Welcome Our Soldiers Home
OVER 7,000 SOLDIERS HAVE BEEN RECIPIENTS OF THIS PROGRAM!!
~ But there are many more who need to be welcomed home ~
Sponsor a Soldier's Homecoming -- only $15!
Did you know that when the single soldiers return home from deployment that they return to barracks rooms that are empty of everything? With your $15 donation, we can place a snack bag on their beds, put toiletry items by their sinks and hang a new towel and washcloth on their shower doors. $15! What a small price to pay for those who have given so much to protect our freedom.
Donate Online or mail a check to the address below
A gift bag will be placed in the soldier's room containing the items listed below. Inside the package, the soldier will find a card with your name on it so he or she knows who took the time to tell them "Welcome Home!"
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Nachos & Salsa
Fruit Cup
Snack Pack Pudding Cup
Chicken or Vegetable Cup of Soup
Microwave popcorn
Cheese or peanut butter & crackers
Oreos or Chocolate Chip cookies
Granola Bar
Bottled Water
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Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Deodorant
Soap
Shampoo
Razor
Towel
Washcloth
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Make a Welcome Home Sign
We invite everyone (schools, churches, organizations, individuals) to make a colorful Welcome Home sign on regular size paper (8-1/2" x 11") and mail it to us. It will be placed above a soldier's bed to decorate their room. Feel free to put your name and address on the back so that the soldier knows who helped to welcome them home.
Make a donation online : Online Donation Form
Make checks payable to: Hugs for Our Soldiers
and mail to: Hugs for Our Soldiers
P.O. Box 532
Vonore, TN 37885
Take a look at our past Welcome Home projects
July, 2009
Fort Hood, TX
589th BSB, 41st FIRES BRIGADE
This battalion's FRSA was really a joy to team up with to welcome home their 195 single soldiers returning home Iraq.
July, 2009
Fort Campbell, KY
The wives and FRG Leaders of 5th Special Forces Group joined Hugs for Our Soldiers in making 350 Welcome Home packages for their single soldiers returning home from Iraq.
June, 2009
Mannheim, Germany
527th MP Co., 2nd PLT
This platoon of soldiers returned home to our American base in Germany after a 15 month deployment. Hugs was able to provide their single soldiers with new bath towels for their barracks rooms.
March, 2009
Fort Campbell, KY
2-44 Air Defense Artillery Regiment
“Strike Fear!”
Hugs for Our Soldiers traveled to Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and with the help of the wives and FRG leaders, 175 Welcome Home packages were made for their single soldiers returning home from deployment.
February, 2009
Fort Campbell, KY
506th Infantry Regiment (Air Assault)
"Currahee"
Even in the face of our current economy, the American people have displayed their loyalty to our troops once again! All 1,400+ single soldiers coming home from Afghanistan will find in their barracks rooms yellow bags filled with snacks, drinks and hygiene items ... a new bath towel ... and Welcome Home signs and messages from our supporters. A big "HOOAH" to Brand Connections for all of the products they provided.
America soars strong and proud because of these soldiers and we thank all of you who took part in welcoming them home.
Photos:
Rear-D Soldiers taking Welcome Home Soldiers say,
packages to barracks rooms "Thank You, Brand Connections !"
Wife, daughter & mom help roll up Leigh Terry's students at Heritage
and tie off 1,400 bath towels Middle School made colorful
Welcome Home signs for the rooms
Maj. Deverick Jenkins and Hugs' Kathy Orcutt and Lynn DuBose
standing in the sea of Welcome Home packages
Wendy Hermeling, right, Erica Vanderpool, left, and Megan Williams were among volunteers.
Greg Williamson/The Leaf-Chronicle
Gifts bags for the barracks of 4th Brigade Combat Team returning from deployment as part of "Hugs for Our Soldiers."
Volunteers assembled 1,400 bags consisting of hygiene products and snack goods. Greg Williamson/The Leaf-Chronicle
Welcome Home signs made by our schools & Scouts:
January, 2009
Fort Campbell, KY
Hugs for Our Soldiers was able to support 125 Sustainment Brigade HHC and A Co. soldiers returning to barracks at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, in January. Our thanks to all who helped us on our workday as we put together Welcome Home packages for these American Heroes.
Sustainment Brigade Team FRSA Becca Shields & Hugs' Kathy Orcutt
Sustainment Brigade Soldiers All is done!
FRG Leaders, wives & son of an American Hero!
November, 2008
Fort Campbell, KY
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Our thanks to all of you who answered the call to support the single soldiers that returned home to Fort Campbell in November just in time for the holidays! Because so many individuals, schools, churches, organizations and businesses wanted to let these American Heroes know that we appreciate their service to our country, all 1,500 single soldiers of the 2nd Brigade, 101st Airborne returning to barracks found a bright yellow bag in their room filled with snacks and hygiene items, and a new towel and washcloth laying on their beds. As one person said:
"PLEASE extend our thanks to all the contributors to your HUGS program! This is to include all the children and teens who made cards/letters/signs. Thanks to those who made food contributions, monetary contributions and toiletries/ towels. It all made a HUGE difference. The Soldiers had a smile on their faces when they walked into the barracks room and felt the support by people that don't even know them!"
"PLEASE extend our thanks to all the contributors to your HUGS program! This is to include all the children and teens who made cards/letters/signs. Thanks to those who made food contributions, monetary contributions and toiletries/ towels. It all made a HUGE difference. The Soldiers had a smile on their faces when they walked into the barracks room and felt the support by people that don't even know them!"
Photos from Welcome Home, 2nd Brigade, 101st Airborne
Here's one of the flights of soldiers returning home from Iraq that you helped support:
Students made Welcome Home signs
Rear-D Soldiers help unload the "Hugs" U-Haul truck
Making snack & hygiene bags and rolling up new towels & washcloths for the single soldiers' barracks rooms
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May, 2008
Fort Benning, GA
Thanks to all for helping with
WELCOME HOME, SOLDIERS!
WELCOME HOME, SOLDIERS!
The 1,200 single Soldiers of the 3rd Brigade were elated to see the Welcome Home posters on their walls and the snack packs on their beds! Many have written thank you’s to let us know how much it meant to them to be welcomed home from their 15-month deployment “by people we don’t even know,” said one Soldier. Another Soldier wrote, “What a joy to see those bright yellow bags in the room! As it was, we came in late. Having the snacks there for us meant one less stop we had to make.”
Hugs for Our Soldiers volunteers traveled to Fort Benning to hold a Welcome Home, Soldiers! workday. Wives, Rear-D soldiers, BOSS and Columbus residents all came together at Kelly Hill Rec Center to assemble the 1,200 Welcome Home packages which contained chips and salsa, soup, cheese and crackers, cookies, popcorn, candy bars, soft drinks and more. Buffy Kolasheski, wife of 3-1 Commander LTC John Kolasheski, told Hugs for Our Soldiers’ volunteers, “If Hugs for Our Soldiers had not come through with this project, it would have fallen on the shoulders of the wives of the 3rd Brigade. It has been so great to have the help we needed in making this homecoming for our Soldiers wonderful.”
Hugs for Our Soldiers thanks each and every one of you who made it possible to touch the lives of these American Soldiers. It is a memory they will always carry with them.
Photos of this campaign:
Hugs for Our Soldiers thanks each and every one of you who made it possible to touch the lives of these American Soldiers. It is a memory they will always carry with them.
Photos of this campaign:
Rear-D Soldiers helping us pickup items at Sam's Club
Assembling the snack bags
Making Welcome Home Signs
Soldiers Return Home
