Operation:  Taste of Home2010

 Girl Scout Cookie Drive 

Hearts and Hugs for our Troops ²⁰¹⁰

Love and Hugs to our wonderful supporters for putting smiles on the faces of our Soldiers.

Our Valentine Card Campaign was a huge success.  We received over 6,200 Valentines from 27 States and donations to make up 600 care packages which included snacks and chocolates to lift our troops' spirits!  Thank You!

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Christmas for a Soldier2009

We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who participated in this year's Christmas for a Soldier.  Whether you donated your time sewing stockings and filling them, assembled packages, decorated cards, or provided monetary donations, we are humbled by your continued support and wanted to let you know that it was because of you that we were successful in packing up and sending out over 2,300 Christmas packages to our adopted troops.  Please know that your efforts helped these brave men and women serving this great Country feel a little closer to home and to know that they are loved and appreciated and certainly not forgotten at this special time of year.  Our thanks to you all for your generosity, continued support and loyalty to our military personnel.  God Bless you, our troops and our great Country!

Merry Christmas!

 

Special Thanks

AGCO, Inc.

 

Big Springs United Methodist Church

 

Briarcliff United Methodist Women

 

Conservative Republican Women

 

Daisy Troop 1152

 

 

Duluth First United Methodist Church:

 

Andone Sunday School Class

 

Barnes Sunday School Class

 

Boy Scout Troop 419

 

Duffey Sunday School Class

 

Forum Sunday School Class

 

Senior Fellowship

 

7^th & 8^th Grade Sunday School, 9:30 Class

 

High School Sunday School, 9:30 Class

 

 

Early Bird Quilt Guild

 

Edisto Primary School

 

Ephesus Baptist Church, 9^th & 10^th grade boys, Bakers Sunday School Class

 

First Baptist Church, Duluth – Triple L

 

First Redeemer Church

 

GA Federation of Women’s Clubs, Fourth District

 

Genesis Child Development Center

 

Girl Scout Troop 1194- Duluth

 

Girl Scout Troop 1687, Debby Tumillo, Dacula

 

Girl Scout Troop 1743, Wendy Lorys, Dacula

 

Haw Creek Elementary PTA

 

Rhonda Hogan, DMD

 

Jackson Elementary School, Ms. Stacey Rood’s 5^th Grade Class

Lavaca Elementary School, Mrs. Donna Harris' Kindergarten Class

Mud Pie

 

Mulvey Elementary School

 

Newcomers Club of N.E. Atlanta

 

Peachtree Corners Baptist Church

 

Penn State Erie, Behrend College

 

Perimeter Church, Disciple Group, John’s Creek

 

Providence Christian Academy

 

Puckett’s Mill Elementary School, Mrs. Anderson’s 3^rd Grade Class, Dacula

 

Tom Rice, Georgia House of Representatives, Atlanta

 

Troop 2119, Sienna

 

Rock-Tenn Company

 

SELEX Senors & Airborne Systems

 

Southern Expressions Drill Team

 

Valley Hill Homemakers of Clayton County

 

Stephanie Adams

Susan Albright

Sue Amedei

 

Linda Bailey

 

Roz Behan

 

Miriam Chambers

 

Kelley Clark

 

Erin Coughlin

 

Donna Dennard

 

Angie Doerlich

 

Diane Eisert

 

Estell Family

 

Patricia Freeman

 

Sherry Griffeth

 

Miri Hess

 

Peggy Hill

 

Charlie Hudson

 

Tuck & Mary Evelyn Jackson

 

Betty Kristoff

 

Trudy Lehman

 

Patricia Maunus

 

Carolyn Moore

 

Joan Mortenson

 

Myers Family

 

Diane Near

 

Sheila Ovington

 

Annette Pierce

 

Katherine Posey

 

Dorothi Prescott

 

Dick Rodie

 

Lynda Ryerson

 

Beverly Sanders

 

Nina Sanders

 

Linda Smith

 

Erlene Srausert

 

Arthur and Dru Webster

Linda Wettlaufer

Elise Whitworth

 

Carol Williams

 

Thank you to all who helped send HUGS to our Soldiers!

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Seventh Annual Thanksgiving Food Drive²⁰⁰⁹

Community Celebrates Military Family Appreciation Month

We give thanks and celebrate our blessings for having such wonderful volunteers and sponsors that made our  Seventh Annual Thanksgiving Food Drive a success for the 2-69 Armor Battalion families facing hardships during the holidays.  This Battalion from Fort Benning has recently deployed to Iraq. 

Volunteers delivered cans of vegetables, fruit, cranberry sauce, instant potatoes, stuffing mix, macaroni and cheese, gravy, broth, Jell-O and dessert mixes.  Turkeys were provided by the Army Community Services. 

Military families serve just as their uniformed service members do.  Our heartfelt thanks to the families who sacrifice so much -- you are patriots in a quiet, strong way and you make all the difference.  God Bless our troops and their families.

