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FOND FAREWELL!!
When I launched Operation: We Love Our Soldiers nearly 6 years ago, my first instinct was that of a mother whose son had been deployed to war. I wanted my son, and every son and daughter of our nation to know unequivocally that their service and sacrifices would not go unnoticed, and that we would stand by them in this most difficult time, in any and all ways that we could...that no effort would be spared on their behalf. Who would have imagined that the road to peace and good will toward all man would take us on such a perilous and long journey. Sadly, we continue to search for ways to speak out, reach out, and impact the lives of those amongst us who are so very deserving...our brave, tired and battle weary soldiers!! My fervent wish is that the need for organizations such as mine will no longer be needed in the future. Since 2003, we have sent thousands upon thousands of care packages, Christmas stockings and letters of support to Iraq and Afghanistan. We have sponsored Giving trees in support of deployed soldiers families, and have co-partnered in numerous endeavors whose purpose has been solely to raise awareness of the need for all citizens to become pro-active on behalf of the many needs that have presented themselves to us during this most turbulent time of war. Regardless of political bent, we can and should all agree that our soldiers have answered this most difficult call to duty, have honored us all with their tireless service, and that in return our loyal support to them is the least we can give. However, the time has come for this organization to bid a fond farewell, and move our efforts to a different place. We will continue to remain fully engaged in support of the cause we are committed to, but will instead partner with others in those endeavors, and look for ways to make a difference that we could not within the constraints of a non-profit organization. There are countless ways you can impact not only the life of a soldier, but their families, and our nation as a whole as we attempt to heal the wounds caused by war and it's consequences to us all, whether we have a loved one serving or not. Deployed soldiers continue to need letters written from home and care packages filled with goodies and necessities. Returning soldiers need help assimilating back in to their families and communities. PTSD casualties are mounting, as is the need to boost the VA system and health care facilities whose task is to rise quickly to the challenge to meet the needs of our wounded patriots. We would like to invite you to visit www.fallenheroesmemorial.com whose website has links to many relevant agencies who are doing much to answer the needs of those whose lives have been most devastatingly impacted by war. We also recommend www.uso.org. The USO is a timeless agency that has served our military unlike any other in our history. Who could forget the USO tours during Vietnam and Bob Hope entertaining the troops? They are able more any other group to galvanize the citizenry to service and action on behalf of our uniformed heroes, and I urge you to support their mission. Finally, how can I thank the countless numbers of you who have donated your time, your money, your effort and your hearts to "We Love Our Soldiers" over these past years? It has been only because of you that a soldier's morale has been boosted, or a soldiers child opened a Christmas gift that otherwise would not have been there, and smiled on Christmas rather than cry, missing their parent that was in harms way...these and so many others are the examples of what we can do and accomplish together when we care. I thank you from the bottom of my heart, and wish you all peace, love, and joy in your lives...and may 2008 find all our military families reunited with their loved ones, and true hope for peace on Earth. And, as I like to say, let there be peace on Earth, and let it begin with me. Forever grateful, Carla J. Hitz PLEASE DON'T FORGET OUR SOLDIERS, THEY NEED US THROUGHOUT THE YEAR!!
