 |
|
|
 |
||
 |
HOMEFRONT HUGS USA - Support Our Troops,Veterans, and Families
HOMEFRONT HUGS USA - Support Our Troops,Veterans, and Families
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
|
|
> AP Photo by S.Veder-1974 ***
Where Freedom Means Sacrifice and Freedom Endures ****
Where we honor and dedicate this site to our WWII veterans and my late Jewish grandfather, Dr.Henry J.Kellermann, who helped prosecute the Nazis at the Nuremburg
trials and re-educate the German youth .Grandpa taught me never to forget the incredible
sacrifices and courage of our WWII veterans whom we chose to honor much too late. Because of
our incredible World War II heroes, not all my relatives perished in concentration camps.
God bless them all.Shalom.
***
*****
Where we honor and dedicate this site and our missions to USAF Gulf War veteran and
pilot Steve Schmidt of Charlevoix, Michigan whose dedication and ability to
beat the odds and meet any challenge inspired me to begin Homefront Hugs. Steve was a laid back
highly intelligent man who also had the compassionate kind heart of his Mom : Claire Genia Schmidt.
Steve made me so proud privately and publicly, once my sweet husband/my best friend when
we were far too young to be married, like so many military couples. We met in college at
U of M- Ann Arbor...two young Psychology students ready for life,adventure,very much in love.
Memories linger which can never be erased, memories Claire taught me to see as gifts.
Steve and I were both romantics, something Steve remembered well when we said our last
goodbyes. The realization of what I lost came too late but Claire's love , friendship and faith sustained
me . Claire was an angel in our midst- a woman and mother with strength and dignity I try to
follow as a mother now. Steve and I both looked forward to being parents together because
we both loved kids- and felt the other would be an amazing parent. Claire agreed and yet she
was there when life turned out differently. Now as a mother- I wish she was here. She would have
been an incredible mentor and grandmother figure. She left this earth far too early. She taught me
that a real love story never ends..sometimes across lifetimes. I realized that silly phrase that it is
better to have loves and lost, than never to have loved at all, made sense finally.
Though there have been a few romances, just as Claire predicted, I never could remarry.
Mothers of our veterans have wisdom and strength we all need during life.
(Click here "Claire's Gift" tab above to learn more about an amazing woman
and mother of a veteran)
****
Where we honor CW5 Dennis R.Bryson,US CG retired, who helped inspire our missions at
Homefront Hugs by helping us remember the Coast Guard, their sacrifices abroad and here during
hurricanes and natural disasters.
Where each and every serviceman and woman has served us with honor
Where Americans will never forget 9-11-2001 and remember what it means still to so many .
****
Where Americans will never allow the shameful Vietnam homecomings occur
and will always welcome our heroes home with gratitude and warmth.
****** If you ever wanted to thank someone who serves up close and not from a distance- with a personal touch- you've come to the right place...Homefront Hugs USA. We remember our heroes and try to help make their sacrifices more bearable. If you have any time to volunteer from home - join our incredible volunteers from all over the USA ! You can adopt a hero or if time is limited...donate to our missions.
with the word "adopt". If you are a veteran in need,wounded vet, or deployed hero, we would be honored to spoil you and share some TLC. Please don't be shy ! To donate any amount as funds are always needed especially now, consider sponsoring a care package- add a personal message too: just click on this tab PAYPAL(click here) . We seriously need monetary help too to mail packages out to heroes who cannot be adopted due to security reasons and wounded. Our orphans in Afghanistan need warm clothes and winter supplies. $10.35 mails one care package. $20 mails a fully packed care package. You can add a note for us to send as well up to 100 words. We are very proud and grateful of our continuous support from the Department of Defense :Click here: Urgent Help for Troops
BE A HERO....ADOPT A HERO ( Major Maggie's Trademark !) We really need volunteers to adopt our soldiers who just signed up ! If you think you might be interested in adopting a soldier or heard about us on CNN, FOX News, WEAR ABC TV, or the Department of Defense news, send us an email to:
  A huge salute and thanks to Art Levine and the Kings Pointe Veterans Group of Central Florida who
generously came to our aid this month with help for our missions and a fundraiser at the end of MAY !
Our veterans never cease to serve this country even after their military service especially when it
means coming to the aid of their fellow heroes. God bless them all !
 Homefront Hugs Twins are finally here !!!
 If anyone wants to send a card to a loving
sweet couple in bliss now...
well- the Mommy is but Daddy is flying back
to Afghanistan....
