Last year was a full of events, memorable moments, and spreading appreciation to Veterans and Military!
From luncheons, to Valentine’s Day cards, to sock donations, and so much more, we are incredibly proud of all the work that our volunteers and donors have accomplished with us to thank the brave the Americans who serve our amazing country in 2023.
Here are some of the most notable events that took place:
December 01, 2023
Soldiers’ Angels honors Service Members and Veterans every day of the year, not just on military holidays. However, we wanted to kick off our 2023 Advent Calendar by sharing this memorable interview with Amy Palmer which aired on News Nation this past Memorial Day.
Did you know December is the Month of Giving? As we move into 2024, join us in sustaining our important mission by giving a gift now.
December 02, 2023
What an incredible triumph this year’s Go Camo Care Package collection campaign was! With a lofty goal of gathering 20,000 lbs. of care package items to commemorate our 20th anniversary, we aimed high — and thanks to your incredible support, we soared past that milestone! Dive into our recap and witness the fantastic progress, amplified by the incredible support from Alamo City Truck Club and their amazing trucks!
We’re wrapping up all of our 2023 Campaigns, but be sure to click through and check out the dates for our 2024 Campaigns to see how you can help support the military-connected community.
December 03, 2023
Let’s rewind all the way back to the beginning of 2023… two long years of the pandemic kept many Veterans locked away in their homes. Despite the fading threat of COVID, many still had not visited with friends or even gone out to eat at a restaurant well into 2023. This is why Soldiers’ Angels, with help from Parry’s Pizzeria & Taphouse in San Antonio, decided to throw a huge pizza party for local Veterans!
Impactful events like these cannot happen without generous support from businesses and partners, like Parry’s Pizzeria & Taphouse. If you own a business and want to give back to the military-connected community in 2024, contact us now, and let’s work together to support Service Members and Veterans!
December 04, 2023
Happy National Cookie Day! What sweeter way to celebrate this occasion than by giving a heartfelt shout-out to the remarkable Girl Scouts all across the nation. Year after year, they consistently go above and beyond, offering unwavering support to our Service Members and Veterans. In 2023, the Girl Scouts of America made an incredible contribution by generously donating 398 pallets of delicious cookies, bringing smiles to the faces of our dedicated Service Members and Veterans, far and wide!
December 05, 2023
Soldiers’ Angels owes its success to the remarkable dedication and talent of our invaluable volunteers. On this International Volunteer Day, we extend our heartfelt appreciation to those who selflessly devote their time in support of our Service Members. Your contributions, regardless of size, reflect an unwavering commitment to our Military, past and present. Recently, Soldiers’ Angels was featured on CNN in a video that showcased Marine Corps Veteran and Charles Schwab Client Services and Support team member, Daniel Rudin, as he recounted his military journey, both in and out of uniform. Witness how he led his team in volunteering at a Soldiers’ Angels Military and Veteran Food Distribution, exemplifying the spirit of service and camaraderie.
If you’re interested in making an impact on the lives of our Service Members and Veterans, click through to learn more and volunteer now!
December 06, 2023
Discover the transformative power of nature in healing our Veterans. Join us on a behind-the-scenes journey as Soldiers’ Angels volunteers create a serene garden space at San Antonio VA’s Polytrauma Transitional Rehabilitation Program facility. Learn about the profound benefits of nature in aiding warriors’ recovery. Join us now to explore this incredible project!
Projects like this are not possible without the incredible support of our donors, supporters, and volunteers. Donate now and help us prepare for more supportive projects in 2024!
December 07, 2023
Happy National Letter Writing Day! At Soldiers’ Angels, our amazing volunteers dedicate their time to craft heartfelt cards and letters for deployed Service Members, Veterans, caregivers, and military families. Though seemingly small, these messages hold profound power. They bridge distances, offering deployed troops a connection to home and motivation to persevere. For those facing battles on the home front, these letters are a beacon of encouragement, reminding them they’re not alone.
While we’d love to share all the incredible stories, a poignant Valentine’s Day letter from 7-year-old Chloe and a touching response from an Army Veteran beautifully encapsulate the immense impact a single letter can carry.
The need is great when it comes to morale-boosting services! Will you join us in 2024 writing cards and letters to the military-connected community? Click the button to volunteer now!
December 08, 2023
It’s been precisely three months since Soldiers’ Angels proudly launched its seventh Military and Veteran Food Distribution site in Dallas, Texas! This remarkable milestone means that we are now providing essential food assistance to nearly 200 food-insecure Service Members and Veterans each month. We are honored to extend this initiative to the DFW area, furthering our commitment to positively impact the lives of even more Service Members and Veterans in our community.
As we continue this monthly event in Dallas, we need all the help we can get to provide funding and volunteers to this new site. If you are in the DFW area and interested in learning more about how you can help, click through now!
December 09, 2023
Happy Christmas Card Day! But, before you settle in to pen your festive greetings, let’s take a moment to journey back to February of this year when Soldiers’ Angels’ President and CEO, Amy Palmer, graced the screens of Fox News to emphasize the significance of spreading Valentine’s Day cheer. Cards and letters hold immense power in boosting the spirits of our deployed Service Members and comforting hospitalized Veterans.