We Love Our Soldiers extends it's most humble Thanks and appreciation for all who have stepped forward in support of our soldiers during the 2006 Holiday season. We sponsored many endeavors on behalf of both the soldiers and their families here at home, and we THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEART for your thoughtfulness and regard for the well being and moral support of those who are putting their lives on the line for each one of us. We ask that you keep our troops in your thoughts throughout the year, and remember they are serving 24-7-365 and they need our support to sustain them during their difficult deployments. Please give generously on their behalf in 2007, and urge your friends, co - workers, neighbors and relatives to do the same. We Love Our Soldiers sends care packages overseas to Iraq and Afghanistan all year long, but we need your support in order to keep the boxes going out. No matter your political stance...our sons and daughters have answered the call to duty, and most are serving either their second or third deployment...this takes an exceptional toll on them, their lives, their families, their marriages and children who fear daily for their safety. Let us come together in the spirit our founding fathers intended...a nation indivisible....and give back to our brave service members, whom without we would not enjoy the lives we so take for granted in this great Nation of ours. May we find a way toward Peace on Earth...and may our troops return safely to us very very soon. Thank you for your continued support, Carla J. Hitz Current TV Video Hi everyone.... I just received this email from Scott, a freelancer for Current TV who came to We Love Our Soldiers to film a story about who we are, what we do, and why. The interview was in my home with myself and WLOS board member and friend, Kristin Goff ( formerly TJ Evans from KBULL radio). Please take a look at this piece he has produced and pass along to all who care about our soldiers and who may want to support our troops as well. Help us to get the support we need in order to accomplish our mission.... Help us to spread the word. We need to keep our soldiers and their sacrifices front and center in the minds and hearts of our Nation. Green light this story for us! Thank you and MERRY CHRISTMAS!! Carla
Hi Carla, I uploaded the piece I did on Operation: We Love Our Soldiers to Current TV's website - www.current.tv - It is currently in the voting stage and is ranked #13, it can change spots rather quickly. Anyway it has had some great reviews. If it reaches #1 it will air on TV. Current may just pick it for TV anyway. But if you could send the link below out to all of your contacts who would like to green light it for TV that would sure help it get to #1. I think it turned out great, thanks for letting me tell your story. To be able to green light the piece you have to sign into the website with a username and password, but that is it, the site will never send you spam or anything. Thanks... Scott Copy and paste the following link into your URL - http://www.current.tv/watch/18061245?s1=topVids&list=topVidsByAssignmentGroup&k1 Mayor Peter Corroon invites you to support our
troops
We
are happy to announce all 18 County Libraries are participating as drop off locations
for your generous contributions for our Soldiers Christmas stockings. Salt Lake County Library System Directory -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ALL LIBRARY HOURS Monday-Thursday ------- 10:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. MAIN PHONE NUMBERS Customer
Service ---------- 801-943-4636. Alta
Library Bingham
Creek Library Columbus
Library Draper
Library East
Millcreek Library Holladay
Library Herriman
Library Hunter
Library Kearns
Library Magna
Library Park
Library Riverton
Library Sandy
Library Calvin
S. Smith Library South
Jordan Library Ruth
Vine Tyler Library West
Jordan Library West
Valley Library Whitmore
Library Upcoming Holiday Season To all of you who have come forward to express your support and interest in the well being of our soldiers, as well as their families, we come to you now with this plea. Although we are still sweltering in the heat of summer, with outdoor activities and back to school on our minds... here at We Love Our Soldiers we are already contemplating the needs of our military for the upcoming Holiday Season. There continues to be an ever present need to assure those who are putting their lives on the line for each one of us that we have not, nor will we forget them, especially during the joyous season of love, family and charity. We will soon be launching our campaign, "Treats for troops"" (with Valley Fair Mall in WVC, Utah) to collect items and funds to provide Christmas stockings filled with "treats" for our deployed service members, but we encourage you donate early, and to promote our cause within your workplace and your neighborhoods. Please see our "suggested items" page for gift suggestions for the soldier’s stockings. We also want to hear from you on behalf of our military families, who are in need, have a loved one serving in harms way, and will be apart this Christmas season. There are wives and children who need US to step up to help them thru this most difficult time. Again this year we are looking