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Special Hugs to Sidney DeMello, President of To The Fallen Records, who donated 897 Hip Hop Vol. 1 CDs to Hugs for Soldiers in Georgia for distributing to the troops.

To The Fallen Records exclusively showcases military artists and their music as a strictly non-partisan entity, as their tagline states, "it's not about politics, it's about music."

The purposes behind the label are to provide American citizens insight into the men and women that serve their country and to give American service members an outlet for expression. Through powerful lyrics military artists tell the world about their lives in a way that few have heard.

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Thank you to the following volunteers who have donated items to make care packages for the troops:

Girl Scout Troop 320, McPherson, KS

Hickory Flatt Elementary School, Junior Beta Club, Canton, GA

Ross Hill Church, Beginners Class, Bostic, N.C.

 

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Georgia Chapter

 

“Welcome Home” Hero Bags

Provides Comforts of Home to Ft. Benning, GA

Single Soldiers Returning from Iraq

Soldiers step off their planes to families eagerly awaiting their arrival, ready to take them home for some much-needed rest. On every flight there are Single Soldiers who do not have anyone to greet them or their nearest family is hundreds of miles away from Base. 

Volunteers came together at the Duluth First United Methodist Church to assemble 420 "Hero Bags" to make sure the Single Soldiers of the 2-69 Armor, 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division received a warm welcome when they returned home in May after a 15-month deployment.

The white Hero Bags were decorated in a patriotic theme with the Battalion's emblem, tanks, Panthers and slogan, "Speed and Power", by Mason Elementary School students in Duluth, GA and Girl Scout Troops from the Millcreek Service Unit in Dacula. Each bag was filled with donated snacks of granola bars, trail mix, peanut butter and cheese crackers, large candy bars, gum, bottled water and a box of Girl Scout cookies donated by the Duluth Girl Scout Service Unit.

Also, included were personal care items of shampoo and conditioner, lotion, toothbrush/toothpaste, mouthwash, razor and shaving cream, deodorant, soap and Kleenex. Special bags were made up for the female Soldiers as well. Cards and letters of well wishes, thank you for your service, and the student’s name who decorated the bag, grade level and teacher’s name were tucked inside the bags. These bags were placed in the barracks of each Single Soldier. The barracks were also decorated with Welcome Home Posters made by Volunteers. We tried to make the first couple of nights at home as comfortable as possible.

In addition to the 420 boxes of Girl Scout cookies included in the Hero Bags, over 2,000 boxes were delivered to the 2-69 Armor and 1-15th Infantry Battalions for ALL the Soldiers to enjoy!

Special Thanks and Hugs to everyone who helped to make this project special and to make our Soldiers feel Welcomed Home!

Love, Hugs and Blessings…

Angie Doerlich

 

Heartfelt Thanks to the following angels who helped make this project possible...

 

Annette Pierce

Carol Williams

Carolyn Moore

Cordy Reagan – for all your hard work making over 400 Welcome Home Posters (even on your vacation)!

Dollar Smart ~ Cindy ~ 465 Dacula Road, Dacula

Donated personal care items

Duluth First United Methodist Church Groups, Duluth

Snacks, personal care items, letters and cards

Duluth Girl Scout Service Unit, Duluth

Fort Benning

Paula Perry, FRG Leader

Sergeant First Class Donna Larkins-FRG LNO

All the Soldiers who helped deliver the Hero Bag to the barracks

Gwinnett County Convention and Visitors Bureau, Duluth

Bottled water and snacks

Jim and Terri Adkins

Joanne Hurtig

Linda Bailey

Mason Elementary School Students and Teachers, Duluth

Decorated bags, donated snacks and personal care items

Mill Creek Girl Scout Service Unit, Dacula

Troop 1072 – decorated bags

Troop 1687 – decorated bags and donated items

Troop 1743 – decorated bags, donated snacks and personal care items

Russ and Melanie Sheldon

Wendy Lorys (Camden & Jordan) – thank you for your continued help and dedication to our troops

And, all those volunteers who dropped donations off at the Duluth First United Methodist Church.

 

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Tennessee Chapter

Thanks to all for helping with

WELCOME HOME, SOLDIERS!

The single Soldiers of the 3^rd Brigade were elated to see the Welcome Home posters on their walls and the snack packs on their beds! Many have written thank you’s to let us know how much it meant to them to be welcomed home from their 15-month deployment “by people we don’t even know,” said one Soldier. Another Soldier wrote, “What a joy to see those bright yellow bags in the room! As it was, we came in late. Having the snacks there for us meant one less stop we had to make.”

