Lawn and landscape maintenance might be something you take for granted but it becomes a definite hardship when a family's major breadwinner is on active duty away from home. GreenCare for Troops is designed to show the green industry's concern for this situation, helping affected families maintain their homes' green spaces.
To date, Project EverGreen has signed up more than 6,000 military families and over 1,300 lawn/landscape contractors and volunteers to assist in this effort. If you are interested in helping a family in your area, please take a moment to complete our online application.
While Project Evergreen's GreenCare for Troops program continues its mission to help our military families, we hope that the future will bring PEACE to everyone.
Project EverGreen's GreenCare for Troops non-profit program appreciates the contractors/volunteers who have stepped forward to help our military families at home. Thank you all!
About GreenCare For Troops
GreenCare for Troops is a nationwide outreach program coordinated by Project EverGreen that connects local lawn and landscape firms with men and women serving our country in the armed forces away from home.
GreenCare has helped over 1,300 volunteers provide free lawn and landscape services for over 6,000 military families nationwide. The cost to manage the GreenCare for Troops Program is underwritten by Cub Cadet Commercial.
Check them out and consider volunteering in your area.
As we receive correspondence, both emailed and written, from our military service members we'll post them here for your reading pleasure and enjoyment. We appreciate all the support you send to our service members and they do too without a doubt! Keep up the good work.
Thanks for the letter. I needed that though I am not yet deployed and am not sure when we will be. I am in the Indiana National Guard and have been in for 11 years and have 9 to go before I can retire which will break my heart. I love being in the service because I know that if something happened I would be able to defend this great country and my family will be safe including all the people in it even though I don’t know most of them. I really love the fact that there are people who are willing to help us when we are doing what we love to do.
When I was stationed in Korea I wasn’t getting much mail. I did get a letter from a kid who was in kindergarten and he said thanks and it really made me feel like I was doing something for the good of this great country. I am going to close this letter with a big thank you. So, thank you and God bless you!!!
Now you can send Mary Kay Care Packages to our troops through eMail Our Military.
Did you know that $1.5 million dollars in Mary Kay products were donated to our troops in 2007?
Every Mary Kay Care package purchased for our troops will be matched by a second care package from Nancy Sutherland, Mary Kay Sales Director! That's double the support for our troops.
Nancy and I connected via Twitter (she's @NancyMK) and she suggested we team up to help get support to our troops. What a perfect combination too. Nancy has all the wonderful Mary Kay products and the ability to put together these wonderful care packages and we have a database full of service members in need. What could be better?
Now, through eMail Our Military you have the ability to help make a difference even if you don’t know a specific service member.
You can review and order any of these suggested care packages and items at Nancy’s website and put “Operation Soldier Care” in comments. Once you do, Nancy will work together with eMailOurMilitary.com to ensure that all the care packages will reach service members in need.
The care packages you select will be shipped to the troops ASAP.
WEATHER AND CLIMATE IN IRAQ
The average temperatures in Iraq range from higher than 48 degree C (120 degrees Fahrenheit!) in July and August to below freezing in January. A majority of the rainfall occurs from December through April and is more abundant in the mountainous region and may reach 100 centimeters a year in some places
The summer months are marked by two kinds of wind phenomena: The southern and southeasterly sharqi, a dry, dusty wind with occasional gusts to eighty kilometers and hour, occurs from April to early June and again from late September through November. The shamal, a steady wind from the north and northwest, prevails from mid-June to mid-September. Very dry air which accompanies the shamal permits intensive sun heating of the land surface but also provides some cooling effect. Dust storms accompany these winds and may rise to heights of several thousand meters, causing hazardous flying conditions and closing airports for brief periods of time.
Extremes of temperatures and humidity, coupled with the scarcity of water, will affect both men and equipment. During dry season, clouds of dust caused by vehicle movement will increase detection capabilities in desert regions. Flash flooding in wadis and across roads will hinder traffic ability and supply efforts during the rainy season. Clear, cloudless skies make air superiority a prerequisite to successful offensive operations throughout Iraq. Air operations may be reduced during windy season. The Iraqi climate is similar to that of the extreme southwestern United States with hot, dry summers, cold winters, and a pleasant spring and fall. Roughly 90% of the annual rainfall occurs between November and April, most of it in the winter months from December through March. The remaining six months, particularly the hottest ones of June, July, and August, at approximately 102 degrees Fahrenheit are dry. The influence of the Persian Gulf on the climate of Iraq is very limited. Near the gulf the relative humidity is higher than in other parts of the country.
GREAT IDEA
Great idea! :-) Having been a US Army Soldier in Kuwait and in Iraq, personal hygiene items and toiletries are such a luxury. To receive a Mary Kay care package would have been a DREAM for me! I highly recommend this because it is really something useful and much appreciated - even for male Soldiers - a HUGE morale booster. When I sent my husband, who was deployed in the Middle East, special items for his skin he was in heaven and so, so happy!!
SSG Angie Reddick 68W30, Health Care Specialist 196th Medical Support Unit - Europe
ITEMS REQUESTED
Here are just a few of the specific items that have been requested - MK Men Shave foam, MK Men After Shave, MK Men Face bar, MK Men Moisturizer with sunscreen, Lip Protector SPF 15, SPF 30 Sunscreen, After Sun Replenishing Gel, Satin Hands and Feet, Cleansing Bar, Body Loofah Cleansers. 2-in-1 Body Wash and Shave, Facial Cleansing Cloths, Hydrating Body Lotion, Visibly Fit Body Lotion, Acne Treatment gel, TW 3-in-1 Cleanser & Moisturizer in Normal/Dry AND Combination/Oily formulas, Body Lotions, and Energizing foot and leg cream in any quantities.