Please send them to :
Homefront Hugs Twins
1449 Tiger Lake drive
Gulf Breeze, Florida 32563
We are so thrilled and praying for an easy
feeding schedule...for Mommy and Daddy ...with lots of rest and cuddling.
WOW !!! Healthy and Happy and Here !!
    Have you see our most recent special story at Volunteer Match?
 We'll keep you posted ! Our volunteers rock.*****
******
As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words,
but to live by them. ~John Fitzgerald Kennedy
***
I dream of giving birth to a child who will ask, "Mother, what was war?" ~Eve Merriam
A hero is someone who understands the responsibility that comes with his freedom. ~Bob Dylan
*****
Savor this moment...so you we can remember it years later as if it just happened. ~Steve Schmidt
HOW CAN I HELP ? If you would like to adopt a hero, write our wounded, help the families of the deployed or help in disaster relief....email us at Info@HomefrontHugs.org. We need everyone in one way or another ! You can also just email us with the subject " news" and sign up for our bi-monthly newsletter while you decide.
Do you work with children- are you a teacher, a rabbi, a minister or counselor? For 8 years now, children and teens have made a huge difference helping thank those who serve and to rebuild communities hit by disaster. Right now in Gulf Breeze, we are still hoping and praying we can save our beloved little zoo of Northwest Florida. Our zoo has meant so much to the morale of military families waiting for a loved ones safe return and to victims of our Hurricanes Iva and Dennis when families had lost \ nearly everything. You can choose to help one of our missions or email us with your ideas especially with the holidays approaching.
schools, scouts, teen and childrens groups, churches,mosques and synagogues to join us at the Roar n' Soar Aviation Adventure in central Florida on November 7th and 8th at Fantasy of Flight. Homefront Hugs volunteers who are coming in large groups should contact us by October 25th for special discounted rates. There will be a huge tent there to meet us and help pack holiday care packages for hundreds of our heroes too ! Are you a veteran or military family? Discounts available for all military with ID and please come meet us at the Homefront hugs tent, help pack a few care packages for the holidays and enjoy the incredible fun aviation experiences for the whole family there !
At Homefront Hugs, we salute all our veterans, troops and families every
day. Our children sleep safe at night because of your sacrifices.
** Special prayers and Salutes go to our WWII Honor Flight Veterans whom we welcome
home from their special flights to Washington DC to see their special memorial- long overdue.
** **
Freedom Endures. Honor is Yours.
We are here to thank those who serve .
****
October 6,2009 We welcome anyone of any ability and background- any religion, age,sex,race and culture to join us just like our troops are- making a difference together. Our volunteers matter at Homefront Hugs and are heroes as well.
Remember, you can do this all from home and have that personal touch you do not get through other organizations. We also leave politics at the door here. Our heroes come from all walks of life - due to the freedoms we often forget here in the USA.
Let us remember our generations from World War II and let us emulate them by supporting our heroes on the homefront. This is a time our country must heal from our divisions and join together in service to those who matter including our most incredible troops and veterans who come from all walks of life and politics. The best is yet to come as our country heeds our Presidents' call to service. No excuses. Let's do it. Freedom Endures.
$10.35 helps send a care package already filled out
15 packages are filled with toys and needed items for our orphans this winter !! To help just by donating funds - scroll down to the bottom of the page. We accept Paypal or direct mail donations to continue our missions and donations are tax-deductible. Look us up...google us- check us out on Volunteer Match.
How did we get started? * Eight years ago , Homefront Hugs was created outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania as a small group of volunteers in tribute to our troops being deployed to Afghanistan to make sure 9-11 never happened again, and that the dismal Vietnam homecomings never happened again.... with the help and support of many 9-11 families. I had to find a way to make sense of 9-11 to my 3 year old son and support our troops better than I did once when married to a pilot in Desert Storm. Military life is such a challenge on marriages and families especially as I was so young and naive, and it was nearly twenty years ago. Times have changed just a bit in the military but not as much as needed. I hoped one day we might close our doors, the war would end, and we could just have one huge homecoming celebration for our heroes just like in World War II. We are a legitimate 501-3c non-profit organization with integrity-incorporated as of July 2007 which was generously arranged by a wonderful national law firm dedicated to our veterans and families run by Attorney Bryan Aylstock of Gulf Breeze. Florida. ** ***How can you help say thanks to those who serve ? ***************
|
)
>