Over 3,000 pairs of hands touched this Welcome Home, Soldiers! project in some way. The Legionnaires of American Legion Post 256 in Vonore, TN, became the core of Tennessee’s Welcome Home committee. Over 2,000 colorfully decorated signs were made by school children, churches, Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts, individuals, senior citizens and more. Some organizations, such as Highland Park Ruritan Club, purchased goods to make 60 Welcome Home snack packs. And then there were over a hundred individuals or groups that made monetary donations to sponsor one or more of these soldiers with this warm welcome home. One such donor was Operation: Troop Aid, another Tennessee homefront group.

Hugs for Soldiers volunteers traveled to Fort Benning to hold a Welcome Home, Soldiers! workday. Wives, Rear-D soldiers, BOSS and Columbus residents all came together at Kelly Hill Rec Center to assemble 1,060 of the 1,210 Welcome Home packages which contained chips and salsa, soup, cheese and crackers, cookies, popcorn, candy bars, soft drinks and more. 150 snack packs had been made previously to welcome the Advance Parties home.

Buffy Kolasheski, wife of 3-1 Commander LTC John Kolasheski, told Hugs for Soldiers’ volunteers, “If Hugs for Soldiers had not come through with this project, it would have fallen on the shoulders of the wives of the 3rd Brigade. It has been so great to have the help we needed in making this homecoming for our Soldiers wonderful."

Hugs for Soldiers thanks each and every one of you who made it possible to touch the lives of these 1,210 American Soldiers. It is a memory they will always carry with them.

“Hugs”

Kathy Orcutt

THANKS TO …

Welcome Home Committee

American Legion Post 256, Vonore, TN

Dick Kolasheski, John Allen, Don Burgett, Rich Gruber, Vic Vickery, Marty Butera & Don Edmands

Monetary Donations

All of the individuals, retired military persons, organizations, churches and businesses who made a donation to sponsor one or more soldiers

Welcome Home Posters

Cleveland State Community College Cheerleaders, Cleveland, TN

Cub Scout Pack 145, Den 2, Lenoir City, TN

Dot Grinder, Vonore, TN

First Methodist Church, Tellico Plains, TN

Fort Loudoun Middle School, Loudon, TN

Girl Scouts of Cleveland, TN

Girl Scout Troop 885, Vonore, TN

Lenoir City Elementary School, Lenoir City, TN

Lunch Bunch, Broad Street United Methodist Church, Cleveland, TN

Philadelphia School, Philadelphia, TN

Smoke Rise PTA, Stone Mtn., GA

Sweetwater Primary School, Sweetwater, TN

Vonore Elementary School, Vonore, TN

America Supports You Homefront Group

Operation: Troop Aid (Mark Woods)

Fort Benning

3^rd Brigade Headquarters, LTC Richard Quagliata

3-1CAV Soldiers & SFC Sammy Sain

SFC Robert Perry, 1-15IN

Kelly Hill Rec Center (Nancy Hadley & Noelle Phillips)

SGT Zkmain Mahoney (Boss President) and Soldier Volunteers

Buffy Kolasheski, 3-1CAV FRG Leader

Cindy Grigsby, 3^rd Brigade FRG Leader

Wal-Mart, Columbus, GA

Home-Baked Cookies

Mary Ann Cole

Parents or Grandparents of Soldiers

Chris & Jim Lyng

Ralph & Susan Elke

Coral & David Hanson

Dick & Lorna Kolasheski

Jan & Wayne Zarnecki

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Thanks for Helping Send a Little

“Taste of Home”

to Troops in Iraq and at Sea

 

Over 1,500 Soldiers in Iraq and Seamen on our Navy’s USS Philippine Sea received a little “Taste of Home” from the joint efforts of many in both Tennessee and Florida.

Girl Scouts and Brownies of the Little River Service Unit in Blount County, TN, along with their neighboring Monroe County/Vonore Girl Scouts, made colorful posters for their cookie booths saying “Buy a Box of Cookies for Our Troops” or “Help Send Hugs to Our Soldiers”. Their customers were thrilled at having the opportunity to do something for our American Troops!

 

Meanwhile, in Florida, on National Girl Scout Day, Troop #510 teamed up with Hugs for Soldiers volunteers and members of 1^st United Methodist Church of Homosassa. 250 boxes of Girl Scout cookies were donated for our troops that day. The Soldiers of the 101^st Airborne’s 2^nd Brigade Headquarters in Baghdad were delighted when they received this “Taste of Home” from Florida!

 

Back in Tennessee, young volunteers such as Andrew and Brianna Curtis of Vonore Middle School took the time to place labels on each and every box of cookies letting our Soldiers and Seamen know, “We’re proud of you … blessed to have you … and are always thinking of you!”

