In honor of 31 heroes lost this weekend, please open your hearts, share some Homefront Hugs

Posted: Aug 8, 2011 at 2:21 AM [Aug 8, 2011]

This weekend we lost 31 more Americans who will not be coming home to loved ones.

As one Jewish soldier my son has adopted wrote on Facebook,

"‎31 lost, 31 unwanted visits, 31 doors receive that dreaded knock, 31 families with shattered hearts, 31 pairs of boots lined up with rifles and dog tags and helmets, 31 comrades remembered and grieved for, 31 funeral services, 31 names on newly made grave markers, 31 empty places at the table, 31 souls who gave all, whose lives leave a void, so let's take 31 seconds to repost this and pause to reflect on such a sacrifice as 31 gone forever..."

Joel Leviten wrote this. His father was my son's pediatrician in the beginning of when we started Homefront Hugs, It has been 10 years now. Ten years too long...ten years of packing care packages, organizing volunteers, starting kids clubs across the country to give back but remember all religions are to be respected and honored, to remember our troops and veterans come from all walks of life.

I know our lives are busy, I know we barely have time to read this. But please stop for a moment and hug your kids a bit tighter, your spouse a bit longer,and remember these freedoms and safety has not come for free. There are heroes who silently,bravely have paid the ultimate price, hoping too this war might end sooner than later so they could be home for those birthdays, anniversaries and just normal days of living free.

Take the time please and write us for information on ways you can help from home, whether it be with our wounded, our deployed, reaching out to families, or just remembering the sacrifices together at home. You can help from home. You will not have to come to our headquarters and do anything. You can help off and on or just one time. You can help by spreading the word that there are troops in need, troops and families hurting, veterans who feel forgotten and there IS a way to help from home. Of course, if you can, we can help you find a way to help outside your home too but we know how busy everyone is, how hectic our lives get, how the economy is depressing us right now.

It is the same for our family too. But after being a US Air Force wife and watching my sweet husband then sacrifice so much never asking anything in return, I know it matters when you can find a small moment to say thank you. As weary as you are getting from the war, so are our troops and families but they still sacrifice for all of us. Our work is not political and our site is as inclusive as we can be as it is our goal to make sure we remember we are ALL Americans.

Kids/teens can get volunteer credit and teachers can choose projects they might like to do sometime during the year. We write great reference letters for college and for job applications because volunteer hours count. And the secret of giving back, is the positive karma and inner peace you will feel when you realize how much our thanks mean when you help us at Homefront Hugs. Freedom Endures.

Please find it in your hearts to email me for some information HomefrontHugsUSA@aol.com , or visit our web site at http://HomefrontHugs.org

Please do not forget about our troops,veterans and families. They have not forgotten us.