First of all, I try to practice humility in all aspects of my life (yes, yes, sometimes that's way easier said than done), especially regarding volunteerism. I don't choose to do things for others to win accolades from anyone, in spite of this blog post. I know if I want to lump myself onto Santa's 'good' list, then giving of yourself is just something you do. For no other reason than that. That said, finding organizations that align with things you already enjoy doing or hold dear in some way, make the perfect places to volunteer your talents. I happen to have had multiple connections with the military over the better part of my life and have a very high reverence for those individuals who choose that life of service, for whatever reason they so desire. That said, I found the organization AAUSS (Adopt A US Soldier)....and the story begins.
It's a fantastic, non-profit organization that, through whatever means, aligns individuals in the states with a service member deployed overseas. You can request a man or woman, if you have a preference, or a whole unit if you have a large group of people wanting to contribute together. Basically, you provide your support, through whatever means you have, to create a little bright spot in the day of a service member who may or may not otherwise be receiving anything from friends/family. I was given the email and postal address of a Sargent in Afghanistan named Chris. He, and his unit, did receive stuff from friends and family in the states but when you're over fighting for your country, there's no such thing as too much support.
I started by emailing him, asking him if he needed/wanted anything and just making some small talk to see what he might enjoy. After a few weeks, I put together a care package with mostly random goodies I picked up at the grocery store and the Dollar Store...I mean, I'm not made of money here. I also included lots of toothbrushes, toothpaste and mouthwash. Gimme a break, I'm a dental hygienist for pete's sake! (The USPS gives you a small discount on their flat rate boxes for sending to APO/AE addresses, FYI) After he received it and said he loved it, he also said that he shared a lot of it with his unit buddies, as they all do for each other.
Box #2 was similar random goodness, like the first box, and I was told that his friends grabbed most of it for themselves, leaving him with one box of hot chocolate and a DVD disc I burned the HBO series Game Of Thrones on. Well in my world, that's all I'd need to turn a bad day into a good day anyway! :)
The third box was right before Christmas and I filled it to the brim with homemade goodies - careful to not include anything that could melt (deserts get hot, who knew?) or get nasty before it would arrive in two weeks (nope, I did not put green fuzz decorations on those Peanut Butter Blossoms) and sealing everything as air tight as I could get it. I lined the inside of the box with wrapping paper so it would feel like Christmas in some small way. Again, from the sounds of it, sharing was the order of the day. Never did hear if anything had spoiled but, lets be honest, those dudes probably just ate everything without a second thought.
Then Chris told me that he had something for me and was going to send it out soon! Let me just tell you, that was an anxious wait. Where could someone over in Afghanistan possibly have gotten a gift, anyway? I was imagining opening a box of sand or pulling out a dirty boot. Yeah, I have an active imagination. Then, today, MY BOX ARRIVED! I was so excited/nervous/curious that I could barely contain myself. Here's the moment you've all been waiting for, the contents of the box:
The complete (Season 1-6) How I Met Your Mother sitcom series on DVD (I had mentioned in an email how much I LOVED that show) and, possibly the coolest gift I've ever received, an American flag with a certificate stating that the flag had flown on a helicopter during a combat mission on January 13th, 2013. Amazeballs. The certificate is signed by my soldier, Chris, who was the co-pilot! Indescribably awesome.
I never went into this thinking that I'd be given anything in return, in fact, the AAUSS website warns that some soldiers are out on missions frequently and are unable to respond to emails or send letters of thanks, you just have to have faith that they're receiving your support. I just got lucky.
That's the thing about all this (and giving back in general) it's not about you receiving anything at all, it's the Lord working through you to earn the blessed life you've been given; and when you're at your most selfless, you end up receiving a lot more in return.
Adopt your own US Soldier: Click here to show your support!
No comments:
Post a Comment