Founder's Notes

                                                             

Dear Soldiers' Angels, It's one of the busy times of year—for many of us, spring means gardening and lawn care, packing away the winter clothes, and racing to the end of the school year.  But it's also a time that we can look out the window and see the beauty of nature.  With the awakening of spring, we are reminded again that something as tiny as a seed can ultimately make the world a nicer place. I love how our wonderful Angels can make the world a nicer place too, and I'm not the only one who thinks so… Angel Pages Make the World a Better Place Two great authors have included Soldiers' Angels in their books about how the things people do for each other can bless both the doer and the receiver.  In times of stress and struggle, the ways we pull together and do even something as small as write a postcard can make the times a little easier and the world a better place.  Please check out these wonderful books! [more]   Tank Support Gift Cards Support Health It's a small piece of plastic, but a gas gift card with just $10 on it can help ensure a veteran leaving the military gets post-deployment health monitoring, treatments, and rehabilitation services.  For some veterans, the VA is not nearby and this thoughtful gift makes things a little easier for them, encouraging them to stay on top of their important health needs. [more] Meet the Angel Staff Irene Pak, Bookkeeper Irene discovered Soldiers' Angels through her boss, Jeff Bader (husband to Patti).  When SA was small, Jeff helped out by having his employees donate their work hours to SA activities.  As the organization grew, Irene had to spend more and more time on it, so she jumped ship and joined Patti as SA's fulltime bookkeeper.  Today she applies her organizational skills and attention to detail to ensuring donations go to the right places, keeping SA's books in tiptop shape. A dog-lover extraordinaire, Irene owns six dogs, which she takes on walks and hikes around Southern California.  She's definitely an outdoor girl, a fierce defender of animals.  Her favorite part about working for Soldiers' Angels is seeing the letters that arrive at the office,testifying to what SA has accomplished and full of gratitude for Angel activities.  "It's gratifying to see we're helping a lot of people," she says.  Irene is an Angel outside of the office, too! She has made a number of Blankets of Hope, and recently adopted her first soldier. As I mentioned last week, Memorial Day is coming soon.  Please send any memorial cards you would like to have given out (see the shipping address at "Contact Us" on www.soldiersangels.org).  If you are taking part in a parade or will have a booth at Memorial Day event, you can email Caren (cvink@soldiersangels.org) for flags or SA bracelets to hand out. Wingtip to Wingtip,  Patti Patton-Bader Soldiers' Angels Founder and CEO