2010

Date: July 26, 2010

To: All

Yesterday was an emotional day because because my female soldier came into church in a wheel chair, but stood up on both legs for the first time when she moved into her pew. It was a touching thing to watch when I realized how far she had come since the amputation of her leg. I reflected on seeing her for the first time, sitting in her wheel chair near the flag with one of her pants legs tied in a knot at the knee.

The Chaplain(s) allow the Soldiers to participate in the services by reading their poetry or singing a song, etc. It is heart-warming to see the love that the Chaplains show these men and women. Their poetry gives you insight into their world! One woman in particular touched me with some of the things she said. I can't imagine what it was like being a woman and mother, fighting a war. 

At the Hospice Unit we had a lot of fun because they invited a DJ to entertain them. He comes once a month and sings and plays old songs for the 60's, 70's and 80's. To listen to the Vets sing the old songs they remembered and do dance moves in their wheel chairs, put a smile on our faces. The ones who could stand were dancing with the nurses and family members.

This is a "Catch 22" situation in that we get attached to these Vets. The nursing home and hospice unit are the last stop for many of them. You learn their names and their personal stories and you just want to embrace them. There is one soldier there who is in his late 80's. He follows me every where I go. One of the staff said he only has limited conversation with people. I was told the same thing by his roommate. Now, he started talking to me and he is my "shadow."...:) I hold his hand and we walk together. Today when I was walking him to his room I left him by the desk and said I would be right back. I went into the Hospice Unit to see one of my female soldiers who served in WWII to say goodbye to her. I heard the voice of one of the nurses laughing out loud and telling my "shadow" that he was in the wrong unit. The nurses were laughing and teasing him as I walked him out hospice. He said, "I missed you." He brought tears to my eyes. It is mind blowing to see what love can do!

Today, I am going to see the head Chaplain and find out about the women in Walker House. I want to start a study group with them. I always drive by Walker House before I leave the Campus. You can see the women sitting at tables under the trees sharing with one another. I observed a few of them in church, but I won't approach them until I have cleared it with the Chaplain. Walker House is a very "sensitive" area and these women are protected.

Well, its time to feed my cats and start my day!

Pray continually for our Troops!

Yours in Christ,
florence

P.S. I don't mention Soldiers' names for the obvious reasons.

Date: July 16, 2010
To: All

The past week went well. I was very happy because two of my sisters, Mary and Jackie, have become volunteers at the VA Hospital. This will give us an opportunity to minister in music to our Troops. My three sisters and I grew up singing in the Church with our dad and recording with various artists through the years. This is a golden opportunity to use our gift(s) to glorify God by ministering to our Troops. There is healing in anointed music because it is grounded in the Word of God!

I usually attend services at the Living Center (nursing home) each Sunday. This is where the Hospice Unit is located and I get to take some of my Vets to service. This week, I had the opportunity to attend services in the Chapel which is located at the center of the Campus. The Chapel is open to all, Vets and visitors as well. It was an opportunity to hear a good sermon by Chaplain Stone, who is the Chief.

The female Soldier that I mentioned in an earlier entry will be getting her artificial leg on the 23rd of this month. When we left the Chapel she said, “I would like nothing better than to walk down the isle next Sunday on my new leg and not in a wheel chair.” What a blessing this would be!

Yours in Christ,
florence

To: roseofsharon1979@yahoo.com
Sent: Tue, July 20, 2010
Subject: VIDEO: Our troops' stories

USO Theater

Dear Minister florence;

For our troops and their loved ones, Arlington National Cemetery is hallowed ground.

Most people only know about the site for the Tomb of the Unknowns and the eternal flame that reside there. The whole story of this sacred landmark deserves to be heard.

Now, you can get that story by watching Arlington: Field of Honor -- a short film about our National Cemetery that's available free online in SnagFilm's new USO Theater.

In fact, the USO is starting a new partnership with SnagFilms to help tell a series of amazing stories about the courage and sacrifice of our service members.

Watch "Arlington: Field of Honor" and other online films at the new USO Theater.

