Angel Blog

Volunteer from Anywhere: How You Can Serve Virtually with Soldiers’ Angels

In today’s connected world, you don’t have to be near a VA hospital or local event to make a big difference. Soldiers’ Angels offers a variety of virtual volunteer roles and special campaigns you can join from home, your dorm room, your office, or anywhere in between. Whether you have a little time or a lot, there’s a way for you to serve Service Members, Veterans, and Military families.

Step 1: Sign Up as an Angel Volunteer

The first step to making an impact is simple: register to become an Angel volunteer with Soldiers’ Angels. Through the volunteer portal, you indicate your interests, location, and whether you prefer virtual work.

Once you’re registered:

  • You’ll gain access to the volunteer dashboard, where various opportunities are listed.
  • You’ll complete training modules (for example, on OPSEC, mail-stop dates, volunteer guidelines) to get you ready to serve safely and effectively.
  • After training, you can browse and filter volunteer roles by interest, time commitment, or focus area.

Signing up is your gateway. The rest is built around your skills and willingness to help.

Virtual Volunteer Roles: Serve in Many Ways

Once you’re in as a virtual volunteer, you can pick from a wide array of roles, depending on what you enjoy and how much time you have. Below are some of the main categories and roles you’ll find:

Support Deployed Service Members

  • Adopt a Service Member: Commit to keeping in touch with a specific deployed individual throughout their deployment via letters and care packages.
  • Bake Treats / Send Homemade Items: Utilize your baking or crafting skills to create items that can be packed into care packages and shipped to deployed troops, such as cookies or blankets.
  • Write Letters & Cards: Send letters to deployed Service Members that make them smile at mail call or write cards for Anniversaries, Birthdays, or just a pick-me-up.
  • Support Chaplains: Provide supplies to Chaplains to help them serve their units.

Support Veterans, Families & Caregivers

  • Women of Valor: Offer emotional support, write encouragement letters, and send Blessing Boxes to female caregivers who care for wounded Veterans.
  • Virtual Baby Showers: Help expectant Military families celebrate by organizing virtual baby showers and sending needed baby items.
  • Create Handmade Items & Crafts: Use sewing, knitting, crocheting, or crafting skills to make items for Veterans and Service Members.

Special Campaigns

In addition to ongoing volunteer roles, Soldiers’ Angels runs special campaigns throughout the year. These are themed collection drives and events that mobilize volunteers and communities to gather, craft, or ship items.

Here are some of the flagship campaigns:

  • Treats for Troops: After Halloween, collect excess candy and send it to Service Members and Veteran patients.
  • Holiday Stockings for Heroes: Stuff and send holiday stockings full of small gifts and cards. Recipients include deployed Service Members and Veterans in VA hospitals.
  • Go Camo: A year-round campaign to collect care package items to support morale.
  • #MLK Day of Service: A MLK Day campaign to pledge and assemble care packages for deployed troops.
  • Valentines for Veterans: Create or write Valentine’s Day cards supporting Veterans and Deployed Service members.
  • Warm Feet for Warriors: Collect new socks and send them to deployed Service Members or Veteran recipients. Socks are among the most requested items.
  • Operation: Warm Winter: In colder months, collect blankets, gloves, coats, and warm gear for Veterans at risk or experiencing homelessness.
  • Honor Military Working Dogs: Collect dog items during National Pet Week to support deployed K-9 units and their handlers.

These campaigns are ideal for groups (churches, schools, workplaces) or families looking for a project. Many involve coordination, pledge registration periods, item collection, and shiping.

Behind the Scenes: Training, Guidelines & Support

To ensure safety, consistency, and impact, Soldiers’ Angels equips volunteers with guidelines and training:

  • Training modules help you understand security practices, mail deadlines, labeling, and volunteer expectations.
  • Volunteer guidelines & OPSEC rules keep sensitive information safe and protect both volunteers and recipients.
  • Mail-stop deadlines and shipping rules are in place so that care packages arrive on time.
  • Reporting & tracking is part of the process. Soldiers’ Angels needs to know how many hours, packages, or cards were sent so they can measure impact and coordinate resources.

The beauty of virtual volunteering with Soldiers’ Angels is its flexibility and accessibility. You can jump into regular roles like writing letters, crafting blankets, or adopting a deployed Service Member whenever it fits your schedule, while also participating in special campaigns such as sock drives or holiday stockings throughout the year. Many volunteers combine ongoing efforts with seasonal drives—writing Valentine’s cards one month and organizing a Warm Feet for Warriors collection the next. Whether you’re engaging your family, coworkers, or community group, these opportunities allow you to make an impact from anywhere. With volunteers active in all 50 states and even abroad, Soldiers’ Angels proves that no matter where you live, you can uplift those who serve through creativity, compassion, and connection.

Why It Matters

Even from miles away, virtual volunteers make a powerful and tangible difference in the lives of service members, veterans, and their families. In 2024 alone, Soldiers’ Angels supported over 1.7 million Service Members, Veterans, and families, thanks in large part to volunteers working virtually around the clock.

Every letter written, blanket crafted, or care package sent delivers encouragement, connection, and a reminder that their sacrifices are not forgotten. These acts of kindness uplift morale for deployed troops, bring comfort to caregivers, and provide essential items like socks, blankets, and hygiene supplies to Veterans in need. By volunteering virtually, you help Soldiers’ Angels extend its reach to more people across the nation and around the world—strengthening the network of support that ensures no hero or family is left behind.

About the Author

Ashley Ray has been a member of the Soldiers’ Angels communications team since 2013. She supports blog writing and social media and loves telling stories of Angel volunteers, Service Members, and Veterans.