Environmentalists Against War

A Call to Support the National Guard

November 28th, 2005 - by admin

Citizen Soldier Family Support Foundation – 2005-11-28 23:34:08

In these days after Thanksgiving, at the beginning of the busy holiday season, many of us are filled with joy and happiness to be with friends and families in our homes. But during this time of festivities, it is important to remember those who are less fortunate and who need our help.

My husband is in the National Guard and was deployed after Hurricane Rita to assist with the rescue and distribution of essential supplies to families in the hurricane regions. There is a great deal of strain placed on a family when a spouse leaves and I know it personally.

Because I am closely involved in the military community, I quickly noticed that many Guardsmen and their families needed support during and after deployment. Particularly after this devastating hurricane season, many guardsmen and their families need our immediate help.

We formed Citizen Soldier Family Support Foundation to provide support for the National Guard and all other military reserve branches and their families. Not only are many soldiers deployed overseas, but they provided support on the Gulf Coast after this year’s devastating Hurricanes.

And while many soldiers were providing support after the hurricanes, other Guardsmen were struggling to salvage what was left of their homes in the hurricane ravaged towns and cities.

Our non-profit organization supports all National Guard forces and reservists, but we are facing the immediate need of helping those impacted by the Hurricanes. My husband saw the storm destruction to the Gulf Coast first-hand and knew we had to do something to help.

In Louisiana alone, many National Guard forces returned to nothing after serving in Iraq: their homes destroyed and their families living in shelters.

With your donation of $25, $50 or even $150, we hope to immediately help these proud men and women and their families have a better holiday season. We are a nationwide 501(c)3 non-profit foundation and all contributions are tax-deductible. We receive desperate calls on a daily basis from soldiers and their families who are sleeping on floors with only one or two outfits of clothes to wear.

They have lost all of their personal belongings. Most do not have jobs to return to as their employers were also put out of business by the hurricanes.

The federal government is doing all they can but unfortunately it is not enough, nor is it happening quickly enough. The disasters of this year are simply too great and the resources too spare.

In the meantime the strain on our “Hometown Heroes” is rapidly increasing as they continue to be called upon to serve more than ever before.

I understand what it is like to have a spouse in the National Guard and I feel as though we have an opportunity and an obligation to help those who sacrifice so much for all of us. The funds raised from your tax-deductible donation will be immediately used to help those soldiers and their families to purchase basic household items including food, clothes, and beds.

We also hope to raise enough money so that the families are able to purchase a gift or two for their children to help make their holiday season a little brighter. We can only do that with your help.

The immediate goal of Citizen Soldier Family Support Foundation is to simply offer hope to these families. While the rest of us are able to enjoy the holiday season together with our loved ones, please take a moment to remember those who are fighting to protect us both at home and abroad and trying to rebuild their lives.

A donation of $25, $50 or even $150 will be a huge help to these families. It will help ensure that they do not go hungry and stay warm this December.

On behalf of all of our Hometown Heroes and their families, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your support. God Bless America and have a happy holiday season.

Sincerely,
Molly Johnson, Executive Director
Citizen Soldier Family Support Foundation