No, they aren't reading books. Books For Soldiers (BooksForSoldiers.com) also send DVDs and video games to the troops - $2.9 million worth just last year.
2009 is our last year. We will close for good this Christmas unless you help. (DONATE)
If you are unfamiliar with BFS (Books For Soldiers), it is a registered 501(c)(3) tax-deductible charity that sends books, DVDs and other care package items to US troops serving overseas. (DONATE)
I started sending books to soldiers during the first Gulf War - many of my friends from college were in the National Guard and were called up for duty. I rounded up a bunch of old books from friends who were still here and mailed them to the Gulf. After 9-11 I knew I wanted to do the same thing again, but I knew I couldn't do it all by myself, so I put together a self-serve website to get the job done.
The way it works now is a soldier goes to the website and fills out the form on the front page and tells us the title of the books (dvd or whatever) they want. That request goes into our database of requests that is viewable by our army of volunteers. The volunteers read the requests and they fill the requests. "Oh yeah, I have that Stephen King novel, I can send it to that soldier in Kabul!" If a volunteer cannot fill the request, the charity's home office will. BFS has all the problems of a small charity and a dot com start-up.
Initially I thought this would be a nice 6 week experiment and the troops would come home soon after. That didn't happen.
Six years and over half a million care packages later, BFS is facing closure. Last year we shipped around $2.9 million worth of aid and are set to do around the same this year. But it will be the last time unless we can raise $74,000 - the balance left to raise for this year's operational budget and it has to be raised by December 31st. Corporate funding dried up in 2007, we have already hit up the Fortune 500, VFW, American Legion, Masonic Lodges and every other group you can think of. But now it is your turn.
You can donate with a credit card via PayPal.
If you are more comfortable with a check, you can mail that to...
Books For Soldiers
2009 Fund Drive
Lowes Foods Drive #123
Lewisville, NC 27023
If you want to get involved with BFS before you donate, we encourage that. We do require a notarized application (download PDF here) be mailed in before we give you access to sensitive soldiers APO/FPO addresses - I know it is a pain in the ass, but it is required to help keep our soldiers safe.
Others are stepping up.
Joseph Beth Booksellers, a small (very small) book chain is helping us out...
FUND RAISING EVENT HELPS COVER COSTS OF SHIPPING BOOK DONATIONS TO SOLDIERS FOR THE HOLIDAYS THROUGH "BOOKS FOR SOLDIERS"
SPONSORED BY JOSEPH-BETH BOOKSELLERS
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11TH THROUGH SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 15TH
Cleveland, Ohio – October 10, 2009 – Joseph-Beth Booksellers launches a fundraising event on Veteran’s Day, November 11th that runs through Sunday, November 15th. Proceeds from the event will help to cover the costs of shipping book donations to soldiers stationed overseas through the organization, Books For Soldiers. Many book donations have already been made and Books For Soldiers now struggles with the task of covering postage and shipping costs to ensure the books arrive in time for the holidays.
How to support the fundraiser
By simply mentioning your choice to support this worthy cause when making a purchase in the bookstore or Bronte bistro, a portion of the proceeds from your purchase will be donated by Joseph-Beth to Books For Soldiers. Supporters of the event will receive a complimentary beverage and other coupons courtesy of Bronte Bistro and Joseph-Beth Booksellers. During the five day event, Joseph-Beth will also provide free cards and envelopes for those who wish to have a personal message accompany the donations.
Events and activities
Veteran’s Day Kick-Off
Wednesday, November 11th
1:00 pm
The Buffalo Soldiers Honor and Color Guard of American Legion Post 315 will be on hand as part of a Veteran’s Day Color Guard ceremony. A moving tribute to honor all veterans.
Friday, November 13th
7:00 pm
Authors Janie Reinhart and Mary Ann Mayer discuss and sign their book, Love You More Than You Know: Mothers’ Stories About Sending Their Sons And Daughters to War.
In their book, Reinhart and Mayer share the stories of other mothers like them. Some were stunned to learn one sunny afternoon that their "baby" had enlisted. Others had long been familiar with military life. But all of these mothers knew their world had just changed the day their child called home and said, "Mom, I’m being deployed..."
* A portion of the proceeds of sales of this book will be donated to charities benefiting wounded veterans. An additional portion of the proceeds will benefit Books For Soldiers.
Saturday, November 14th
12:00 noon – 1:30 pm
Broadale Brass Band will perform a repertoire of patriotic music.
2:00 - 4:00 pm
Author Terry Gould discusses and signs his book, How Can You Mend This Purple Heart?
Terry Gould was born in Akron, Ohio and spent his childhood in rural towns across Missouri before joining the Navy in 1968.
Following a thirty-year career in business, Terry finally had the opportunity to write the story that haunted him for more than forty years. Through his story, Terry hopes to inspire all Americans to recognize and honor the veterans of all wars; but especially the veterans of the Vietnam War. Terry now resides near Nashville, Tennessee with his wife Barb.
