January Birthdays!

Happy Birthday to our members who have a birthday this month!

Catherine, Pamela, Yoko, Jillian, Abbie, Marty and Chloe W.

Count your life by smiles, not tears.
Count your age by friends, not years.

Happy New Year!

Please remember our troops by

going to Let's Say Thanks

Take 5 minutes everyday ~ it makes a difference!

Books for Soldiers

National wants us to know about:

Care Packages for the Mind

Have books to donate?

Send them to military personnel stationed overseas.

At Books for Soldiers, soldiers post requests and supply their addresses

so that you can mail packages directly to them.

Submitted by Lou Thompson, Unit Member

 

It's NOT too late!

Operation Gratitude is still looking for many donated items.

Our Unit has been very good about making and sending scarves.

All items and letters can be shipped or delivered between

September 13--December 4 and from March 1 to May 5 to: 

 

Operation Gratitude/California Army National Guard

17330 Victory Boulevard

Van Nuys, California 91406

ATTN:  Charlie Othold

 

 

Saying Thank You to our Troops

It's so easy to say Thank You to our troops.  You can spot them everywhere, but especially in airports.  When you're traveling during the holidays, carry a few $5 Starbuck's gift cards with you.  (I choose Starbuck's because you can find one in almost every airport and on many posts.)

Every time I see a person in military uniform, I approach, get eye contact, extend my right hand to shake theirs, and say, "Thank you for your service."  Then I give them a gift card and ask them to have a cup of coffee on me.

It's incredible how this small gesture can make such a difference.  I feel good and they feel respected.  Sometimes, I visit for a few minutes if they are alone.

Submitted by Lou Thompson, Unit Member

November Birthdays

Happy Birthday to our members who have a birthday this month!

McCall, Elissa, Linda, Becky (Rebecca), Lou, and Bonnie.

Count your life by smiles, not tears.
Count your age by friends, not years.

 

Check it out!

Please make sure that you visit the links on the right hand side of this blog.

• To get more information about our Unit ~ go to Become a Member
• The information under Pages are updated at least once a week
• Be sure to support the Businesses Supporting Veterans
• Become a Follower and stay current with our unit

Don't forget to go to our awesome Unit web site  www.alaunit472.org

United We Serve

The President has said that the challenges American faces are unprecedented, and that we need to build a new foundation for economic growth in America. The Administration has begun this work with dramatic new investments in education, health care and clean energy, but we cannot do this alone here in Washington. Economic recovery is as much about what you're doing in your communities as what we're doing in Washington ~ and it's going to take all of us, working together. Serve.gov is your online resource for not only finding volunteer opportunities in your community, but also creating your own. Use Serve.gov to help you do your part. America's foundation will be built one community at a time ~ and it starts with you. Serve.gov is managed by the Corporation for National and Community Service.

Find a Volunteer Opportunity in Your Community ~ http://www.serve.gov.

Auxiliary-recognized National Days of Service for 2010-2011

• 9/11 National Day of Service (September 11, 2010)
• Make a Difference Day (October 23, 2010)
• National Family Volunteer Day (November 20, 2010)
• Veterans Day (November 19, 2010)
• Martin Luther King Jr. National Day of Service (January 17, 2011)
• National and Global Youth Service Day (April 15-17, 2011)
• National Volunteer Week (April 10-26, 2011)
• Any other day where you can gather a group of volunteers

Submitted by Lou Thompson, Unit 472 Member