So to our Girl Scouts and other young volunteers, Hugs for Soldiers wants to express our thanks to you for being such good citizens and for caring about your fellow Americans.

Our adult organizations certainly set a good example for our Youth to follow. Tennessee’s Hillcrest Baptist Church and their Ladies Auxiliary Group, who have been Hugs for Soldiers supporters for 3 years now, donated 141 boxes of cookies. Vonore Baptist Church and the residents of Kahite purchased over 100 boxes. And even more Girl Scout cookies were donated by DAR of Loudon County and by our ever faithful supporter, Lisa Thomas Salon, and her clients in Maryville.

It takes many of us to make something so wonderful happen for our American Troops, and Hugs for Soldiers appreciates everyone’s teamwork and support!

 

Maryville/Alcoa, TN

Girl Scouts & Brownies of Little River Service Unit

Hillcrest Baptist Church & their Ladies Auxiliary Group

Lisa Thomas Salon & Her Clients

Vonore, TN

Girl Scout Troop #885

Andrew & Brianna Curtis

Vonore Baptist Church

Residents of Kahite

 

Lenoir City, TN

DAR of Loudon County

 

Homosassa, FL

Girl Scout Troop #510

1^st United Methodist Church of Homosassa

Pam & Lynn DuBose and their support group

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Operation: Taste of Home ²⁰⁰⁸

Girl Scout Cookies continue to be one of the most requested items by our military personnel. One Soldier in Iraq wrote, “Girl Scout Cookies are like gold around here. You just can’t get enough.”

The Girl Scouts of the Northwest Georgia Council made sure our Soldiers received a little “Taste of Home” by donating 4,416 boxes of cookies. Altogether, 4,845 boxes, valued at $16,957.50 were donated for our troops to enjoy! Each box of cookies shipped contained a special “thank you for your service” message along with well wishes in the form of letters, drawings or hand-made cards from Girl Scouts, families, schools, churches, businesses and civic organizations.

Every year we collect more cookies and more groups express an interest in getting involved with our effort. The Girl Scouts and their Leaders have worked hard and it’s wonderful to see this kind of community support for our deployed soldiers.

Volunteers from Duluth delivered over 2,400 boxes of cookies to the Ft. Benning, 3^rd Brigade soldiers returning from Iraq after a 15-month deployment. What a nice Welcome Home gift!

THANK YOU and HUGS to everyone who made this project a huge success. This is a real morale booster for our soldiers and lets them know people back home really care about them.

Thousands of boxes of cookies were donated. The following is a list of those that we know donated cookies or helped with the project:

Jim & Terri Adkins

Wendy Lorys and Camden

Diane Near

Duluth Montessori School

Duluth First United Methodist Church

Hickory Flat Elementary School, Junior Beta Club, Canton

Mason Elementary School Staff, Duluth

The Mitchell Family, Scottdale, AZ

Russell Reynolds Associates, Atlanta

Duluth Service Unit: 3,400 boxes

Troop 103

Troop 126

Troop 142

Troop 164

Troop 1034

Troop 1112

Troop 1130

Troop 1163

Troop 1168

Troop 1183

Troop 1186

Troop 1215

Troop 1393

Troop 1378

Troop 1380

Troop 1449

Troop 1596

Troop 1600

Troop 1635

Troop 1641

Troop 1720

Troop 1841

Troop 1845

Troop 1941

Troop 2935

Troop 20146

Troop 20183

Troop 21135

Troop 21138

Snellville Service Unit: Cadette Troop 167

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"I am so glad there is a way for me (and others) to show support and appreciation for the troops, Hugs for Soldiers is a wonderful program! thanks." ... Roseena in PA

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Special HUGS to the following volunteers who have sent items to make up care packages for our troops. It is important our Soldiers know that we care and support them and your care packages will do just that! Thank you!

Linda Duke, Palmetto Bay, FL

Karen Gelhaar, Lawrenceville, GA

Roseena McLaughlin, N. Huntingdon, PA

Laura Twardzik, Pembroke Pines, FL

B. J. Young, Locust Grove, GA

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Valentine’s Day is one day out of the year that we show someone how much we care about them. Over 4,000 cards came from everywhere in different shapes and sizes, but they had one thing in common … the love and appreciation of our American Soldiers. SPECIAL HUGS to our volunteers who took the time to make or purchase cards and fill them with love and caring messages for our troops. Thanks to everyone who donated candy – over 200 Valentine Treat Bags were filled with Hershey’s Hugs ‘N Kisses, chocolate hearts and various other candies. We have tried to list everyone below that contributed cards, but many were sent without a note enclosed.

