Happy February!! Here is what On Purpose Journey Inc. has been up to:
1. Distributing amazing donations to our troops, veterans, combat wounded warriors, and military families
2. Attending events geared toward connecting veterans with veterans to help begin or continue the adjustment process after returning home from combat
3. Making sure our Morale Builder Packages keep flying overseas to our guys and gals who don’t receive much support from home. The biggest holidays might be over, but thanks to you all for your support, WE STILL REMEMBER our heroes away from home.
4. We are audited every year and we thought you would like to know the numbers…in 2011, our program operations cost was $50,000 serving about 1200 people. In 2012, our program operations cost was $150,000 serving about 12,000 people!! And all programs/projects are completed by volunteers…amazing. Thank YOU for continuing to help us support more guys and gals who say yes to serving our country. Here’s to another exciting year!
Our NEXT AUCTION will be May 18th and May 19th 2013 (Armed Forces Day Weekend…appropriate, right?) The Silent Online Auction will be on our Facebook page where people can bid on the items (photos of items will be posted in an album similar to our previous auctions.) Know of companies/individuals willing to donate fantastic items for our auction? Please let us know!!
Combat Veterans Return Home…Then What? We recently attended an event organized by Mike Orban, published author (Souled Out) and speaker on PTSD. At this West Bend Library event, the community was invited to come and listen to combat veterans sharing their experiences with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Veterans, active military, and military families attended the event. This event was incredible…one of the best veteran/military events I have been to. A vet stood at the end and said he felt high from the stories shared by some of America’s finest. One attendee’s son was killed in action…she said she wasn’t sure she should attend such an event with the emotions involved…and asked at the end when the next event was because she wanted to be there. Incredible stories, incredible men, incredible bonds between veteran brothers and incredible love for gold star families. When the next event is scheduled, you should attend and tell every veteran and military pal you have to try and grab a chair at the venue.
Mollie has been invited to speak about On Purpose Journey Inc. at a VFW Banquet! We are thrilled to be spreading the word about our programs and mission! Our country, state, and communities need to rally to not only support our heroes overseas, but to support our troops and veterans once they return home from combat. We’re on a mission to help spread the word of why and how to keep the healing moving forward.
Helping Hearts–we treasure your support!!: Equipment Rentals, Tony S, Pecatonica River Popcorn, Jen E, Connie K, Mike B, Aurora, Starbucks, Juliana S, Sandy L, Josh V, Vickie V, Debbie M, Molly M, Lynn S, Maggie R, Ely Memorial UCC, Jill K, Jody K, Home Depot, Kelly S, Belle C, Milwaukee Irish Fest, Tieks By Gavrieli, Emily K, Cher L, Deanna L, The Luke Family, Mary D, and an Assisted Living Facility in North Carolina, Zach B, Richard B, Mike O, Jeremy G, Danny O, Tammy M, Cheryl P, and Frank E.
More Thank You’s: Thanks to the Luke Family for hosting a family collection for our troops overseas! Thanks to the confirmation class who used their charity funds to shop for our troops! Thanks to the Boy Scouts and Pecatonica River Popcorn for providing sweet treats for our military heroes! Thanks to our volunteers for helping us load and distribute hundreds of boxes of “popped thank you’s” to our heroes! Thanks to our gals around the country who knit scarves for at-risk and homeless veterans for our Knitting For Veterans Program! And thanks to the World War Two Veterans and residents in North Carolina who made Valentine Cards for our troops overseas!
