Portraits of Love for Deployed Military Personnel

Holly Almond and daughters taken by photographer Aimee Bickers for U.S. Army Major Mark Almond, who returned from Iraq last week.

Aimee Bickers, owner of Pure Expressions Photography in Apex, North Carolina, alerted me to a very special September program for deployed military personnel and their families. I’ve asked Aimee to describe this program:

This September Pure Expressions Photography and over 300 others across the nation have embarked upon a journey to send 10,000 family portraits to deployed soldiers.

The PhotoImaging Manufacturers and Distributors Association (PMDA) along with Soldiers Angels, a grassroots volunteer organization, began the Portraits of Love Project, a volunteer effort aimed at sending family portraits to soldiers around the globe this holiday season.

“This project is the photo industry’s way of giving back to our soldiers and thanking them for the sacrifices they have made for our country,” according to Jerry Grossman, the president of the PMDA.

“Our industry is uniquely qualified to bring an important piece of home to our soldiers, and we are pleased to be able to organize this effort.”

“It’s incredible how motivating a simple family photograph can be to a soldier who is far from home,” according to Sergeant First Class Toby Nunn, who has served two tours in Iraq and has worked with Soldiers Angels on a number of projects.

“This volunteer effort is one more way that we can help our soldiers cope with their situation,” he said.

One 5x7 will be sent to the deployed military personnel for free -- sessions to create the photos [at least in Aimee’s studio] are also free. There is no additional purchase obligation.

For more information about Portraits of Love or to find a photographer near you, visit www.pmdaportraitsoflove.com.
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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of the novel MRS. LIEUTENANT and the co-author of the Jewish holiday book SEASONS FOR CELEBRATION. She also writes articles as a National Internet Business Examiner and she is the co-host of the BlogTalkRadio show YourMilitaryLife.com.

Phyllis' company MillerMosaicLLC.com combines traditional marketing principles with the power of Internet marketing strategies to promote your business more effectively. Her company also does Twitter tutoring by teleconferencing -- see TeachMetoTweetNow.com.