Mary & Claire Ackerman & Mrs. Garmon’s Class, Perrysburg, OH

Alcoa Middle School & Teachers, Alcoa, TN

Brownie Girl Scout Troop #71 & Marilyn Mense, Manlius, NY

Brownie Girl Scout Troop #1743 & Wendy Lorys, Dacula, GA

Congregational Church of Boca Raton, FL

Conservative Republican Women, Northeast GA

Daisy Troop #226 & Jennifer Rink, Coral Springs, FL

Daisy Troop #4759, Ashburn, VA

Dean Family, Vonore, TN

Deer Hill School & Ms. Suzi Corkhum, Cohasset, MA

Duluth First United Methodist Church, Duluth, GA

Fairview Elementary School & Judy Russell-Wade, Maryville, TN

Faith Wesleyan Church, Terre Haute, IN

Forum Class, Duluth First United Methodist Church, Duluth, GA

Girl Scout Troop # 453 & Jennifer Oreste, Mill Valley, CA

Girl Scout Troop #487 & Sarah Mulligan, Ramsey NJ

Girl Scout Troop #21150 & Debra Waddell, Dacula, GA

Heritage Middle School & Leigh Terry, Maryville, TN

Heritage High School, 9th Grade Academy & Phyllis Pompeo, Maryville, TN

Hillcrest Baptist Church, Maryville, TN

LaSalle Language Academy & Deborah Cohen, Chicago, IL

Lakota West High School, West Chester, OH

Lakota West Scrap Club & Doreen Peck, Cincinnati, OH

Gina Lauterio, Stewartsville, NJ

Chris & James Lyng, St. Charles, IL

Mason Elementary School, Duluth, GA

Oviatt Elementary School & Ms. Nedved, Norwalk, IA

Patel’s, New Port Beach, CA

Peachtree Corners Baptist Church & Susan Albright, Norcross, GA

Powers Elementary School & their PTO, Beloit, WI

Representative Tom Rice, GA House of Representatives

St. Mark Lutheran Church, West Des Moines, IA

St. Patrick’s School, Cleveland, OH

Stephanie Fagan, Riverside, CA

Texas Education Agency & Dr. Philip M. Cochran, Austin, TX

Townview Elementary School & their PTO, Beloit, WI

Valley View Middle School, Student Leadership Council, Edina, MN

Vonore Baptist Church & Peggy Payne, Vonore, TN

Vonore Elementary School & Nancy Kersten, Vonore, TN

Vonore Middle School Beta Club & Tammy Webb, Vonore, TN

Walland United Methodist Church, Walland, TN

Sandy Zanni, Norcross, GA

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We want to THANK all of our volunteers that we worked with throughout our "Christmas for a Soldier" 2007 campaign. Letters and emails are starting to arrive from our troops saying thank you for remembering them at this special time of year. They mention how difficult it is to be away from their families and how much it has meant to them to know that, "You took the time to make packages for us when you don't even know us. You brought smiles to a lot of faces! We find ourselves blessed to have all you back home praying for us." Hugs for Soldiers is also blessed to have so many caring volunteers, and we thank you for making Christmas for a Soldier such a success for our troops!

"Hugs"

Kathy and Angie

Alcoa Middle School & Staff
All of those who made a monetary donation
American Heritage Academy
Boy Scout Troop 419 - Duluth
Brenda Bowerman & Family
Chestatee Middle School
Chris Lyng & family
Christ the Lord Lutheran Church Women's Group
CIBA Vision
Colonel Doug Heckman
Conservative Republican Women - Northeast GA
Duluth First United Methodist Church, staff & members
Flowery Branch Homemaker's Club
Friendship Baptist Church
General Dynamics
Gina Jenkins & the Girl Scouts, Brownies & Daisy Troops of Blount County
Heritage High School, 9th Grade Academy
Heritage Middle School & Leigh Terry
Hillcrest Baptist Church (Ladies Auxillary Group)
J. G. Dyer Elementary School & Elaine Norton
Jane and Arnold Klugman
Jessie Peluso
Kahite Neighborhood
Lara Gresham
Lisa Thomas Salon & her clients
Lorrie York & troops
Mason Elementary School
McKendree United Methodist Church
Norwood Elementary School
N. Gwinnett High School AF ROTC
Oberweis Securities
Office Depot & Phillip Ray
Pinckneyville Middle School & Kathy Wheeler
Sequoyah High School Key Club & FCA
Simpsonwood First United Methodist Church
Standard Aero
Sugarloaf Country Club Women's Club
The Bankers Bank, Joyce Pryor & Michael Vandergriff
Tunes4theTroops.com
U-Haul & The Roberts Family
Vonore Baptist Church & Peggy Payne
Vonore Elementary School & Nancy Kersten
Vonore Middle Beta Club & Tammy Webb
Walland Methodist Church & Sue Thomas-Martin
Westside Baptist Church & Jeff Roberts

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"Happy Holidays and a very big Thank You from the bottom of our hearts for all you, the many volunteers and sponsors do for our troops. Especially my two out of three, who are deployed this season. Happy Holidays! With Love, Maria & Girls."

