Letters from the Sickbed: A Volunteer’s Fierce Devotion to Serving the Military Community
October 18, 2025
At Soldiers’ Angels, we’re honored to serve alongside a community of devoted Angel volunteers—many of whom have been with us for years. Their unwavering commitment to ensure that no Soldier goes unloved is nothing short of inspiring.
What makes this network truly extraordinary is the heart behind every act of service. For every care package shipped overseas and every handmade holiday ornament crafted here at home, there’s a story behind the hands that made them possible. Furthermore, behind each gesture of kindness is a real person who has a meaningful reason for showing up to serve the military community.
Today, we’re proud to share one of these stories. This is the story of Denise Bautista, an Indianapolis volunteer whose devotion to service defies her physical limitations. Indeed, her journey is one of undogged determination. Moreover, she has a relentless love for the military community, and a fierce devotion that fuels the mission.
Let’s Meet this Amazing Angel!
Denise Bautista is living proof that it is possible to find purpose in pain.
Her journey with Soldiers’ Angels began 12 years ago, driven by a deep reverence for the military community. Denise’s father, a Navy SEAL who served during Vietnam, returned home to a country that didn’t welcome him with the honor he deserved.
“He wasn’t treated nicely,” Denise recalls.
That experience left a lasting impression—and shaped her commitment to ensure that today’s Service Members and Veterans feel seen, supported, and appreciated. Denise says her entire family served in the military, but she was unable to enlist due to a serious health condition.
Volunteering has become her way of serving Service Members and Veterans and hers is a mission rooted in love, legacy, and healing. Not only does Denise volunteer with Soldiers’ Angels, but she also provides coaching for Veterans with PTSD and mental health issues through another nonprofit organization.
“I love doing my military work,” Denise says. “It is my mission in life.”
Sickness Can’t Stop a Servant’s Heart
Diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease as a child, Denise was once told she wouldn’t live past 25. Today, at the age of 55, she takes more than 30 pills a day to manage her condition. Yet, that hasn’t stopped this Angel from writing letters—thousands and thousands of letters—as a Soldiers’ Angels Virtual Volunteer.
For Denise, writing letters and sending cards to Service Members and Veterans isn’t just a way to serve—it’s a lifeline.
“Writing keeps me from rotting away,” says Denise, who is often confined to her bed due to her illness. “It keeps me active and productive, and it gives me purpose.”
In addition to letter-writing, Denise has engaged in numerous other volunteer opportunities with us—everything from making crafts and baking goodies to sending care packages to chaplains assigned to special ops units.
“I kind of float around wherever help is needed. And, help is always needed,” she says.
Fluent in Service: Love Knows No Language
Denise reports that her illness, which is much like muscular dystrophy, will probably cause her body to deteriorate to the point that she will no longer be able to write. However, that doesn’t stop her from writing. Her outreach extends to Service Members navigating English as a second language.
Denise, who is fluent in Spanish, enjoys sending cards and letters specifically for Spanish-speaking deployed Service Members.
“I send at least a hundred a year, and as far as I know, I am the only one who does it,” she says. “Many of our Service Members are from Puerto Rico and they may struggle with reading letters in English. I feel that letters and cards in their language help to bring them a touch of home.”
Spreading Holiday Cheer Year-Round
Denise is especially passionate about remembering deployed Service Members during holidays throughout the year.
“I’m big into the Christmas holidays. Lots and lots of packages go out during that time of year,” Denise says. “Service Members should know and understand that they are loved and remembered and that we are thinking of them back home—that they are not alone.”
She points out that many of these heroes don’t have families, and it means the world to them to receive a holiday stocking, care package, heartfelt card, or even a simple note during the winter season.
Furthermore, Denise also sends out goodies during other times of the year. Here is a picture of Denise (left) and her mother Barbara King the year they prepared and shipped 500 bags full of Easter goodies!
Advice for Other Angel Volunteers
Denise says that over the years, she has accumulated quite the collection of correspondence from deployed Service Members and Veterans who have written her back after she sent them something. However, she discourages other Angel volunteers from expecting anything in return.
“It’s exciting to get a card back, but don’t count on it. Give for the sake of giving and make it a selfless endeavor,” she says. “They are active in dangerous areas and are very busy. For their own safety, they may not be able to write back.”
Why Soldiers’ Angels? A Mission Worth Trusting
Denise reflects on her journey, noting that she approached volunteering with intention and shares why she chose Soldiers’ Angels as her top choice.
“I want new people to know that I was very careful in choosing who I would volunteer with,” she says. “After researching numerous military-focused organizations, I landed on Soldiers’ Angels because I saw that everything I sent actually went to the soldier.”
She notes that she has experienced firsthand that we are an “honest, transparent, friendly, and helpful organization.”
Denise encourages anyone who is thinking about volunteering with Soldiers’ Angels to try it for just three short weeks and see how good you feel
“I get back so much love just by making other people happy. It’s all worth it.”
Want to join Denise as an Angel Volunteer? Learn more about volunteering with Soldiers’ Angels.
About the Author
Bethany Heinesh is a proud Marine Corps Veteran living in San Antonio, Texas. Bethany holds a Master of Arts in Administration-Communication Arts from the University of the Incarnate Word and a B.A. in Public Relations (Minor Religious Studies) from the University of Houston.