Responses from our Program Recipients:
Sorry I have not responded to you all I have been extremely busy but I still have a lot of love for the things you all do for soldiers and their family. –Josh
I just wanted to let you know I got 2 packages from you today, thanks for all the stuff. We have been eating candy pretty much none stop all night lol. But again thanks a lot, people have been playing with the yo-yo’s nonstop since yesterday hahah. -Anthony
I just wanted to thank you so much for the big box of candy it was awesome!!! It really lifted my spirits and the Soldiers around me. I shared it right away. Baby Ruth and Heath Bars are my favorite. The other thing that made me smile is the coffee that you sent me a couple months ago is still a big hit around here. The Soldiers were sitting around the coffee pot this morning drinking it commenting about how it is really good, still the best pot they have and I just smiled. They keep asking me how I get it, and I just tell them I have a really good friend that is an angel. It is the little things I swear. If you could let your friend at the coffee shop know how much those beans mean to us here, I would greatly appreciate it!!! Once again thank you for all you do!!! God Bless you! -Amanda
It’s people like you, is why I do what I do. If it wasn’t for the supporters of the Armed Forces I would be less motivated to do my job. So thank you again for your support and just thank you 🙂 -Alan
I don’t know what your deal is, but you really are something special!!! WE got all your packages.. Boy did you make some guys smile today! One box had just About every Halloween candy you could possibly imagine. I actually felt a little sick I ate so much candy. 3 licorice ropes, snickers, caramel then I was done!. Don’t worry, I made sure all the soldiers got all they wanted, and there was still some left over. We are going to pass out to the local children all the rest of the candy. I was blown away to see Pumpkin Spice Hershey Kisses…what do you think they will come up with next?!?!. Those were quite a treat!! Your support has gone a long way. You are very appreciated. THANK YOU!! -Dan
I think my company received about 100 LBS of it (candy). THANK YOU SO MUCH! –Butch
Thank you for your support and latest letter! Wow, what an amazing letter. Definitely the most interesting thing anyone has sent me since I’ve been deployed. I’d love to see a picture of Major Journey Hug (OPJ’s stuffed chupacabra for our Hugs for Warriors Program)—especially him “attacking” people at the Air Show. I want to thank you for praying my care package into reality. The snacks, school supplies, magazines, hygiene items—all of it found good use and were much appreciated by my team and I. Please thank all the people who contributed to the care package: Lynn, Pam, Veolia, David, Josh, Sandy, Lea, Mary Jo, Sheryl, Vicki, Lauren, Susie, Connie, Mike, Jen, Maggie, Vickie. Thank you for blessing us with more boxes! –Kim
I got the ropes last week and we are very excited and also very grateful for your help and support. Yesterday, my coach in here timed me jumping rope for one hour and I got over 10,382 skips but now there is a new current new record of 11,527 set on 7 March 2012 in Boca Raton. So I continue to train for that new record. Thank you for the care packages. -Leticia
Got your packages…They were wonderful. Got three boxes from you! And the surf magazines…Wow…they were something! I took out a bunch of pictures and posted them all over the Logistical center of excellence. I make sure stuff gets around to everyone. Before all the staff meetings I place your chocolates and candies for all the officers in the conference room. It is always a pleasant treat that is enjoyed. Your packages and work are helping out so many people, from the bottom to the top of the organization. Even the Battalion commander enjoys your treats at the staff meetings. We also pass out candy, and shampoo to the kids, and locals. Well anyways…know that your care packages are always appreciated, always used. You have developed a wonderful organization. –Daniel
Thank you, I know everyone here really appreciates it. Things don’t really change too much. It’s hard telling one day from the next or how long ago something happened. Take care. -Justin
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!! I got 4 boxes last week from you and there were all simply amazing. I could not be happier. You truly are an amazing person. I cannot believe all you and your organization do for us. Every time I see a box from you I smile. -Amanda
Letter From Afghanistan:
Subject: Overwhelming Gratification For Your Generosity
It was important that I conveyed to you how very much I appreciated how you took time out of your busy American lives to remember us over here in Afghanistan. Believe me when I say that it boggles my mind to receive a care package from someone who doesn’t even know me, nor have any reassurance that the mailman will even be able to find me way over here. You take your time to assemble these wonderful boxes full of all these items my team or our sources can use, spending your hard-earned money and energy to cheer us up and help us out. You even send encouraging cards to life our spirits. It’s amazing.
I wish I could repay you in some way. I have this daydream where I get back from the war, get out of the Army, and road-trip around to each person who sent me a package, and take them out for a coffee or something to thank you for going out of your way to support us troops. I know this is illogical, but hey…I’m always dreaming of road-trips.
I get restless here even though I believe the work we do helping the Afghans is meaningful. I work on a team and we have interpreters. We are Human Intelligence Collectors who run Afghan sources so we spend our days meeting with local people who give us information about Taliban movements and activities, government corruption, and atmospherics in the villages. Then all night we write up reports and commanders actions on it. Occasionally we go on foot patrols and convoys, or plan stealthy operations, or go to the gym or shooting range…but most of our time is spent in source meetings or writing reports.
There are a hundred things I still want to do with my life so whatever happens, I look forward to the future. I want to thank each of you for making this war so much easier on my team and for the Afghans. Truly, you are all amazingly thoughtful people.
The last statement in the Afghanistan Letter summarizes the On Purpose Journey Inc. volunteers and donors: “Truly, you are all amazingly thoughtful people.”
With Gratitude,
~Mollie and the On Purpose Journey Inc. Team
P.S. For updates, news, and pictures, please “Like” On Purpose Journey Inc. on Facebook: www.facebook.com/OnPurposeJourney
Website: www.OnPurposeJourney.com
Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) # 97433
*All content exclusive property of On Purpose Journey Inc. and not to be used in any way without written consent from On Purpose Journey Inc.