ADOPT A SOLDIER

All information from this site was taken from :
http://soldiersangels.org/index.php?page=adopt-a-soldier
Please visit their website and adopt a soldier today!

Soldiers' Angels was started by a self-described ordinary mother of an ordinary young man turned hero, Sgt. Brandon Varn. Brandon was deployed in Iraq and has since honorably completed his mission and has returned back to his proud and loving family.

In the summer of 2003, he wrote home expressing his concern that some soldiers did not receive any mail or support from home. Being a caring and loving mother, she decided not to allow a situation like that to continue. She contacted a few friends and extended family to ask if they would write to a soldier or two. Within a few short months, Soldiers' Angels went from a mother writing a few extra letters to an Internet Community with thousands of angels worldwide.

With more and more merchants donating services, money and items for packages, the Angels reorganized as a 501 c 3 non-profit so all donations would be tax deductible. Soldiers' Angels currently supports tens of thousands of American Service Members stationed wherever we raise our nation's flag, and that number continues to grow daily. Soldiers' Angels are dedicated in supporting our military during and after their deployment.

In December of 2004 a worldwide support forum was created in the hopes of providing a place where the needs of our heroes could be fulfilled.

Now this ordinary mother's youngest son, Bretton Varn, is serving his country in Iraq as he continues his family's legacy of bravery, honor and commitment. As with all of our brave men and women in the United States Armed Forces, our thoughts and prayers are with Brett and his family as he begins his tour in service to his nation.
May God Bless Our Troops!

There are three ways that you can help Soldiers' Angels carry out its vital mission:
Adopting A Soldier: Adopting a Soldier is the foundation of Soldiers' Angels. To Adopt a Soldier you must commit to sending one card or letter each week and AT LEAST 1 or 2 care packages a month. We have been told many times that this is one of the most important things we can do to help bring home a healthy hero. It is so very important for each of them to know that we care and support them and your letters and care packages will do just that. So what goes in a care package? Care packages do not have to be expensive and you can either put together your own (we have created a list of the most often requested items consisting of snacks, hygiene items, and games or magazines). We have also put together some great themed care packages in our store located at www.angelsstore.org. These care packages are sold at cost and we will ship them directly to your soldier, if you would like, complete with a personal note from you. Or, simply take a look at them to get ideas of what you can send in your own care packages. The length or duration of each adoption depends on the branch of service your soldier is in and a number of other factors, but generally averages between six (6) months to twelve (12) months. On occasion, they can be extended, but this is the average.

Joining Soldiers' Angels: If you are unable to Adopt A Soldier (time constraints, finances, etc.) but would still like to join Soldiers' Angelsl and help us with our mission, you have the option of simply joining one of our many teams or programs. You can find more information on each of our teams by clicking on the Teams and Programs link to the left (or click here). There are different requirements and commitments for each team, so read through them and find one that matches what you would like to do.

Donating to Soldiers' Angels: If you really want to help Soldiers' Angels carry out its mission but just don't have the time to adopt a soldier or join a team at this time, please consider helping us out financially. Soldiers' Angels operates entirely on donations from it's members, friends and supporters and without that help, we would be unable to carry out our important mission. For more information on the many ways that you can donate to Soldiers' Angels, click on the Donate link to the left or simply click here.

Our Process: Every application to adopt a soldier or join a team/program is reviewed by our adoptions unit. We conduct an identity verification process on each applicant before a soldier is matched to you or you are assigned to a team/program. This process can take up to a few days to complete as our team contacts each applicant by phone and/or email as part of this process. This process is important and we take it seriously. In an effort to speed up this process for you (we know you are excited to get going!!!), we have started offering Instant Approval through a verification process using PayPal. By making a donation of $1, $5 or whatever your heart is telling you, we are able to rely on PayPal's own internal verification system which is pretty extensive. Or, if you do not have a PayPal account and would rather not go through that process, you can simply use your credit card through their system which obviously verifies your identification automatically. If you would like to take advantage of this instant verification process, simply click on the following Donate button:

A donations is not required to join Soldiers' Angels or to Adopt a Soldier. This Instant Approval process through PayPal has been developed to simply provide an expedited process for those who wish to take advantage of it. Please do not feel obligated to do so. As with all donations to Soldiers' Angels, your donation is tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law. Please consult your tax adviser for further information.)

* Important: This is a serious job for serious people. This is not a dating service and we do not tolerate improper or inappropriate behavior. Our soldiers need us and the last thing we want to do is cause any additional stress in their lives or the lives of their families.
** It is important to fill out every field completely or we will be unable to process your application

*** Applicants must be 18 years old or older OR must have a parent fill out this form with you.