Give Thanks: Support Our Military Family
“With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive … to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan.”
President Abraham Lincoln
Second Inaugural Address
March 4, 1865
When soldiers are deployed overseas, families are left behind and often face financial and emotional hardship. With thousands of charities devoted to supporting our military family, it’s not easy to know which ones are the most worthy of your support.
The Military Family Support Web Guide lists our top charities for supporting military families and troops. Use it to connect with the families and service members who have sacrificed so much for America by sending letters and supplies, volunteering, helping heal wounded soldiers or giving much-needed donations.
Make the United States the country you want it to be: a place where citizens support our military family and honor their principles through even the most challenging of times. Learn how to support the families whose loved ones are currently serving, how to support the troops overseas and those who have returned home, and find Web sites that military families can visit to seek help. View a Spanish-language version of the Military Family Support Web Guide.
President Abraham Lincoln
Second Inaugural Address
March 4, 1865
When soldiers are deployed overseas, families are left behind and often face financial and emotional hardship. With thousands of charities devoted to supporting our military family, it’s not easy to know which ones are the most worthy of your support.
The Military Family Support Web Guide lists our top charities for supporting military families and troops. Use it to connect with the families and service members who have sacrificed so much for America by sending letters and supplies, volunteering, helping heal wounded soldiers or giving much-needed donations.
Make the United States the country you want it to be: a place where citizens support our military family and honor their principles through even the most challenging of times. Learn how to support the families whose loved ones are currently serving, how to support the troops overseas and those who have returned home, and find Web sites that military families can visit to seek help. View a Spanish-language version of the Military Family Support Web Guide.
Expand All Guide SectionsProviding Military Family Support
If you want to strengthen the American community on a local level, one great way is to reach out to ... read more »
Sending a Military Care Package
Sending a military care package is a time-honored way to give our troops items ... read more »
Support Our Troops
Like anyone who is in an unfamiliar place, soldiers love to receive correspondence from the home front. Learn how to support our troops with letters, e-mails and small but invaluable supplies.
Insights for Supporting Our Troops
- These organizations ask that individuals that volunteer do so only if they have a generous amount of time to dedicate to correspondence. If you don’t think you can commit to writing regularly, consider other ways to support our troops.
- Many of these organizations also encourage you to send care packages. These packages don’t have to be big or expensive—even small items like toothpaste and lip balm can make a big difference in the daily life of a soldier.
- E-mails urging you to send a holiday card to “Any Wounded Soldier" at Walter Reed Army Medical Center are popular during the holiday season, but in fact no military facility can accept mail that isn't directed to a particular soldier. Be skeptical of any such e-mails (well-meaning though they may seem) and instead rely on the excellent organizations we’ve listed here for help corresponding with individual service members.
Top Sites for Supporting Our Troops
To write a soldier …
Soldiers’ Angels
helps you “adopt” a soldier. To participate in this program, you must commit to sending a card or letter at least once a week and a care package at least once a month. If you don’t feel comfortable with that time requirement, you can also join Soldiers’ Angels to volunteer with the group, or give a donation. Site visitors can also submit deployed soldiers to be included in the program.
Pen Pals for Soldiers
helps individuals send letters or care packages to specific service members. Find out how to address a package under “How to Send.” The “Items to Send” section has a thorough list of suggested items to include in letters or care packages.
To help a soldier who helps Iraqi children …
Tom Deierlein Foundation
was founded to support Iraqi children. When Deierlein was serving in Baghdad, he began seeking contributions from friends back home to help Iraqi children with basic life needs. After he was seriously wounded in 2006, his colleagues back home started the Tom Deierlein Foundation to continue his work in aiding Iraqi children. The foundation is managed entirely by volunteers, and states that 100 percent of donations go directly to assist Iraqi children affected by the war.
Help Wounded Soldiers
Although there are many soldiers fighting who deserve attention, there are also a great many that ... read more »
Military Family Services
Although there are many organizations dedicated to providing military family ... read more »
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