2023
2014 Thank You Notes
Yes I ensured some of the Soldiers in Kuwait had some already and then shipped the rest to some of the most remote locations within Iraq. I won't be able to obtain photos but you can rest assured that these packages brought joy and smiles to the men and women on the most forward of the front lines of this situation. To each of the children that took their time to decorate the boxes we want to thank you and we want you to know that we do appreciate you. I know you wanted pictures but there really isn't a place that we were allowed to take pictures of for the security of our Soldiers. I am traveling all over Iraq myself delivering these packages and I see the happiness of the service members and I can tell you that they did make a difference. -SGM Andrews
“I personally received one of the gift boxes you sent to Kuwait. It was perfect, the art work on the box was uplifting. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers. Your contribution to our morale is immeasurable. Know you are appreciated.” – Dennis R.
“I want to say thank to you, and your team, for the great support you continue to provide our Service Members while they are deployed over the holidays. I know it brings them great comfort thinking that someone back home understands and appreciates their service.
P.S. Let the students know that their artwork is fantastic!” - Col. Steven Cade
“My name is Neil Hicks, and I am a Major in the United States Air Force. I am stationed in Kabul, Afghanistan. I received the box you decorated for us. Everything inside will make my stay here more comfortable, but I have to say I LOVE the decoration and the drawing you did. Thank you so very much, and feel free to write back! Happy Holidays” – Neil
“I want to offer you and your organization a sincere thank you for your gift and thoughts. I received a beautiful hand painted box today from our unit Chaplain. While I am grateful for the contents, I was most stuck and thankful for the beautiful box. I consider myself a fairly talented individual; however, I do not have an artistic bone in my body. I have the utmost respect for artists and their talents. I sincerely hope that you share with your organization just how much this gift means to me. Thank you again!”- Col. Johnnie Wright Jr. M.D.
“Thank you for the wonderful care package that I got for Christmas this year. Please also pass on my thanks to the Paseo Academy of Fine Arts for the wonderfully decorated box.” – Maj. K. Hermansen
“Many thanks to your and your friends for the wonderful care package we received. It brightened our day to open it. Warmest wishes’ for a happy new year and please pass on our thanks to all who contributed.” – Team SJA
“Thank you for the care package. I really appreciate your generosity and support.” – Chris
“Please pass on a thanks & appreciation to those who made our Christmas a little brighter with their kindness, efforts, & generosity. Thank you for remembering our deployed service members and their families” – Col. A. Webster
“Your boxes of donations have arrived at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait and will be distributed to members of the United States Armed Forces. On behalf of Camp Arifjan American Red Cross, we wish to extend our grateful appreciation for your continued donation gifts…Please accept our sincere thanks.” – American Red Cross, Camp Arifjan, Kuwait
Past Thank You Notes
2012 Holiday Gifts to the Troops Update
2012 Holiday Gifts to the Troops
December 25, 2011 Jana Fullmer Station Manager
Date: December 25, 2011 at 11:49:18 PM CST, from Jana Fullmer Station Manager/Team Leader
Subject: Former afghan station manager seeks donating goods
Hello!! I hope you had a really great Christmas Day yesterday and that you were able to be with people that you love! We had a great holiday here, thanks in large part to your generous donation! Just want to let you know how the remaining boxes were distributed. I was able to make contact with the CSM of the Wounded Warriors in Kandahar and sent 12 individual boxes to him to distribute to the patients there. That left us about 5 (large) boxes remaining to distribute here locally. We had a LT and his SGT come in on the day before Christmas Eve and ask us for phone cards for their unit to give as Christmas Gifts. I said, “I think I can do one better than that!” This unit has been really helpful to us in the past locating hard to find soldiers in order to deliver messages. So my team and I met on Christmas Eve Day, donned our Santa hats, and Mike donned his Santa beard and we headed out to spread some Christmas Joy. We first stopped at the 257th JMCB and delivered a box to each of their soldiers! It was really so much fun and I hope you can see from the pictures how many smiles your boxes brought that day! I told everyone what was in them and they were especially excited to know about the phone cards, the 5 hour energy drinks, AND everyone was really impressed with the nice socks! They also loved how each box was decorated! Long story short, all your hard work really did make a huge difference! We then headed over to the hospital here on base and delivered the remaining 100 boxes or so to the patients and staff there! Honestly it was just so much fun for us. Mike was a natural at playing Santa and had everyone in stitches! Notice in one picture how I’m holding up two fingers...letting the soldier know there were two 550 minute phone cards in his box and please note the excited look on his face. In another picture I’m handing a box that says “Thank You” to one of the nurses. She literally broke down in tears as she went through her box! We also visited the CASF unit and the TBI unit and distributed boxes to the patients and the staff. We have 4 individual boxes left and will distribute those to soldiers who often stop in to help us in one way or the other. Thank you so much for all the hard work, time, effort and hard earned dollars you contributed to send us those boxes. It has made our Christmas much happier not to mention the Christmas joy you spread to each servicemember who received one of your gifts!! We’ll let you know when the remaining items arrive!! Happy Holidays!!
- Jana Fullmer Station Manager/Team Leader - Ì American Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces - Bagram, Afghanistan
January 2, 2014 Alphonsa Oliver - Senior Station Manager
Date: January 2, 2014 at 11:29:55 PM CST, from Alphonsa Oliver - Senior Station Manager & Team Leader
Subject: More pictures - visit to Marines
Hello James, My team members and I have beem spreading the Christmas Holiday spriit to the troops, thanks to you and your oganization.
See the above pictures of the Marines enjoying the personal holiday boxes that the children in your school district prepared for them.
-Alphonsa Oliver - Senior Station Manager & Team Leader - American Red Cross - Bagram Air Field