FOR MORE INFO
If you have questions about Mary Kay or any of the care packages you’ve seen here, please feel free to email Nancy at nancy.mkqueen(at)gmail(dot)com or contact her on twitter. As always, you can also leave your questions or comments in the comment section of this post.
To make helping our troops even easier, now you can add to the care package fund by using our ChipIn Widget. Just add the amount you'd like to give and we'll do the rest!
The Rains family watches the fireworks display from the parade grounds near the 37th Training Wing headquarters building on Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, July 4, 2008.
This is part of our ongoing series called Did You Know?
This series, which you can follow by clicking on the labels/categories in our sidebar, will give you interesting facts about all things military.
At eMail Our Military (eMOM) we want to do more than help support our troops, we want to educate people and help them understand about all things military. We realize that when you know more about a specific group, you'll be better able to understand them and in turn better equipped to relate to them.
Platoon: Did you know that a platoon is four squads - generally three rifle squads and one weapons squad, normally armed with machine guns and anti-tank weapons? Lieutenants lead most platoons, and the second-in-command is generally a sergeant first class.
I will be completing the final chapters of "Final Salute: A Story of Unfinished Lives" today. I received this book from Trish Forant, founder of eMailOurMilitary.com (a website resource that makes it easy to e-mail and serve those on the front lines of battle). She was assisting Freelance Journalist Becky of "Deep Muck Big Rake", via blog promotion raising awareness for the stories written by Pulitzer Prize winner journalist Jim Sheeler of the Rocky Mountain News.
This book serves as a reminder of our American journey. It provides a snapshot of war and freedom's cost, more recently the Iraq and Global War on Terror. The reader goes on a somber mission with those responsible for notifiying next of kin and the families who have lost loved ones in battle, in war. We meet each family, get to know them, and the son, husband, and father who chose to serve our country and died carrying out that duty.
We follow Major Beck of the U.S. Marines from the dreaded knock on the door in the late night, to the final resting place, and the hurt that families endure afterwards. Major Beck has gone above and beyond the call of duty to ensure that each of his families and other's receive the "Final Salute" and ongoing support these families need and deserve. His attention to detail in every family request knows no bounds.
Few in America are close to war and for over 200 years, America continues to sacrifice for the sake our own nation and other's around the world (history proves that other countries and governments benefit from our success). Over 1.5 million service women and men have given their lives for the sake of independence.
For me, this book brought back the honor, respect, and solemnity that we should come to celebrate in appreciation of our hard won freedom. These chapters, these lives will make you cry. In fact, it made me remember Lance Corporal Timothy McMahaon, USMC and the 241 other servicemen who were killed in the Beirut, Lebanon barracks bombing of 1983. Tim was a friend of mine and inspired my life's focus. This book made me remember him and his family and identify with the families I read about.
The 4th of July is a celebration of freedom (it is not a time of sadness), a celebration of the modern day miracle that we call America. Freedom is not guaranteed, we have a chance to renew each day, each year, each decade, and hopefully another 100 years. To all our military serving in harms way, we salute you on 4th of July and rejoice in the American military and the American story. Take time today to look at an American flag blowing in the wind and render a salute and hopefully it will never be final. Get caught up in THE VORTEX!
Semper Fi! Andy Valadez USMC 88 to 92
P.S. My family and I are heading to the world's largest land-based fireworks display in Houston, Texas this evening to celebrate the 4th of July - Independence Day.
Final Salute: Soldiers and Marines in Iraq
Buy this book today!
About Andy Valadez Andy served in the United States Marine Corps from 1988 through 1992. Today Andy serves as President/CEO and StealthMarketer/The MarketingEvangelist of Marketing Dynamics. He's a Marketing Advisor to the Houston Business Show on CNN 650 radio (marketing blog) a Panelist on the "Movers and Shakers" business segment, the Houston Manufacturers TV Show (over 40,000 downloads a month) and Co-founder of the hit radio show "Houston Real Estate TODAY!" airing on CNN 650 AM and on-line. You can also find Andy online at:
Did you get your fill of feel good music on the 4th of July? If not, or if you're just looking for some great tunes for your MP3 player, stop by and check out the Journey Inside My Mind Podcast - Episode 109.
As we receive correspondence, both emailed and written, from our military service members we'll post them here for your reading pleasure and enjoyment. We appreciate all the support you send to our service members and they do too without a doubt! Keep up the good work.
Thank you very much for taking the time out to say how much you appreciate the military. Yes, the postcard was very nice and very beautiful. It just feels good to hear someone say thanks and take the time out of their day to send such thanks. It takes a lot at this time in our lives, so I can appreciate the time you take to believe in us and pray for us. Take care and thanks again!
Sincerely, Garth
Sgt Garth C. Phoebus (S-2 Watch Analyst) 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (SOC) Expeditionary Strike Group One
The sun sets behind the USS Arizona Memorial as seen from the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk , July 4, 2008. The USS Kitty Hawk is making a port call to the United States for the first time in nearly 10 years. The ship will participate in Rim of the Pacific 2008 exercise with other naval units from the United States, Australia, Chile, Canada, Japan, the Netherlands, Peru, South Korea, Singapore and the United Kingdom. (U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class John J. Mike)
Lawn and landscape maintenance might be something you take for granted but it becomes a definite hardship when a family's major breadwinner is on active duty away from home. GreenCare for Troops is designed to show the green industry's concern for this situation, helping affected families maintain their homes' green spaces.
