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WASHINGTON D.C. (January 29, 2008) - Hearts at home are gearing
up to connect with hearts overseas through an America Supports You
effort to send valentines to servicemembers.
The effort is part of the America Supports You program's
calendar that provides a year's worth of ways to show appreciation
for U.S. troops and their families. America Supports You is a
Defense Department initiative that helps to showcase America's
support for the troops and their families.
"Every February, loved ones exchange flowers, candy and cards,
but for troops overseas who are separated from the ones they love,
Valentine's Day can be hard," said Allison Barber, deputy assistant
secretary of defense for internal communications and public
liaison.
To meet postal deadlines for sending packages overseas, America
Supports You home-front groups are gearing up now for February
activities. Groups planning to send valentines to troops include
Hugs for Soldiers, My Soldier, and Operation Pinecone.
Supporters can learn more about these groups and other groups,
as well as find other ideas to support the troops, on the America
Supports You Web site, www.americasupportsyou.mil. Organizations
sending valentines can be found by clicking on "Letters and
Messages."
The America Supports You calendar, which can be downloaded from
the "New Year's Resolution" link on the site as a portable document
format file or to work with the user's Outlook program, provides a
new idea each month for ways to show military men and women
support.
Ideas in the calendar include donating to scholarships in March
to help military families trying to plan for educational costs, or
participating in a "Month of the Military Child" event in April.
Organizing a local "America Supports You Freedom Walk" is the
suggestion for September. Freedom walks commemorate victims of
Sept. 11, 2001, and honor veterans, past and present.
Editor's Note: To find out about more individuals,
groups and organizations that are helping support the troops,
visit www.AmericaSupportsYou.mil. America
Supports You directly connects military members to the support of
the America people and offers a tool to the general public in their
quest to find meaningful ways to support the military
community.
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