December 10, 2023
Cheers to National Lager Day! And while our very own beer recipe is an Ale, not a Lager… we still thought today would be the perfect day to recognize the many breweries across the country who participated in Hops for Heroes 2023!
Do you have a favorite local brewery that would be a good candidate to take part in Hops for Heroes next year? Be sure click through and share the link with them!
December 11, 2023
Thanks to our continued partnership with Books-A-Million and their bi-annual Coffee for the Troops campaign, Soldiers’ Angels was able to ensure our deployed Service Members and Veterans were fueled all year long!
Through this incredible collaboration, thousands of bags of coffee have already been shipped earlier this year… but now, the campaign has once again returned and thousands more bags are ready to ship– just in time for the holidays!
Give the gift of coffee now! Click through and donate to help us ship this coffee around the world.
December 12, 2023
At Soldiers’ Angels, we don’t just celebrate Veterans Day on the day. We celebrate it ALL WEEK LONG (and sometimes before and after that week, too). The Soldiers’ Angels Home of the Brave Campaign is an effort championed by some amazing corporate partners that happens in VA Hospitals and Medical Centers across the country. The goal? To make Veterans feel loved and appreciated.
This year, one of the many exciting events was to have the Orlando Magic basketball team join us in Orlando, Florida! Watch the video now to see this exciting event in action. Or click through to read our recap blog featuring events from sites across the country and to learn how your company can get involved in 2024!
December 13, 2023
Soldiers’ Angels named a Newsmax Patriot of the Week! President and CEO, Amy Palmer, alongside USAF Brigadier General (Ret.) Blaine Holt, highlights the critical role care packages play in uplifting deployed Service Members, especially during tumultuous times like the conflict between Israel and Hamas. Their discussion illuminates the profound impact of these care packages, serving as lifelines of support and hope in the midst of challenging circumstances. This recognition underscores the vital mission of Soldiers’ Angels and the enduring strength these gestures of care provide to those bravely serving our country.
Service Members continue to see an uptick in deployments in response to both the conflict in Ukraine and the Israel/Hamas war. We need more volunteers to help support our troops! Will you send morale-boosting support to our men and women downrange?
December 14, 2023
Honored to have been named a Getting Results Award Winner by WKMG Orlando News 6! Soldiers’ Angels provides food assistance to Service Members and Veterans across the country. But this event has become so much more than a source of food for those we support–it’s also become a way in which Service Members and Veterans can band together to ensure no one gets left behind. Watch this touching segment to hear from Orlando Veterans and volunteers alike about the power of this monthly event.
Help us continue to provide this critical food assistance to the military-connected community! With the historic rise in inflation, the struggle for Service Members and Veterans will only continue to grow into 2024. Donate now.
December 15, 2023
It’s time to bring out those spectacularly hideous sweaters because National Ugly Sweater Day is here! We’re excited to announce the comeback of our Deployed vs. Stateside Ugly Sweater Contest for its second year, and we want YOU to be a part of the fun.
Head over to our Facebook page to participate and cast your votes for the ugliest ugly sweater. Let’s see if deployed will maintain their winning streak or if our stateside contenders will steal the show this year! (But shhh, let’s admit, we’re secretly rooting for our deployed heroes too! 😉)
December 16, 2023
Throughout the year, we’ve been fortunate to collaborate with dedicated corporate partners passionate about supporting Service Members, Veterans, and their families. These invaluable alliances have led to impactful initiatives: from hosting packing events assembling box lunches, hygiene kits, stockings, care packages, and fly away bags, to organizing paracord-making events that resulted in thousands of practical bracelets for inclusion in care packages. Additionally, our no-sew blanket corporate events have crafted thousands of blankets, each one a source of warmth and love for Veterans nationwide.
Most recently, Navy Federal has stood out as an extraordinary partner, contributing to the creation of over 800 no-sew blankets for Soldiers’ Angels. These blankets will be shared with Veterans, continuing to spread comfort and care throughout our community. Click the button to read more about this great event!
December 17, 2023
We are so grateful for the outstanding support from major league sport teams across the country, like the Florida Panthers! In 2023, they joined forces to assemble essential hygiene kits for Soldiers’ Angels, intended to be distributed to at-risk Veterans in VA Hospitals.
This was just one of the many ways businesses and organizations partnered to make an even bigger impact in the Military and Veteran community. If you’re interested in partnering in 2024, be sure to click through and learn more about our Corporate Engagement Opportunities for groups of all sizes.
December 18, 2023
This year, Soldiers’ Angels was honored to open up the Holiday Adopt-A-Family program to support active duty Service Members, Guard, and Reserves! Previously, the program only served deployed Service Members and Veterans. We’re so excited to expand our support… but the need is so great among the active duty community, that we got a flood of applications!! It’s one week till Christmas and we still have some families that need to be adopted!!
We’ve had tons of amazing individuals, organizations, and businesses that have already supported over 1,200 families through Adopt-A-Family… but we need about 350 more to ensure ALL of the families are supported!! Can you help?
