - MODS, sticky please.
Military weeners and Incipid Serpants sitting on their arses back in a heated and air conditioned Main Building probably have no concept of the effect that getting a letter from home, even from someone you don't know, can have. Its not the usual laboured affair you might get from the wife about the kids when you know that all she wants to do is put her feet up and get some zzzs, its not a letter from your bird who is telling you what a great time she is having on the lash and its not a dull letter from your mum telling you how the garden is doing. These are letters from people at home, who don't know you and they all talk about normality.
This is a great cause, and yes - MODS, sticky please.
Dunk76 said:
It's got me thinking; Apart from Jazz Mags, Smokes, and sachets of Ketchup, what does the average squaddie in the field want from a stranger?
As Ginge's post suggests, it's not what you send but the fact you've sent anything at all. Food and drink isn't really such a great idea (apart from small bits and pieces and the G&T thing!) as most stuff will take a few weeks to get there and will either melt in the heat or go off, and it's not in that short a supply anyway.Take it from someone who <ahem> knows these things, anything needs to be really well packed, bulletproof some might say.
At Crimbo especially, the aircraft are often stuffed with mail that some last minute passenger invaribaly ends up sitting on. Needless to say the location of some of the sites means the full DHL service isn't an option so in off-loading upwards of thirty mail bags as quick as possible stuff gets thrown around, dropped, covered in dust and so on.
Top Trumps seemed pretty popular last year. Small, easy to use, passes the time, needs no electricity or water....see where this is going?
Edited by anonymous-user on Sunday 26th October 10:07
Puff Puff said:
The post sent out to troops is usually transported by helicopter, but these remain in short supply.
Frankly, we should be donating for a new helicopter then..If our armed forces are so stretched because of some mail and goodies for the chaps at the coalface, then Gordon Brown should be hanging his head in shame.
Land of hope and glory, mother of a disgraceful government who start half-arsed wars and don't even provide for the troops on the ground
Cheeky Jim said:
Puff Puff said:
The post sent out to troops is usually transported by helicopter, but these remain in short supply.
Frankly, we should be donating for a new helicopter then..If our armed forces are so stretched because of some mail and goodies for the chaps at the coalface, then Gordon Brown should be hanging his head in shame.
Land of hope and glory, mother of a disgraceful government who start half-arsed wars and don't even provide for the troops on the ground
Edited by anonymous-user on Sunday 26th October 10:28
I served in Afghanistan over Christmas 2006, and I can tell you from experience that parcels and letters sent to us by members of the public are greatly appreciated. It really was very touching to think that people back home had gone to such efforts to let us know that we weren't forgotten.
It was my first Christmas away from home but it certainly wont be my last, such gestures can make all the difference.
It was my first Christmas away from home but it certainly wont be my last, such gestures can make all the difference.
Luke,
Whilst you're sending things around the interweb..!
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Whilst you're sending things around the interweb..!
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
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