to the community at large, and ask that your hearts will direct you support these family members. We are looking for sponsors. We need to hear from you if you, your business, church or family would care to sponsor a family in need this year. Please contact us and let us know how many family members you or your organization would like to sponsor, and we will forward to you the information you will need to fulfill their needs. We will be compiling a data base, and registering eligible families. All participating family members will be asked to make known to us their gender, age, sizes, a Christmas want and a Christmas need, and we will do our level best to make certain we match them with a sponsor who has chosen to include them on their Christmas gift giving list!! In Utah, drop locations for your gifts will be established. Across the nation, you may choose to make a monetary contribution to this effort, or mail your gifts to us. What we need first though, is to hear from you so we may match sponsors with family members. Please contact us no later than November 1st, 2006, so we can organize our data base and allow ample time for you to purchase your gifts, and return them to us so we can be assured all gifts reach the families in time for Christmas morning. ALL sponsor and donor names will be displayed prominently on our website... our way to recognize those who are generously contributing, and to thank you publicly for your support. We look forward to hearing from you. Please email us @ www.sendyoursupport.org. Red Friday RED FRIDAYS ----- Very soon, you will see a great many people wearing Red every Friday. The reason? Americans who support our troops used to be called the "silent majority", BUT...we are no longer silent. Many Americans, like you, me and all our friends, simply want to recognize that the vast majority of America supports our troops. Our idea of showing solidarity and support for our troops with dignity and respect starts this Friday -and continues each and every Friday until the troops all come home, sending a deafening message that.. Every red-blooded American who supports our men and women afar will wear something red. By word of mouth, press, TV -- let's make the United States on every Friday a sea of red much like a homecoming football game in the bleachers. If every one of us who loves this country will share this with acquaintances, co-workers, friends, and family. It will not be long before the USA is covered in RED and it will let our troops know the once "silent" majority is on their side more than ever,. The first thing a soldier says when asked "What can we do to make things better for you?" is...We need your support and your prayers. Let's get the word out and lead with class and dignity, by example; and wear something red every Friday. URGENT PLEA FOR YOUR HELP Folks, we are a long three plus years in to our battle in Iraq, and a full 5 years with soldiers deployed to Afghanistan. Please tell me we have not forsaken and forgotten those who are putting their lives on the line for each and every one of us??? We have wives and or husbands who are continuing to hold down the fort and "soldier" on in the absence of their loved one. We have hundreds of thousands of children missing one or both of their parents, we have babies being born without their daddies near by....and we have our wonderfully brave soldiers honoring us ALL with their service to our country. So...what
you may ask can we here at home do on behalf of these most deserving families
and service members? We Love Our Soldiers receives mail each and every day from soldiers in the Middle East asking for support. Bottom line, we have far more requests for care packages and help for our soldiers families than we have funds to provide. This is where you can help. We urge you to donate generously!! We urge you all to email blast everyone you know and either remind them, or make them aware of the need to step forward and help make a difference in the life of a soldier. A soldier who so badly needs the boost we here in the comfort of our homes can provide. These soldiers who only dream of a hot shower, or a hug from a loved one, or a home cooked meal, or a peaceful nights slumber without the sounds of war fare as their lullaby.....they need us all!! As we are celebrating the holidays of summer....Memorial day, Flag day, 4th of July, anticipating the picnics and family fun, let us also please reflect on the sentiment and reasons for each of these celebrations, and not forget those who have, and continue to lay down their lives. WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION AND SUPPORT. OUR SOLDIERS STILL NEED YOUR SUPPORT The promise of spring is rapidly approaching, and with it our reappearance out doors into the world once again. Emerging from the long, cold winter, we're anxious for all that awaits us in the seasons that lie ahead...the family activities, the vacations and outdoor adventures.... Meanwhile, our soldiers continue to serve...to persevere in the harshest of circumstances, and they need our continued support and recognition of their sacrifices. So, as we are putting away our winter coats and opening our windows to breathe in the fresh spring air, could we ask that you also open your hearts yet again and help us to keep