It may seem awfully close to Christmas… but some Amazon items will still arrive on time and also placing an online order for pick-up at a Target or Walmart near the adopted family is a great way to get them the gifts today!
December 19, 2023
🍬 Happy National Hard Candy Day! Treat yourself to something sweet today while remembering our deployed Service Members enjoying their favorite treats, courtesy of the incredible support from Treats for Troops participants. Witness their joy in this heartwarming photo we’ve just received!
Curious about our 2024 Special Campaigns? Click to explore what’s coming next and join us in making a difference! 🌟
December 20, 2023
Angel volunteers go beyond being a lifeline for our deployed Service Members; they become family. The heartwarming connections formed each year between our Angels and Service Members never cease to inspire us. Take Angel Patti and her Service Member Casey, for instance. Patti’s letters sustained Casey during deployment, and upon her return, they bonded over baking sessions. Their tasty creations were sent in care packages and brought joy to another deployed service member.
Explore Patti and Casey’s story and more heartfelt moments between Angels and Service Members by clicking through. Join us in celebrating these special connections that brighten lives! 💌✨
December 21, 2023
Happy Winter Solstice! As the year’s shortest day arrives, many places brace for bone-chilling cold. Yet, thanks to your kindness, homeless Veterans will find warmth in both body and heart, wrapped in blankets, coats, hats, and gloves from this year’s Operation: Warm Winter campaign.
Previously our Blanket Drive, this year marked a significant expansion—collecting not only blankets but also essential winter gear, exclusively dedicated to homeless Veterans. Responding to urgent appeals from VA facilities in colder regions, our Angels and supporters rose admirably to meet this critical need.
Your incredible support made a tangible difference. To all who contributed to this vital campaign, thank you! We look forward to providing even more support in 2024!
Eager to make a hands-on impact at VA facilities nationwide? Become a volunteer! Join us in distributing items, visiting patients, organizing luncheons, and more. Click below to register as a volunteer today!
December 22, 2023
Everyone needs to find their own “why” and sometimes they need a helping hand to get there. For Tania, when she needed to find her “why” to stay clean, Soldiers’ Angels President and CEO Amy Palmer reached out, encouraging her to come back to work at the organization’s HQ after she needed time off for rehab. Tania and Amy also started training together to run in the 2023 Marine Corps Marathon. Tania says the rigorous training is something that keeps her accountable, which has been huge for her recovery.
As you watch Tania’s story, be inspired by what lies beneath the surface: hope. This Christmas Eve, as we all celebrate in our various ways–some of surrounded by family and maybe some of us alone and isolated, dealing with our own struggles–take a moment to remember how impactful the tiniest spark of hope can be. Think of your network of friends, family, co-workers, or even acquaintances… could they use a spark of hope tonight? It could be something as simple as calling them to wish them Happy Holidays… or maybe it’s something even bigger like training together for a 2024 marathon. Whatever the case may be, lets all work together to ensure the embers of hope are kept alive on this magical night and every night of the new year.
In case you missed the marathon recap blog, click through now to learn more about how all of those on Team Soldiers’ Angels finished the big race.
December 23, 2023
Did you know that Boeing and Santa are teaming up on a Top Secret sleigh project? That’s right, you heard it here first!! 😉 On top of working on Top Secret projects with Santa, Boeing has been an incredible corporate partner for Soldiers’ Angels. Sponsoring the Military and Veteran Food Distribution in San Antonio was just one of the many ways Boeing stepped up to support San Antonio and the Military-connected community.
Corporate partners like Boeing help us continue our mission and we are so grateful for their continued support! If you work at a company of any size that is interested in supporting Service Members or Veterans, be sure to click the button below so we can work together in 2024!
December 24, 2023
Within the inspiring community of Soldiers’ Angels, comprised of volunteers, supporters, and donors, there are true heroes dedicated to effecting change for our Veteran community. Dr. Anthony Cooper, a retired Chief of the CDCE at the Atlanta VA Health Care System and a current Board Member of Soldiers’ Angels, embodies this heroic spirit. Discover in the video how Dr. Cooper and the dedicated Soldiers’ Angels team in Atlanta, Georgia are collaborating to make a meaningful impact on as many Veterans as possible.
Will you join the ranks of heroes for our heroes? Show your unwavering support for the vital work carried out by Soldiers’ Angels and contribute a gift that will enable us to continue our mission of providing aid, comfort, and resources to the Military and Veterans.
December 25, 2023
Merry Christmas! May your day be filled with happiness, peace, and joy!
As we celebrate this special day, we conclude our Advent Calendar with a heartwarming holiday memory. This year, the Soldiers’ Angels staff and interns, united for the Soldiers’ Angels Holiday Adopt-A-Family program. Together, we adopted an active-duty Military family as an office, embarking on a journey of shared shopping, wrapping, and experiencing the sheer joy of giving as a collective.
Join us as we share the beautiful moments and heartfelt generosity in Part 3 of our video series, where we come together to support these incredible Military kids. Click through to witness the magic of giving back.
Watch the other videos in this series here: