At Soldiers’ Angels, our core mission is to ensure “no soldier goes unloved.” When we say no Soldier (aka Service Member), we really mean it – even ones deployed to remote locations or on special missions. We take it very seriously because we know every Service Member needs to feel loved and supported – especially those in the harshest conditions. We figured out early on that a great way to get supplies in the hands of Service Members is through Chaplains. A Chaplain can request support for the unit they serve, ask for special items, and even get decorations and supplies to throw morale-boosting parties! Read more about the work of the Chaplain here.

We recently received a beautiful letter of thanks from a Chaplain we have been supporting for nine months. The letter came to our Chaplain Support Team Leader, Carol Allen. We thought we’d share the letter and a little more about Carol’s role as a Team Leader.

The Letter

“To our wonderful supporters and great fellow Americans,

My time as a deployed battalion Chaplain is about to come to an end. In a little over a month, my Religious Affairs Specialist and I will be departing theater. My battalion and I had an amazing 9 months on our deployment, and we are all so grateful for your support, care packages, love, and prayers. We would not have had a successful rotation without each of you and your teams! From the bottom of all our hearts, THANK YOU! You were all in this fight as much as we were. Thank you for taking the time, energy, and resources to make the intangible into the tangible. (You have brought much comfort and definitely boosted morale.)

Thank you all so much for your dedication, patriotism, and compassion. May God rain endless blessings upon you and your families, and allow the seeds of generosity that you have so diligently sown in countless hearts yield a bountiful harvest of future generations of Americans like yourselves.”

Meet Angel Carol Allen

This happiness would not have been possible without the work of our Chaplain Team Leader, Carol Allen. Carol is like the mission control for all Chaplains, Chaplain requests, and Angels supporting Chaplains. When a new Chaplain requests support, she gets to work welcoming them in and finding out their needs. Needs fall into a few different categories:

• Humanitarian: Items such as toys, candy, and balloons that Service Members can hand out in the field
• Entertainment: Adult coloring books, blank note cards, pens and pencils, crossword puzzle books, and other items for downtime
• Religious items: We supply nondenominational items to help support the work of the Chaplain. This includes Bibles (if requested), prayer pocket squares, coins, and other items
• Basic needs: hygiene items, snacks, protein supplements, and drink mix packets

Once she’s collected the information, she posts specific needs for our Angels to pick up. The most common items requested are hygiene items (q-tips are a big request), snacks (grab-and-go protein sources are highly requested), protein powder, and socks. Carol also gets fun requests, like decorations for holiday celebrations, seasonal items, or specific entertainment needs. For example, one Chaplain asked for a guitar. Another asked for a Nomad grill. Carol coordinated with Angels to ensure they got what they needed! She’s also always checking in, asking for needs, and offering ideas like freezer pops in summer to help beat the heat.

Recently, a Chaplain requested decorations for a 4th of July celebration. Our Angels sent water balloons, 4th of July decor, and other fun items. Here are some pictures the Chaplain sent back. Other parties she and our Angels have helped throw include Ugly Sweater parties for the holiday season, luaus, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, and Halloween.

In addition to coordinating supplies, Carol also sends care packages with the support of her community. Her farm community in Nebraska often answers the call, bringing items to her house to send. We are so grateful for her dedication to ensuring our Chaplains – and thus deployed Service Members are supported!

Want to help support Deployed Chaplains? Learn more about our Chaplain Support Team here.

---