PURCHASE, NY - January 23, 2007 - After a great success last year, the Manhattanville College My Soldier program initiative, I Heart My Soldier, asks civilians to send a heartfelt greeting to a soldier deployed far from home for Valentines Day. The program aims to ease the hardship for soldiers who are spending yet another holiday away from family and friends and was designed in response to the letters and emails received from soldiers at www.mysoldier.com that said the frequency of letters and packages dramatically declines after the December Holidays.
"Traditionally Valentine's Day is a time to reach out to loved ones, family and friends" said My Soldier co-founder, active duty army sergeant and Manhattanville College student Juan Salas. "We are asking that you consider adding another grozup of recipients to your list. Please send a valentine to let a soldier know you are thinking of him, or to thank her for all she has done."
While the regular My Soldier program attempts to foster an ongoing pen-pal relationship, I Heart My Soldier is tailored to those groups or individuals who want to send some support without making a continuing commitment. Participants may opt to adopt one soldier or an entire platoon but must be willing to send each a care package that includes the following items: Homemade Valentines; traditional Valentines Candy such as Sweetheart Conversation Hearts and/or Hershey Kisses; and a small "friendly" gift such as warm socks or a stuffed animal.
Salas, who spent 14 months in Iraq, where he saw active combat duty and was commended for his part in saving the life of a child, has first-hand knowledge of what such a project means to soldiers there. His mission was to "win the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people." "It was long," says Salas. "But the thing that kept me going was getting letters and cards. From families, kids, boy scouts, students, my teachers and yes strangers. Receiving heartfelt messages from unfamiliar people who cared about me was uplifting. Each letter was like a piece of gold. Something you will keep for the rest of your life."
Those wishing to participate are asked to contact Manhattanville My Soldier Operations Director, Mike Seminara, before February 2nd by phone at 914-323-5172 or email mysoldier@mville.edu to select a soldier or platoon for whom to provide Valentine cards and gifts. The My Soldier team has assembled a Hot List with suggested items for a Valentine Care Package that stresses the importance of handmade cards since they have demonstrate you care more than a store-bought card ever could.
"Homemade cards are the best" he said "Soldiers are really touched when they get handwritten cards with personal messages, or an individual's artwork. This is such a simple way to express gratitude and show support for our troops while providing them with something they will truly appreciate, even cherish."
For more information about the I Heart My Soldier program or how to participate - visit www.mysoldier.com and click on the "I Heart My Soldier" link.
About Manhattanville My Soldier
My Soldier is a program that puts politics aside and lets U.S. soldiers know that someone back home cares. The goal of the program is to show support for troops serving in hardship areas - Iraq, Afghanistan, Africa - by establishing pen-pal relationships with them. When a person enrolls in the My Soldier program, they agree to adopt a soldier. They receive a "starter kit" with guidelines for writing letters to their deployed United States Armed Serviceperson and a red My Soldier bracelet to publicly show their support for American troops. The program is free, but donations are encouraged from those participants that can afford it. Since Manhattanville President Richard A. Berman and active U.S. Army Sergeant Juan Salas-who also is a Manhattanville student-launched My Soldier, at a Veterans' Day press conference in 2004 over 400,000 participants have signed up to adopt over 175,000 deployed military personnel.