our promise to sustain and support these brave Americans? You came forward in record numbers this past Christmas, and for that there are no adequate words of thanks and gratitude...but, unfortunately, our soldiers are not yet returning to their homes to rejoin their families, so we MUST step forward and embrace each and every soldier as our own....to be their brothers and sisters, and to stand beside them as we would our own... Why not make a commitment right now to sit down and write a letter to a soldier...or encourage your co-workers or your local school, or neighborhood to organize a contribution drive so we can send our soldiers Easter boxes, filled with "hugs from home"?? Our soldiers NEED to know without doubt that we haven't forgotten them. We were able to send hundreds upon hundreds of "Christmas stocking" boxes just a short few months ago.... but with most of those items being consumable, by now they surely need to be replenished. ALSO...our soldiers need to hear from us throughout the year, and not just at Christmas. Their mission is to serve when called upon, and they have so honorably answered that call...we at WE LOVE OUR SOLDIERS are calling upon YOU yet again to serve THEM as well. It is the least that we can do. There could be no greater gift you could give during the life affirming Easter season than to lift up a soldier. Please think of a homesick soldier when you are filling Easter baskets for your loved ones, and add him/her to your shopping list. We are really excited to begin shipping our Easter boxes overseas, and know you will come through once more, as you have so faithfully from the beginning. This time of year reminds us of renewal and the promise of life, so let us please join together and hope for the future, and look forward to the triumphant return of the patriots we so proudly call OUR AMERICAN SOLDIERS. Thank you so much for your unwavering loyalty. Carla Hitz THANK YOU TO ALL FOR YOUR UNRELENTING SUPPORT!!! How quickly the days pass... (unless you are waiting for a soldier to return home!!) I find it incredible that we are beginning our 4th year of endeavors on behalf of our fighting soldiers and their families. 2005 was a challenging year for all....the events unfolding around the world captivated our attention, and pulled us together by the heart strings as we prayed for Tsunami victims, Hurricane Katrina and Rita victims, flood, famine, wildfire and AIDS victims...and yet, with all the suffering and need for charitable support for so many who were and are in need.....YOU, so very many of you remembered our brave soldiers, had room in your hearts yet for them, and contributed on their behalf. I'm hopeful that you know this instinctively, but in case you don't, allow me to express my gratitude and THANKS for making such a difference in so many lives. Truly, I sincerely hope that you know what an incredible morale boost support from home makes to our soldiers deployed away from their loved ones and serving in harms way. Knowing you have done something so wonderful for those who are so very deserving is the best gift we can give to ourselves...and our soldiers and their families deserve no less. To those of you across the world and across our country, and to you who are our neighbors in Utah, THANK YOU for making it possible for We Love Our Soldiers to accomplish much, and affect the lives of so many. If you haven't taken the opportunity to visit our "letters of thanks" page, I would encourage you to do so....the letters written by soldiers and family members, and the sentiment conveyed is for EACH ONE OF YOU who have written a note of support to a soldier, donated items thru out the year, helped us fill Christmas stockings to send to Iraq, or adopted an ornament from our Giving Trees @ South Towne Mall and helped a deployed soldiers family thru the Holidays...any and all of these things impacts SOMEONE....someone who is a husband whose wife is waiting and praying at home for her soldier to return to her safely... someone who is a mother, father, brother or sister but hasn't seen their loved ones in a very long time, someone who has missed birthdays and Christmases and the birth of their new baby... All of you who step forward in support and appreciation of all these "someone's" are the ones helping to bridge that very wide gap between THERE and HOME, and there are no adequate words for me to express my heartfelt Thanks... These soldiers are our son's and daughters, they are serving and sacrificing for US, and what they are doing is for, and impacts us all. Answering the call to duty, and wearing our Nation's uniform is a noble undertaking indeed. They truly are our American Heroes.... So, let's all hope for the future... and look forward very very soon to each and every soldiers' safe homecoming! Until that time, we continue to ask for your support, and hope that 2006 will be all that we hope and pray it can be. Happy New Year to you all, and all the best to you and your families.. Please keep our soldiers in your thoughts and prayers....remember them throughout the year....continue if you will to encourage your co workers, neighbors, friends and relatives to contribute what they can...every contribution makes a difference. And once again....THANK YOU FOR NOT FORGETTING OUR AMERICAN