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I" just wanted to extend my Thanks You's to everyone . Thank you for helping Soldiers and their Families and providing Soldiers care-packages. Your contribution is very much grateful and a blessing." A Proud Military Wife

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We're always looking for ways to save money ... so many thanks to Rock-Tenn Company, Norcross, GA, for giving us an avenue for complimentary boxes for our "Christmas for a Soldier" campaign!

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Special thanks to Global Caps and Pete Bauer who have been wonderful in working with us to make it possible (budget-wise) for a commander to give ball caps to his soldiers for Christmas. And, Hugs for Soldiers would like to thank Jane and Arnold Klugman for supporting this commander at Christmas time.

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Blessings to Laurie Gilmore, Christ the King Lutheran Church, Norcross, GA, for donating the personal care and snack items for our care packages. Thank You!

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Thank you - Wes and Ellen Benton, Red Planet Entertainment, for all the care package donations. The snacks, personal care items and hand held games will be much appreciated by our Soldiers in Iraq.

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HUGS to the Duluth Fall Festival volunteers for their help in addressing the July 4th cards to the 2-69 AR and 1-15 IN Soldiers: Dorothy Rainey, Charlotte Creel, Terrie Adkins, Carol Ann Scott, Margaret Herman, Crystal Huntzinger, Mary Huskins, Joyce Boothe and Amalie Helbert.

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A special thanks goes to all of the teachers for their dedication in teaching our children how to give back to others! "HUGS" to Leigh Terry and others at Heritage Middle School, Phyllis Pompeo (Heritage High School), Nancy Kersten (Vonore Elementary), Sue Thomas-Martin and her fellow teachers at Alcoa Middle School, and to Porter Elementary for making Patriotic and Thank You cards for our Soldiers.

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We had several Vacation Bible School programs in Maryville, TN, who participated in our "Hugs from Children to Soldiers" project. A huge THANK YOU to the following churches:

First Baptist Church Maryville (Dawn Herring & Jr. Varsity)

Hillcrest Baptist Church (Susan Cupp & Betty Burns)

Smoky View Baptist Church (Joy Lynn Smith)

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Thank you, Donna Hood and your Sunday School Class at First United Methodist Church of Alcoa, TN, for all of the donations you made. These items will certainly fill our care packages with many HUGS from you to our Soldiers!

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Special HUGS to Karen Stull and Daisy Girl Scout Troop #1505, Buford, GA, for all the care package items for our troops!

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Thank you Jim McKenzie and Julie Morman of McKenzie Law Associates, P.C., Duluth, GA, for your professional time donated in incorporating HUGS FOR SOLDIERS.

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We want to thank one of our 2-69 AR Soldier's mom, Chris Lyng, for sending us 92 beautiful Patriotic Cards signed by her co-workers and friends.

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Thanks to the following for helping with our Girl Scout Cookie Drive, filling plastic Easter eggs with candy, making Easter cards for our Soldiers, and for shipping costs:

Duluth First United Methodist Church, Duluth, GA

Girl Scouts, Duluth, GA

Brownie Troup 27327, Norcross, GA

Girl Scouts & Brownies, Maryville, TN

Girl Scouts & Brownies, Vonore, TN

Jane Klugman, Friendsville, TN

The Ladies of Kahite, Vonore, TN

Hillcrest Baptist Church, Maryville, TN

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Messages of love and support were sent to our heroes on Valentine's Day through the "Hugs 'N Kisses" project. Thanks to everyone who contributed Valentine cards, candy and the hundreds of bags of Hershey's Hugs and Kisses. Special "HUGS" to the following for their hand made cards:

Mason Elementary School, Duluth, GA: (Donna Malcom, Pam Tuggle, Janet Vergona, Melissa Shirley, Judy Bailey, Val Moe, Ashante Hill, Mary Beth Dailey, Jeanne Kosmala and others).

Duluth Middle School, Duluth, GA: (6th grade - E'wanna Ishii, Adele McMurray, Judy Bargainnier and others).

Duluth First United Methodist Church, Duluth, GA: Sunday School classes, TLC and for shipping costs.