* A portion of the proceeds of sales of this book will be donated to Books For Soldiers.
About Books For Soldiers
www.booksforsoldiers.com
"The best morale booster for a soldier away from home, is a book to read."
– Storm Williams, founder of Books For Soldiers
"During the first Gulf War, several of my friends from school were in the reserves and were activated to fight in Iraqi. Once the soldiers were deployed, they were faced with massive downtime and were restricted to their base due to the travel limitations set by the Saudi government.
I am a voracious reader and at the beginning of the Gulf War, I had a closet full of paperback books. Books that were not being used. So, I packed them up in small care packages and sent them out to all the soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen I had addresses for.
Within a few weeks, I ran out of books before I ran out of addresses. Friends and family members began donating their paperback books and in the end, over 1000 books were sent to the Gulf.
After the war, we received many thank-you notes from soldiers who got one of our books. Since then we have continued the effort for all those stationed far from home. Regardless of why the military is deployed, if we can make their deployment easier, then all the better.
- Storm Williams, founder of Books For Soldiers
Storm Williams is available for interview by phone at 415-351-8497.
Testimonials
"Thank you for taking me somewhere other than here through these books."
"Thank you guys for doing what you do. Boredom can really eat away at you out here. We don’t have most of the luxuries of bigger posts and really appreciate anything that can relieve stress during our free time."
"I can’t explain to you in words how much that last book boosted my morale and made the past couple weeks easier on me. I definitely have a more visual goal to look forward to after reading about climbing Mt. Killamanjaro and it’s all because of you guys."
"You guys are a big morale boost over here. Getting a BFS package, people huddled around it like it’s Christmas at the excitement over what’s inside the package..."
"Thanks a million...The books are arriving...I was out for a couple of days, came back to a great surprise. It’s the first time in my 10 years of military life that I receive such mail. The soldiers are very thankful and are eagerly reading the books..."
"Even though you sent a book and a well written card, to me it means so much more: that a person I’ve never met could care so much about me so far away. Though there are many who don’t agree with current policies, we do get lonely and despairing. Please continue to support us while we think of home."
"Thank you for the books and the accompanying letters and notes – and hope to get more. I cannot start to thank you for what you are doing for the troops and for my morale and the others deployed with me. Our base is rural to say the least. Tents and a hot shower once a week if you are one of the first 20 in line! Anything you can send is greatly appreciated."
"I have a wall in my room with letters and postcards and all kinds of notes that I see every morning. It really keeps me going. Everyone here thanks you so much! We have taken the book sharing a step further and pass on the ones we’ve received and read to other smaller posts that don’t get as much mail as we do. Whatever you send we will help to distribute."
"I would like to thank you for the service you provide. The books come and are used in our base library and is a gift from God! We don’t have a large selection but I am trying to change that by requesting more books. I’m plugging for my favorites but I’ll be getting a request list from the other guys too."
For more information about this and other community programs or author events at Joseph-Beth Booksellers, call 216.691.7000 or visit www.josephbeth.com.
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But that is just Christmas. After that, we simply do not have the funds to stay open in 2010. Actually, we don't have the funds to maintain operations to the first week of January.
What will help that? What will guarantee 2010 operations? $67,338 dollars.
That is it. (DONATE)
BFS is a 100% all volunteer effort - no one here gets a salary. Yes, I have been doing this, up to 50 hours a week since the damn war began. Other volunteers do the same and in many cases more.
In a world where the likes of Joe Wilson can raise almost $2 million dollars off of humiliating "You Lie" outburst in Congress, it really pisses me off that I can't get $67k for a charity program for our troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Some of these soldiers that have gotten our books came home in a casket.
This past summer, a good friend of mine, Chaplain Tim Vakoc, a Minnesota priest who was gravely wounded by a roadside bomb in Iraq five years ago.
Father Tim had been in the Minneapolis VA Hospital and in a Minneapolis-area nursing home for the last several years.
Father Tim's vehicle encountered an IED while he was enroute to perform mass at a base in the Mosul area. From his time in Iraq, he was awarded the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star, and the Combat Action Award.
Father Tim finally succumbed to his injuries.
Father Tim was instrumental in identifying young soldiers in his unit who had no family back in the States. Many times for these individuals enlistment is the only option. These soldiers are very susceptible to depression and suicide. A lack of anyone back home writing them or flat-out giving a shit can have dire consequences. BFS has a program - Operation Forgotten Soldiers that works with Chaplains to identify these individuals, then we get our volunteers to reach-out, write letters, send cookies - anything we can do to reverse the psychological decline of these individuals.
This is why we need to stay open in 2010. This is why I need to raise $67,338 by the end of this year.
(DONATE)
Yes, I know this is a guilt trip, but it is the last tool I have.
P.S. BFS has an island in Second Life are we are interested in selling our Island to raise a bit of cash. The island was used for deployed soldiers to have a place to socialize with their families back home. It was a much better solution than email to keep families together. If you want to see the facility, click here.