We are making big progress!

For those just joining us on our Wings for Our Troops blog I will give you a quick run down of what this is all about.  We, as I am sure most people, thought that when our military men and women went home before and after deployment that the government paid for those trips home.  WRONG!  It comes out of their already modest salaries and if they can't afford to make the trip home and don't have family or friends that can help them out financially, then they just have to stay on base until they deploy.  Well, on December 1, 2010, we lost my only child in Afghanistan while in combat.  We had the most amazing pre-deployment leave visit with him.  We were fortunate enough (mainly thanks to my amazing husband) to help he and Katie come home for that visit.  It was 11 days of heaven right here in NW Arkansas.  After December 1st I couldn't imagine not having had that time with him.  Tebo suggested that I revisit my idea of helping our military men and women get home before and after deployments as my new project to focus on.  This foundation is not to help them get home just to hang out with friends and do whatever they want.  This is focused specifically on them getting home before and after deployments.  They, as well as their families need this time before and after and certainly even more so if they have lost a brother in combat.  I believe in their brotherhood they have and I know it helps them a lot, but I also believe their true healing doesn't begin until they are home with their loved ones.
We have our website up and running.  Check it out at http://www.wingsforourtroops.com/ and you can also find us on Face Book by searching for Wings for Our Troops.  We have been so blessed with people wanting to donate proceeds from items they sell to our foundation.  It's their way of paying it forward.  I would like to mention these people myself and you can also find links to their websites/blogs on our website.  Daisy & Elm Jewelry and Rosaries can be found on Face Book by searching that name or her blog at http://400wakeups.blogspot.com/.  Her husband is deployed to Iraq right now and she still finds a way to help others.  She makes R.E.D. (remember everyone deployed) jewelry (one of a kind) for Fridays and donates 50% of those proceeds to our foundation.  She has amazing other jewelry as well so I encourage you to support her and enjoy some beautiful one of a kind jewelry. There will be no one out there that will have the piece you purchase.  Also, there is another blogger, Underground Vintage Studio, that is donating proceeds from specific pieces she makes to our foundation.  You can find her at http://undergroundvintage.blogspot.com/.  She has amazing items that she makes and you will love them!  Her brother actually served with Chad and is in his Battalion and this is her way of paying it forward as well. Check out her blog and support her as well as she does her part to support our troops.  In addition to these wonderful ladies, one of Chad's buddies he went to school with and played baseball with has a Christian Rock Band called "Take It Back".  You can search for them on Face Book and My Space to find them and read all about them.  They have a band member that was also in the military and they have created a t-shirt that the proceeds from the sale of that t-shirt will go to our foundation as well as a separate donation the band is doing personally themselves to support this worthy cause.  I'm just blown away at all the support we have already started receiving from all over the world for our foundation.  It won't be long now and we will be able to join the 501C-3 non-profit status and who knows, this could become my full time job.  I would love that.  I love nothing more than helping people and especially when it's for a good cause.  This is a good cause.  Our men and women serving and fighting for our freedom should not have to pay out of their modest salaries to go home to spend precious quality time with their family and friends before or after deployments.  This is just so wrong to me and I want to make a difference and make sure not one misses a chance to love on their families due to money. 
We are currently having fundraisers starting in North Carolina (Thank you BFF Sister) as well as many people having already sent us checks made out to Wings for Our Troops.  To date we have already collected a little over $800 for our foundation and things have just gotten started.  I think that's an amazing start. 
We also have our official logo now that will be added to our website any day now and it is our goal to have it as recognizable as any other logo you may be familiar with.  We want everyone to know that they can make a difference in a soldier's life and their family's life by helping get them home.  We hope to have things worked out soon where people can donate miles or travel points as well, but we aren't quite there yet.  I truly cannot wait until we help our first soldier get home.  It is almost too much to contain myself. 
Our family and friends have jumped on board and even people we've not even met yet are joining in to help.  That tells me there are so many people out there that truly do care.  I love that.  Just think, if all of us pay it forward, what kind of world will we have.  That excites me!