SOLDIERS!!! Humbly, Carla Hitz President/Founder We Love Our Soldiers www.sendyoursupport.org  DEVASTATION OF HURRICANE KATRINA We at Operation We Love Our Soldiers join our nation in horror over the lives and homes lost along the Gulf coast, and ask you now to help us in our effort to assist affected military families who now find themselves in emergency situations. We will be providing financial assistance to families whose lives have been shattered by this horrible catastrophe, and ask you to give generously on their behalf. You may click on our paypal link to donate, or send your check payable to; We Love Our Soldiers 141 East 5600 South # 302 SLC, Utah 84107 Thank you again for your continued support. This is yet another opportunity for us to come together as communities, and to reach out and make a difference in the lives of those who desperately need our compassion. * please indicate that your donation is for hurricane Katrina relief Another year has passed Another year has passed, another LONG year for our soldiers and their families...and it has been our honor and privilege to serve them throughout 2004 as they continue to sacrifice so very much for all of us. The generosity I have witnessed once again from around our entire nation continues to humble and overwhelm me. The outpouring of support has enabled We love Our Soldiers to continue in ways that have exceeded our greatest hopes, and to touch the lives, and make a difference to so many of our troops and their families alike. In fact, our endeavors have been so successful, that we were recognized nationally on NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams on their Christmas Eve broadcast this year....and for that, the thanks and praise belongs squarely with each one of YOU who have opened your hearts and stepped forward to show your appreciation and support for our nations sons and daughters who are serving us so very proudly. As this New Year unfolds, and we return to our normal daily activities...the gift giving of the Holiday season past us...my one hope is that the sentiment that brought us together as one voice and one heart for this all too brief but wonderful period of time, will not be lost...and that we may move forward into 2005 and each do our part to truly bring Peace on Earth and Goodwill to ALL men. Please help us to keep our mission here at We Love Our Soldiers alive all throughout the year, by remembering that so many are continuing to serve in harms way, and that each and every soldier wearing our nations uniform belongs to ALL Americans, they are ALL our sons and daughters. Let us keep them in our hearts and thoughts and pray for their safe return to the arms of their families and loved ones waiting for them here at home. Thank you again for your continued support. Most humbly, Carla J. Hitz HEALTH ALERT!! If someone you know and love, or if there is anyone you know who has a loved one serving in Iraq or Afghanistan, this is a MUST READ!! Please pass this information to the soldier or soldiers whose health may surely be affected by the pesky sand flies that are prevalent in that region of the world. We need to alert our troops as to how to protect themselves from this parasite. The health risks listed here are generalized (as there are many more potential complications possible that are not cited here) and the numbers of soldiers reported to be infected is understated. The numbers continue to escalate! The best protection is prevention, so please help us to get the word out. THANK YOU!Read more... We are still going strong THANK YOU ALL Without the extreme generosity of the wonderful citizens of Utah, the dream that gave birth to "OPERATION: WE LOVE OUR SOLDIERS" would never have been realized. Instead, I have been overwhelmed with kindness... and have received stacks of "love letters" for our troops, and thousands of items that have lovingly been packed into boxes and dispersed to our soldiers serving their country in "OPERATION, IRAQI FREEDOM". Because of YOU... a homesick, dirty and tired soldier has received a "hug from home", and reassurance that his service is appreciated, and his sacrifices meaningful. Believe me, every word of encouragement and taste from home has provided OUR troops an invaluable boost to their morale and helped them to endure the rigors of this most difficult calling. As our service men and women in Iraq are continuing to serve us all, in harms way, sacrificing so much, we will not forget what their efforts mean to us, and that what they are doing IS meaningful. On every continent and in every place that human beings are being denied dignity and freedom, or brave troops are there for those people. In that vein, contributions from OPERATION WE LOVE OUR SOLDIERS will be sustained until ALL our troops have returned home safely to the arms of their loved ones. Please don't forget them now, they still need your support, and we humbly thank you for your generosity. "Let us pray that peace be now restored to the world, and that god will preserve it always." General Douglas MacArthur, Supreme Allied Commander of the south-west pacific (1945) With much affection and gratitude, Carla J. Hitz |
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Program Directed
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