Posted on 11/26/2008 4:03:55 AM PST by CE2949BB
Military Exchange Prepaid Calling Cards
The Department of Defense Military Exchanges have been authorized to sell the following prepaid calling cards to individuals and organizations who wish to purchase these cards for our troops serving overseas in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
The Source URL listed in this post is posted on AAFES' front page. Save you guys and gals the hassle of finding the link.
I saw that and have pulled up their webpage (haven’t looked at it yet).
I am leary of so many of these ‘donation’ organizations. I donated a fair sum to one a couple for years ago to one ‘organization’. It supposedly purchased laptops for injured soldiers. That put me on their list, and I started getting a deluge of requests for donations. Some of those requests obviously were quite costly to produce. I did not donate to pay for them to produce more fancy donation request materials.
I quit giving to many of the ‘big’ donation organizations years ago when I read a list of how much the actual donation actually went to benefits. For many of those organizations 25%-60% went to ‘administrative’ costs, rather than to benefits.
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Be cautious of any giving, especially this time of year. There are some good organizations, but there are also allot of scam outfits.
another way to give is go to
http://www.anysoldier.com/WhereToSend/
you can pick a soldiers group, there is an address to send your care package, how many are in the troop, (man/women) and if they have any special items they lack. Great way to let them know you care.
The first search result from the DOD's DefenseLink site for the query "AAFES": AAFES Marks Four Years of Service, Support to Troops in Iraq.
From Wikipedia's entry for AAFES:
The Army & Air Force Exchange Service (or AAFES) is an agency of the United States Department of Defense. Its dual missions are to provide quality merchandise and services of necessity and convenience to authorized customers at uniformly low prices, and to generate reasonable earnings to supplement appropriated funds for the support of United States Army and Air Force Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) programs.
I realize a lot of people have been burned before, but this seems legit.
I donate to the DAV (Disabled American Veterans) and the USO.
The DAV also seeks volunteers locally to do thing like drive disabled vets to doctors appts etc. I can’t help that way but I feel that giving a few bucks when I can goes to a worthy cause and I know they can be trusted.
I did not donate to pay for them to produce more fancy donation request materials.
I feel the same way. Sadly, Feed the Children, is quilty of this too. Stop wasting money & use it to feed the children!!
Here is one I support -
Rapid Deployment Kits
#2819685
https://give.ccci.org/give/VirtualCommonLinks/process/newGift?Desig=2819685
“With the help of people like you, about 1.9 million Rapid Deployment Kits—each containing a pocket-sized New Testament with Psalms and Proverbs, a daily devotional, and a booklet that clearly shares the Gospel—have been distributed since September 2001. A military chaplain recently wrote:
“I cannot begin to try and describe the many thanks, hugs, handshakes, and tears I have shared with deploying warriors and their families over the past couple of years handing out the RDKs . . . For many a grateful warrior and family member, let me share a hearty THANK YOU!!!”
As this note clearly highlights, these Kits mean so much to our troops, as well as their families. However, even as you and other ministry partners help provide RDKs, many troops are right now facing deployment without spiritual resources. A recent note shares:
“I am a chaplain in the Army preparing to deploy with my infantry battalion of approximately 800 soldiers. I have no Bibles or resources as I have just taken over this battalion. They just returned from Iraq this past November and are already returning again . . . Whatever you can do to help in resources would be greatly appreciated.”
Campus Crusade for Christ’s Military Ministry continues to receive numerous requests like this for an average of about 10,000 to 15,000 RDKs each month. Including shipping and distribution costs, it still takes just $3.25 to get each RDK—packaged in a waterproof bag—into the hands of a service member.
So your gift of $52 would provide 16 RDKs; $130 would help provide 40 RDKs. A greater gift of $650 (200 RDKs) or even $1,300 (400 RDKs) would help reach even more troops for Christ. You can also choose “Other” in the “Give Now” menu above to enter another amount. Any gift that you could give would do so much to share God’s Word with soldiers who are looking for real comfort and hope. Please keep in mind that Campus Crusade for Christ is a nonprofit, 501c3 organization; all gifts are tax-deductible.”
http://give2.ccci.org/featured/rdk-wm/index.php
Thank you for your support and prayers for our troops. May God bless you.”
I’ll have to ask my son about it, but I believe his flight volunteered (or as he puts it, “voluntold”) at the local exchange, which seemed like the AF version of Goodwill. As “payment” they each got to pick an item (he took a toaster).
why not send them one of these? Now linked with AT&T for over seas calls.
http://www.magicjack.com/1/index.asp
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