After receiving the email below, I asked the writer, Beth Allen, if I could reprint it here as a guest post. Read about this wonderful project she is doing to help deployed parents stay in touch with their children. And then please help spread the word.Dear Phyllis,
I was touched reading about all you've been involved in and moved by your thoughts and feelings on military life. My own interest in the military started in January, when a family friend -- a Navy Reservist-- began a year's deployment in the Persian Gulf, leaving behind his two young children.
After his departure, I became aware of the many organizations that send items to our troops, but found little that deployed parents can have readily available to easily communicate with their young children.
In an effort to help my friend keep in touch with his children - a difficult task under the best of circumstances, I designed interactive postcards for him to mail home. The cards are viewed as little gifts both by him and the kids, with space for a note from him and drawings the children enjoy coloring, connecting the dots and working out mazes.
When completed, the art is mailed back to him, sharing the children's creativity and accomplishments and maintaining ongoing communication. He says that the cards are especially helpful as an easy, economical way to keep in touch with his children and give them an equally easy -- and fun-- way to send a little of themselves to him.
Thus began the birth of the "Troops In Touch" project. I have become so energized that I've designed over 50 cards -- some gender specific, others general in nature, including military, sports, seasonal and holiday themes. The next step of making them available to others seemed natural.
Realizing how important it is for parents and children to stay in touch, I had hoped to provide the cards at no cost but I simply cannot afford to.
Ideally, groups that support military families will order in quantities to help keep the fee modest. Individuals may also order cards for service people they know. Sales through my website make it possible for me to have a small income stream that allows me to donate sets of the cards whenever necessary. Ideally, a link-up with a non-profit organization to underwrite expenses would be wonderful.
I hope you will help spread the word about this new resource. You can see a few samples at my website at www.createmygift.com/troops.php and I'd be happy to send actual samples of the postcards to you as well.
Thank you for taking the time to read this e-mail and familiarizing yourself with Troops In Touch. I greatly appreciate any assistance you can offer.
Most sincerely,
Beth Allen
Create My Gift - - Home of "Troops In Touch" (c)
connecting parents & kids one card at a time
website: www.createmygift.com e-mail: beth@createmygift.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.
1 comment:
I just want to add another point about these postcards.
They're perfect for young children who cannot write on their own and for busy spouses with too much to do to supervise letter writing -- the activities on the cards require little or no supervision.
They're especially easy for the deployed parent since he/she doesn't have to come up with new things to say required by a letter -and when the postcard is returned, the "artwork" provides a topic for a response.
But most importantly, unlike an e-mail or phone call, the postcard has been touched by loved ones. Children can hold the cards, carry them around, sleep with them under their pillows and know that they're receiving and sending their very own mail.
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