Prayer
- Pray regularly for the troops listed in the Sunday bulletin.
- To add name(s) of troops in our Sunday prayers for specific service men or women, please note if they are serving in Iraq or Afghanistan, if appropriate, and send the name(s) to the Church Office at: standrewsscotia@netzero.net. These names will also be listed in the weekly Church Bulletin insert so that parishioners can pray for them during the week.
- Use the Prayers for Our Troops.
- Put special requests for troops on the Prayer-Share Board
- Join the Adopt Our Troops in Prayer online prayer chain at http://www.presidentialprayerteam.net/adopt_our_troops_in_prayer.php
- Visit militaryfamiliespray.com - designed and written to encourage and equip you to persevere in prayer for your loved ones who are serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, or at another location around the world—and also to provide Biblical prayers, inspirational articles, tips, and more. This site was developed by military moms to encourage you and help you cope during your loved ones’ deployment.
Troop Drives
In conjunction with Beukendaal Fire Department, we collect items and postage money to send boxes to the troops in far away and dangerous places. Members of the parish assist in boxing the items.
We are always looking for addresses of soldiers in combat areas so we can send them a care package. If you know of someone needing packages, please send the mailing and contact information to Carol Kiddle at: foneldy2(at)aol.com
- What to collect:
- Toiletries, sewing kits, snack foods, powdered drink mixes, international phone cards, aspirin, coffee & tea bags, paperback books, current magazines, toilet paper, Kleenex, nail kits, pocket games, cereal, tuna fish, beef jerky, socks, feminine hygiene products, flip-flops, coloring books, colored pencils, greeting card assortments, and writing paper.
- Donations to help cover the cost of postage and addresses of soldiers you would like to see a package go to would be welcomed.
- Where to drop it off: (St. Andrew’s, Beukendaal Fire Department)
- Date of next drive: Collections for the troops are ongoing.
- For more information, contact Carol Kiddle at: foneldy2(at)aol.com
- Beukendaal Fire Department
Corresponding with the Troops
Our Church School makes cards to be included in the care packages sent overseas. We also have a table at Scotia's annual “Holiday on the Avenue” in December for community residents to fill out Holiday cards to be sent to the troops.
If you would like to correspond with a member of the Armed Forces by mail or e-mail, contact Carol Kiddle at: foneldy2(at)aol.com.
Coupons for Troops and Their Families
While we are not currently collecting coupons for troops and their families, you can mail coupons directly or "adopt" a base that needs coupons. Click here for contact and program information. Expired coupons may be donated if less than 3 months past the expiration date. Expired coupons are good for military families for up to 6 months after the expiration date but please allow time for shipping and distribution.
Cell Phones for Soldiers
Don't throw out those cell phones you no longer need! They can be used in the Cell Phones for Soldiers Cell Phone Recycling Program.
Cell Phones for Soldiers hopes to turn old cell phones into more than 12 million minutes of prepaid calling cards for U.S. troops stationed overseas in 2008. To do so, Cell Phones for Soldiers expects to collect 15,000 cell phones each month through a network of more than 3,000 collection sites across the country.
The phones are sent to ReCellular, which pays Cell Phones for Soldiers for each donated phone – enough to provide an hour of talk time to soldiers abroad.
Cell Phones for Soldiers was founded by teenagers Robbie and Brittany Bergquist from Norwell, Mass., with $21 of their own money. Since then, the registered 501c3 non-profit organization has raised almost $1 million in donations and distributed more than 400,000 prepaid calling cards to soldiers serving overseas.
“Cell Phones for Soldiers started as a small way to show our family’s appreciation for the men and women who have sacrificed the day-to-day contact with their own families to serve in the U.S. armed forces,” says the teens’ father, Bob Bergquist. “Over the past few years, we have been overwhelmed by the generosity of others. But, we have also seen the need to support our troops continue to grow as more troops are sent overseas for longer assignments.”
For more information, go to http://www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com
Sew Much Comfort - Adaptive Clothing for Wounded Soldiers
Mission and Activities:
- Sew Much Comfort provides adaptive clothing free of charge to support the unique needs of our injured service members from all branches of the military and national guard.
- Many soldiers' medical conditions require large fixator, prosthetics and casts that are too bulky to fit under ordinary clothing or underwear. Sew Much Comfort is the only organization providing adaptive clothing in large volumes to attempt to meet those special needs.
- Adpative clothing provides a tangible reminder of our gratitude for their sacrifice and gives them an added measure of comfort and freedom as they recover from their injuries and return to everyday life.
- Adaptive clothing:
- accommodates a soldlier's medical devices and situations,
- provides ease of use,
- increases personal independence and
- minimizes the visual impact of the soldier's medical condition.
- Clothing is distributed to all military hospitals in the USA, Germany, Afghanistan, Iraq and Kuwait.
- Sew Much Comfort has received a Presidential Award and recognition from the Newman's Own Foundation.
How to Help:
- Donate clothing and/or sewing supplies. Click here for details.)
- Sign up for a Seamstress Packet.
- Donate funds.
Bibles for Troops
Campus Crusade for Christ's Military Ministry receives requests for 15,000-20,000 Rapid Deployment Kits per month for troops being deployed overseas.
Rapid Deployment Kits include: a pocket-sized New Testament with Psalms and Proverbs (the Good News translation), a Daily Devotional (Our Daily Bread) and an evangelistic booklet ("Would You Like to Know God Personally") in a waterproof bag.
For more information, go to http://www.biblesfortroops.org/info or call 800-444-6006.
Hero Miles
The nonprofit Fisher House Foundation administers the "Hero Miles" program for the Department of Defense in accordance with Public Law 108-110, the FY 05 Defense Authorization Act.
The program works with 10 airlines whose passengers donate their frequent flyer miles to assist service members and their families.
Specifically, Fisher House Foundation provides free airline tickets to military men and women who are undergoing treatment at a military or VA medical center incident to their service in Iraq or Afghanistan, and their families.
For more information on this program and other services to military families provided by the Fisher House Foundation, go to: http://www.fisherhouse.org/.
Back to Military Support page
Polymer Cool Neck Bands
Help a service member stationed in hot overseas climates keep cool by making them a Cool Tie. Check out the weather report for Baghad here to get an idea of how hot it can get for our troops in Iraq, for example. Somedays it is 115 degrees or more.
Cool Ties work on the principal of evaporative cooling. Once the polymer is hydrated, the fabric surface of the Cool Tie draws the moisture from the polymer to the fabric surface, which evaporates resulting in an effective body cooler.
If you know how to sew, they're a fun and easy project. Invite some friends over & make a batch of them and we'll send them out on our next Troop Drive.
Click here for instructions on making Cool ties.
