December 2020 Newsletter

We are Santa\’s Elves!

This year, perhaps more than ever, our troops could use a bit of cheer from home. We have thousands of troops waiting for some Christmas spirit and you can help brighten their day! Read more…

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At Move America Forward, we know the spirit of Christmas is alive and well. Even as we see our normal holiday traditions being scaled back or cancelled this year, we are still routinely asked “How can I help?” from those dedicated to supporting our troops. Help comes in many forms, donating supplies like our friends at at Paradies who collect goodies and personal care items donated at airport kiosks to be included in our care packages premium coffee donated to our troops from San Francisco Bay Gourmet Coffee including special holiday blends to bring memories of home to our troops when they brew up a fresh, hot cup of joe to start their day or help them through a long night watch. Of course, we are proud to feature Girl Scout Cookies donated from cookie drive programs from councils all over our great nation.

Volunteerism is alive and well, and although socially distanced and following safety protocols, we still get dedicated souls like all the great folks who come in to pack boxes for us like the amazing folks from Red River Charitable Foundation who came aboard to stuff packages for our Thanksgiving shipment.

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We were also proud to partner with Wounded Warrior Project  to distribute 60 Thanksgiving turkeys and fixings donated by Safeway and for our brave local Wounded Warrior Alumni families.

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At Move America Forward help often comes in the form of sending out care packages to our soldiers and thanks to the many stalwart supporters in our Monthly Smiles Program and our supporters who send packages only once or several times a year our troops see packages year-round.

 When you really want to spread the love and bring a smile to a group of our deployed troops we have plenty of options available!  We offer several packages that are meant to be shared by two, four or more soldiers. Our soldiers are counting on us!

Nothing makes our troops miss their loved ones more than the memories of spending Christmas with family, dreaming of joining in as presents are opened on Christmas morning. Our troops gladly sacrifice so much for all Americans, please take a moment to thank them with a care package from home and most importantly, have a much needed note of thanks that only you can include.

MAF partners with KRLA AM 870 The Answer for package drive

Once again MAF has partnered with KRLA AM870 The Answer to bring you and epic support drive that goes all the way through until Christmas Eve offering care packages guaranteed to bring a special hug from home! Read more…

From packages meant for a single soldier or even a loyal k9 and its handler to epic care packages that can support an entire battalion, like the special Dennis Prager or the Larry Elder packages which offer the opportunity for the donor to have lunch with Larry or Dennis in the KRLA studio — (rescheduled for a post-Covid date TBD of course), the KRLA troop support care packages have something for every budget!

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AM870 The Answer listeners have been loyal to our troops from the start, many of have served and understand first-hand how if feels to be away from loved ones and country for extended periods – missing holidays, special occasions and everyday activities. 

The troops serving today are critically important and their sacrifice deserve to be be honored, but we can\’t do it without your help!

We may grumble about having to go into work during the dangers of a global pandemic, but most of us will never know the dangers our brave men and women face during deployment. Many our troops of have been deployed multiple times for long periods away from home and country while undertaking dangerous assignments that are simply part of their everyday routine.

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While we get ready to enjoy Christmas and New Year\’s with friends and loved ones, in small groups or even remotely given the uncertainty of this unsettling year, we need to make a tangible act to remember our sons and daughters and brothers and sisters serving right now all over the globe.

MAF\’s own Scott Raab featured on Sacramento Kings Dinner with a Vet

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Sacramento Kings point guard, Kyle Guy is a big supporter of our troops. To show his appreciation, Kyle hosted a Veterans Day virtual Dinner with a Vet featuring MAF\’s own Scott Raab, Navy veteran. Read more…

Scott was honored and excited when representatives from the Sacramento Kings reached out to him on behalf of Kyle Guy to invite him to a virtual dinner with Guy and fellow veteran Lindsey Sin, Deputy Secretary Women Veterans Affairs.

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Kyle states \”The reason I wanted to do this is, one, to give back, to show respect for you guys for everything you do for this country, to make us feel safe at night, but also to kind of bridge the gap a little bit between military life and civilian life… just kind of shed the light on you guys experiences.\” Kyle was very interested in hearing Lindsey\’s and Scott\’s stories about why they served and what they had learned and to be able to share those experiences with people.

Scott shared his experiences as a Cryptologic Technician (CT) in the Navy serving in the Gulf. Like Kyle, many members of Scott\’s family had served including his grandfather, a WWII veteran who Scott looked up to as an example of the kind of man Scott hoped to someday be like. \”I knew from a young age I was going to serve,\” stated Scott who went on to say \”Probably the best thing I have ever done in my life, and ever will do, and that\’s to serve in uniform.\” Not all of Scott\’s service was overseas, he also enjoyed a stint in San Diego much to his delight.

As with Scott, Lindsey\’s grandfathers both served in WWII. Lindsey\’s grandfather and uncle both served in the Navy which made her decision to pursue a career in the Navy that much easier.

Scott went on to praise Kyle and the Kings for their support for the military and military families. Bringing it back to how important being on a team is, Lindsey stated \”It\’s that strong understanding that team effort means everything.\”

If you would like to see the entire interview, you can watch here

Thank you Kyle, for taking the time to sit down with Scott and Lindsey, we enjoyed hearing about their time in the military and how it has informed their lives.

MREs — Our troops appreciate the luxury of a care package from home

A care package, especially during the Christmas season, can seem like a small thing to those of us who have never served, but to our troops far from home, a well stocked care package can warm the heart and the tummy. Read more..

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Let\’s give our troops a package they will really enjoy opening this Christmas instead of an MRE which may provide the necessary calories to fuel our hard-working men and women in uniform but certainly lacks the ability to bring a big smile to a tired face.

Aside from all the fantastic treats, personal care items and little luxuries from home, every single package includes a personal message from the person who donated. It reaches out to our troops in a very personal way and means a whole lot to the man or woman who received it. Here are some examples of personal messages to the troops written by our supporters.

— May God Bless and protect you all. A proud American due to your efforts!

— Our family is thankful that you are willing to fight for our freedoms. We thank you for all your sacrifices. Please be safe and hopefully have a wonderful holiday season. We are truly grateful to you. Best wishes and we pray for you every day.

— We thank you AND your families for your service to our country. I pray every night that God will watch over you all and bring you home safely.

Tell the troops you care for them and will be thinking of them, that your whole family will be thinking of them by sponsoring a care package this Christmas Season!

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