Hi Chapter Presidents - Our State President Kay Berg has asked me to organize the Hope for Hero's drive this year.  I would like all projects ready to go by November 1st.  This will enable us to get things to the soldiers and Vets by the November 11th Veteran's Day. 

You are welcome to collect your items and distribute them yourselves.  If you do, please send me an email, sschlaik@siouxvalley.net with a short description of what you did. 

If you choose to box them and get them to me, I will distribute them to my contact person at the South Dakota Air National Guard in Sioux Falls. 

SUGGESTION:  Along with the boxes or if you choose to just do this -  the SDANG has suggested that phone cards are a hot item for the soldiers.  It enables them to call home and talk to loved ones. You can send a check to me made out to the SDANG Family Readiness Program and Rebecca will purchase the phone cards for us.

Whatever you choose will be greatly appreciated by the soldiers protecting our country. 

Please click on the following link http://www.esaintl.com/member/member_index.cfm?action=Hope_hero.  This link will take you to the Hope for Hero's information on the ESA website.  It has some excellent tips.

Sheba 

The proposal: The International Council of Epsilon Sigma Alpha is proposing that as many members and chapters as possible participate in a new Hope for Heroes program to honor our country’s service men and women.

The idea: Chapters and/or individual members of ESA will prepare and ship a care package(s) to a service person stationed in Iraq or Afghanistan on or near Veteran’s Day in November.

How can this program involve your community and other organizations?
• Publicize the fact that ESA is going to gather goods and prepare packages for troops. If you’d like to expand the program, contact other local businesses/service organizations to assist you.

• Locally, solicit the names of men or women who might be serving in Iraq or Afghanistan to see if they would like their service person to become a recipient of your Hope for Heroes package.

• Let people know where and when you plan to collect goods. Have a short program of “thanks” at a specific time during the collection process to thank those who are helping, and to gain additional publicity for your work. Be certain to contact local media for coverage.

• Assemble and mail the packages. Recruit volunteers to assist you if you’re working on multiple packages. Let your state president know that your chapter has participated in the program.

• Make the program bigger by enlisting the help of your Chamber of Commerce, local church groups, local businesses, other volunteers, etc.

For more information, please click here just click on Resources and look for Hope for Heroes posted under Special Programs.