Netroots For The Troops: Cost-Free Way to Help
Tue May 27, 2008 at 02:14:20 PM PDT
Letters and Pictures Project, Netroots for the Troops Care Packages
Welcome dailykos.com readers! Netroots Nation is going to send 101 care packages to Iraq and Afghanistan. The latest fund-raising diarywas posted this morning. Fund-raising was kicked off Monday night. Ninepatch wrote an excellent how-to on the packages on Sunday.
The Free Part: packages are stuff. nice stuff, important stuff. Letters and pictures put the HEART into the packages. Letters from home are the #1 request from anysoldier.com.
Goal: to have 101 letters/pictures for the packages at Netroots Nation. Or a multiple of 101. ;-)
Sample letter:
Dear Soldier,
My name is J and I'm going to chat for a bit.
Memorial Day was rainy here, after a week of on and off rain. The sun came out late in the afternoon and we had a beautiful few hours of western sunlight slanting across the valley. The weather is a little warmer tomorrow but I think I will still put the kids in long pants. I think it is silly that the kids can't wear shorts at the end of May. I do recall a cold snap about this time of year the summer my son was born. I don't think it was that chilly for this long though.
The plants in the garden seem to love the rain. Some of the squashes were a bit damaged by the winds that came with the storm. I will wait and see if they recover - I am planting some more pumpkins and squashes this week. And I bought tomatoes to replace the ones that already died. I guess I do not have a green thumb like my dad. I will persevere, though - I really want some home-grown tomatoes, I think they are the best.
Our local NBA team is out of the playoffs - the Utah Jazz lost to the Lakers, who are now playing the Spurs in the Western Conference Finals. My favorite baseball team is the Kansas City Royals, and they are near the cellar of their division too. So it is not a very exciting time for sports.
My daughter is out of preschool, so we are spending some time doing mommy-daughter things. Polishing our nails. Putting stickers on our nails. Removing the polish on our nails. And, polishing our nails again. Using lip gloss. Putting pretty-smelling lotion on our skin. And, touching up our nail polish. Thank goodness for that quick-dry top coat, or I'd never get anything else done!
My son has school for 2 more weeks. Although I am not sure they are doing anything very useful anymore, since they finished their state and federal tests. I think they are going to learn about multiplying by nine this week. I am so excited for next school year - both kids will be at the same school! This has only happened once in their young lives so far. I am really excited about the time I won't spend driving around and balancing two opposite schedules.
I am going to get some bread baking, and pick up my son from school. Maybe I will take the kids for ice cream. Thank you for your service.
It's easy - just simple chit-chat, like a letter to someone you haven't seen for a long time. Something to remind them of home.
Pictures:
Anything your kids want to draw - my daughter will only draw princesses. Flags are very lovely. Rainbows, animals, mountains and scenes too. Please put the child's initials and age on the pictures.
First mini-goal:
I want nine volunteers to commit to ten letters/pictures each. When we achieve this, I will make another goal. I will be the tenth person, providing 11 letters/pictures (or more).
Where to get letter writing and picture-drawing volunteers: your neighborhood. coworkers. any clubs or groups or organizations you are in. church groups - older folks and younger ones. Nursing homes - take paper and pens along. Summer camps. Family get-togethers. Neighborhood block parties or parades.
How to get the letters to Austin:
- If the letters are electronic, you may email them to me at jlms_qkw @ xmission . com (remove the spaces).
- If you have a scanner, please scan them then email them to me, and I will print them.
- If only hard copies are available, hang on to them. This may cost you postage. I am working on an address to ship them to before Netroots Nation, and we will also accept packages at our convention hotel.
This diary series is intended to honor and support our USA troops. Comments pertaining to the war and any particular Democratic presidential candidates are not welcome - there are many other diaries where those comments are appropriate.
Please ask questions and share your ideas - they will be incorporated into future letter-writing diaries.
