Heroes Waiting
for Adoption
Morale and Welfare
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| The Spirit of Hope medals and medallions from the five military branches and the Office of the Secretary of Defense, as displayed prior to the award ceremony on October 27, 2009. |
The Office of the Secretary of Defense has bestowed the Spirit of Hope Award on Soldiers' Angels for its contributions to the morale and welfare of the U.S. military in 2008. Soldiers' Angels Board of Trustees member Ricky John and Operations Manager Toby Nunn received the award's bronze medal and medallion at the Pentagon on October 27, 2009, in an event hosted by the Secretary of the Air Force and Linda Hope, the daughter of Bob Hope.
The Spirit of Hope Award originated with the USO as a tribute to the lifelong efforts of Bob Hope to support and raise the morale of American military servicemen and women. It is now handled by The Wiegand Foundation, and each of the five military branches, as well as the Office of the Secretary of Defense, have the option to honor up to two people or organizations each year with a bronze or silver medallion, for a total of twelve honorees. This is only the second year since 2003 that the Office of the Secretary of Defense has elected to designate an honoree.
The official citation reads, in part:
Like Mr. Bob Hope, Soldiers’ Angels believes that the morale and welfare of our armed forces is a paramount concern and its steady flow of support for our service members and their families goes to Soldiers’ Angels’ core value of bringing home healthy soldiers. Soldiers' Angels embodies the very ethos of the namesake for which this award is given.
Soldiers' Angels considers receipt of this award a testimony to the effectiveness of the hundreds of thousands of Angel volunteers who work tirelessly to support the troops. "It is a great recognition for all the volunteers, for all the hard work they have done," said Ricky John. "Every day our volunteers and donors show their commitment to ensuring 'No Soldier Go Unloved,' to making sure our fighting men and women know they are supported. It is both humbling and thrilling to receive on their behalf this recognition that the effort is effective."
The award ceremony was held in the Pentagon's Hall of Heroes, which documents recipients of the Medal of Honor, and hosted by a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Major General Kelly McKeague, Chief of Staff, National Guard Bureau. The Soldiers' Angels representatives and other Spirit of Hope recipients were treated to breakfast in the general's dining room, a post-ceremony reception, and a tour of the Pentagon.
At the same ceremony, the U.S. Air Force bestowed its Spirit of Hope Award on military wife Virginia "Ginger" Dosedel for her work with Sew Much Comfort, the nonprofit she founded. Soldiers' Angels was honored to stand with her both literally and figuratively, as Sew much Comfort provides adaptive clothing for the wounded, some of which finds its way into Soldiers' Angels First Response Backpacks.
An official press release from the Office of the Secretary of Defense is expected very soon.
Spirit of Hope Award
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Teams & Projects - How to Help
Click here for a list of our many teams and projects!
Adopt a Soldier - Individualized support throughout deployment
Angel Bakers - Homemade treats for the deployed
Blankets of Belief - Showing deployed troops, "We believe in you!"
Blankets of Gratitude - Handcrafted love for hospitalized veterans
Blankets of Hope - Handcrafted comfort for the wounded
Cards Plus Team - Extra TLC for soldiers & families
Chaplain Support Team - Help chaplains support the troops
Community Team Leaders (CTLs) - Representing Soldiers' Angels at home
Eagle Cane Project - Handmade canes for the wounded
First Response Backpacks - Supplies for wounded in-country
Hero Packs - Care packages
K-9 Support - Caring for military working dogs and their handlers
Ladies of Liberty - Extra TLC for deployed females
Letter Writing Team - Personal letters for the deployed
Living Legends - Remembering the fallen and their families
Memorial Portraits - Drawings for families of the fallen
Operation Birthday Cake - Shipping gourmet birthday cakes to deployed troops
Operation Outreach - Supporting families waiting at home
Operation Phone Home - Calling cards
Operation Top Knot - Handmade gifts & virtual baby showers
Scarves - Handmade heat and sand protection
SA Germany - Supporting medevac'd wounded/ill and medical staff at Landstuhl
SOS:Kids - Helping deployed soldiers help local kids
Tank Support - Helping Veterans Travel to Medical Appointments
Valour-IT - Adaptive laptops for the wounded
VA Crochet & Craft - Handmade comfort & dignity for hospitalized Vets
Veterans Support - Assisting veterans facilities
Wounded TLC - Letters and care packages for the wounded
"Just navigating through your site humbles me. Just the concept of how much you do for us brings a tear to our eye. Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart." - Anonymous Soldier
May No Soldier Go Unloved
May No Soldier Go Unloved is the first in a series of books chronicling the history of Soldiers' Angels.
Learn more here. Read the literary review!
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(from l-r) Major Chuck Ziegenfuss, Soldiers' Angels founder Patti Patton Bader, Deborah Mullen, and Admiral Michael Mullen at the 2008 Soldiers' Angels gala in Washington DC.
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Jessica Scheu, Miss Teen Minnesota International 2009, is a Soldiers' Angel. Since being crowned Miss Teen Minnesota International this year, a position she will hang onto until March 6, the 17-year-old has been promoting her platform – Soldier’s Angels – and its message: “May no soldier go unloved.” In her work with Soldier’s Angels, Scheu adopted a soldier who she corresponds with by writing letters and sending care packages. She also participates in the Ladies of Liberty program, which supports women soldiers during deployment, and the Warriors to Citizens military program based in Farmington. |

