 

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Suwanee Day Festival

September 19, 2009

The 2-69 Amor Soldiers from Fort Benning, Georgia, traveled over two hours to celebrate community and be a part of the Suwanee Day Festival.  The Soldiers arrived to a delicious breakfast made special for them by Chef Mark of the Duluth First United Methodist Church.  The Soldiers enjoyed a full slate of festival activities which included marching in the parade with their Commander, Lt. Col. Ashe and his family, as Honorary Grand Marshal.  After the parade, the Soldiers were honored for their service with Mayor Dave Williams declaring September 21 as "2-69 Armor Day."   The Soldiers were recognized again later in the day during a flag ceremony while Hank Bird & the Borderline Band sang "God Bless the USA."  It was a very moving experience knowing the Soldiers will be deploying to Iraq for a fourth time within weeks.  Ippolito's Italian Restaurant hosted dinner for the Soldiers and their families in attendance.  Wild Bill's showed their appreciation for the troops by donating tickets to their event for the evening. Hugs for Soldiers provided overnight accommodations.

What a great time had by all. 

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Hugs for Soldiers Booth
Old Milton Country Fair
Alpharetta, GA
Saturday & Sunday, September 12-13, 2009

 
 What a fun weekend!  We made so many new friends who have joined us as volunteers and supporters.  The military exhibits were awesome. 
 
Soldiers from the Georgia Army National Guard Recruiting Station in Roswell joined us in greeting guests.  VFW Post 12002 has teamed up with Hugs for Soldiers in sending Starbucks Coffee to our troops.  The Alpharetta Lion's Club sponsored a banner for securing signatures and well wishes from all attendees for shipping to the troops overseas.
 
Many thanks to Girl Scout Troop 1687 for donating the beautiful crochet items for a fundraiser.  Thanks to our volunteers from Duluth First United Methodist Church, Alpharetta Junior Woman's Club and Republican Women for helping in our booth.
 
We look forward to next year!! 

Thank you to the families, schools, churches, Scouts, and civic groups who sent love, hugs, prayers and caring thoughts to our troops through over 2,800 of the most beautiful Valentine Cards from 18 states.   Your cards will touch the hearts of our troops serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait and Germany. 

Over 400 Valentine Treat Bags were shipped to the troops made from the candy that was donated.  The bags were filled with Hershey's HUGS,  KISSES in all flavors and an assortment of Valentine candies.  We also appreciate all the cute stuffed animals...and, so will the troops!!

Please visit our Photo Gallery for a few pictures taken of the cards shipped to the troops...wish we could post everyone of them!  Much love to all our volunteers!

Christmas for Our Troops²⁰⁰⁸

The “Christmas for Our Troops” 2008 Holiday Drive was a great success.  Over 1,200 Christmas packages were shipped to troops deployed overseas in all branches of our military.  Volunteers from Scouts to Senior citizens came together at the Duluth First United Methodist Church to assemble packages filled with an assortment of Hot Chocolate, Apple Cider, Candy Bars, Cookies, Granola Bars, Trail Mix, Nuts, Slim Jims, Chewing Gum, Single Serving Powered Drink Mixes, Hard Candy, Microwave Popcorn and Instant Soup.

In addition to the wonderful donation of snacks, 1,500 Holiday Cards were received from schools, churches, businesses and organizations expressing messages of gratitude, along with holiday cheer.  We appreciate all the love poured into the cards.  Many boxes were filled with sets of bath towels, washcloths, blankets, scarves, hats, personal care items, Christmas ornaments, puzzle books, stationery, pens and small board games.

We wish to thank everyone who gave their time and efforts to support the troops at this special time of year.  Love and HUGS to all!

Community Celebrates Military Family Appreciation Month

As we celebrate our blessings, and give thanks for our freedom to enjoy them, we take great pride in honoring our Military Families.  While this is a wonderful time of year where families and friends come together to feast and reflect on the things we are most grateful for, it is also a time that brings great stress and hardship to others.

It is our privilege to have an opportunity to help those families at Ft. Benning.  The Army Community Services provided Thanksgiving Turkeys to 61 families of the 2-69 Armor Battalion which were recipients nominated by their leading military officers.   Canned fruits, vegetables, instant potatoes, cornbread stuffing, macaroni and cheese, gravy, Jell-O, biscuit and dessert mixes were donated to the Duluth First United Methodist Church.  Financial donations were used to purchase additional items needed.

Families serve just as their uniformed service members do.  Our heartfelt thanks to the families who sacrifice so much – you are patriots in a quiet, strong way and you make all the difference

Thanks to our volunteers – Angie Doerlich, Carolyn Moore, Judy Bargainnier, Diane Womble, Charlie Hudson and Dick Rodie – for delivering the food on November 25^th.   

Operation: Taste of Home ²⁰⁰⁸

Valentine Cards for our Troops ²⁰⁰⁸