THOUGHTS THAT COME TO YOU WHILE EATING LAMB CHOPS FOR DINNER.

The following list of charities serving members of the armed forces is taken from a DOD faq:

• Donate a calling card to help keep service members in touch with their families at Operation Uplink at http://www.operationuplink.org/
  
• Send a greeting via e-mail through http://anyservicemember.org/ or http://www.OperationDearAbby.net
  
• Sign a virtual thank you card at the Defense America web site at http://www.defendamerica.mil/nmam.html
  
• Make a donation to one of the military relief societies:

• Army Emergency Relief at http://www.aerhq.org/
  
• Navy/Marine Relief Society at http://www.nmcrs.org/
  
• Air Force Aid Society at http://www.afas.org/
  
• Coast Guard Mutual Assistance at http://www.cgmahq.org/

• Donate to "Operation USO Care Package" at http://www.usometrodc.org/care.html
  
• Support the American Red Cross Armed Forces Emergency Services at http://www.redcross.org/services/afes/
  
• Volunteer at a VA Hospital http://www.va.gov/vetsday/ to honor veterans who bore the lamp of freedom in past conflicts.
  
• Support families whose loved ones are being treated at military and VA hospitals through a donation to the Fisher House at http://www.fisherhouse.org.
• U.S. troops deployed to the Persian Gulf region and other overseas locations can now receive personal messages from family members, friends, neighbors, colleagues and supporters via the pages of "Stars and Stripes" as well. "Messages of Support," a daily section that debuted March 17, gives family and friends of deployed service members a chance to pass their greetings, words of encouragement and announcements free of charge. "Messages of Support" can be e-mailed to "Stars and Stripes" 24 hours a day at messages@estripes.com, are limited to 50 words or less and will be printed on a first-come, first-run basis. "Stars and Stripes" reserves the right to screen and edit all messages and to omit any determined inappropriate.

Posted by David Cohen at March 23, 2003 7:26 PM