Date: July 12, 2010

Dear Sister Soldier Project Family, Friends, Hosts, Posse Members, Volunteers and Supporters:

The Troops Say it Best

To all the members of the Sister Soldier Project,
"Thank you." Our year here in Iraq has come to an end, from July 2009-July 2010. We'll be returning to Fort Hood, TX within the next few days. We really appreciate your organization for supporting us throughout this year with much needed items. Things that made us feel and look like the beautiful women we are, serving in the U.S. Army. We are truly grateful for your support as we stand in defense of our Great Nation. God bless you, your family and our Great Nation.
Sincerely,
MSG D.G.

MSG Marcia Triggs, 3rd Infantry Division

August 2010 Packing Party 

Our August Packing Party is one of special meaning to me personally. My family roots are traced back almost two-hundred years to Sam and Mary Sims, who lived in rural Aberdeen, Mississippi. Since the 1990's, the "Sims Family" has held biennial reunions, gathering descendants from all over the country to a different city each time, where local family members plan and host the reunion. This August 5-8, we are celebrating the official "Sims Family Bicentennial Reunion," in Aberdeen. The Family Council has dedicated one day and evening to a Sister Soldier Packing Party, sponsoring 108 Sisters. This event will I'm sure be very emotional for me, but also great fun!

We are already off to a good start with the August Packing Party due to donations from The Sims Family Reunion, American Legion Post 432, Cambria, CA., Jack and Jill Jackson, Mississippi Chapter, and our friends at the AMA. 

Sponsors

We will have two new sponsors for the August Packing Party. Author Chris-Tia E Donaldson has offered copies of her book "Thank God I'm Natural" to be included in the packages for the soldiers. As we know, about 75% of the females start with relaxed hair, but many transition to natural or braids during their deployment.

"Thank God I'm Natural" was recently declared the "Natural Hair Bible" by Essence Magazine and offers a plethora of tips to help women with kinky or curly hair style and care for their tresses. For more information about "Thank God I'm Natural," please visit Thank God I'm Natural web site. Or, check out her blog at Thank God I'm Natural Blog. 

Hype HairHype Hair by Scunci will provide hair accessories, combs, wrap pins, and satin elastics. 

Other Exciting News

"Celebrate Our Beauty: Party With a Purpose"
A Benefit For The Sister Soldier Project, LLC

The event is the brain child of Amber A. McKinnon, Editor-in-Chief of Brown Bombshell Beauty. Amber will host "Celebrate Our Beauty: Party With a Purpose" in Kansas City, Missouri, to raise funds for the Sister Soldier Project, in association with Johnson's & Johnson's and B-Link Marketing Network. Details to follow.

Fall 2010 Packing Parties

This Fall, 2010 we have Packing Parties scheduled as follows:
October, Baltimore, MD, hosted by the People's Community Baptist Church Women's Ministry.
October 16, Cal Poly University, San Luis Obispo, CA will host their "three-peat" event
November 18, Toyota Motor Sales, African American Collaborative, Los Angeles, CA. Also a repeat event.

2011

We are already looking ahead to 2011, the only Packing Party currently on the books is April 16, when Sistah's Bookclubbing will host its own "3-Peat" party in Shreveport, LA.

Based on the enormous support from all of you this year, I feel together we can set the bar even higher next year. Our official new goal for 2011 is 2011 care packages for the Sisters. With your support and efforts, "Yes we Can"
It does not take a lot to do a lot. Support the Sister Soldier Project' fall Packing Parties. Donations in any amount goes a long way in getting the needed products to the Soldiers, Marines, Sailors, and Airwomen. 

All the best for a wonderful summer! 

Myraline Morris Whitaker
Sister Soldier Project

To: All
Date: July 10, 2010

Today my visit to the Va Hospital was very exciting because I found the Soldier that I mentioned who was sitting outside under the flag last week. She caught my attention because she had one of her legs amputated and it made me wonder what her dreams were before she joined the military and what they are now. I got some of my questions answered today as we sat and chatted. She comes from a large family, four girls and two boys. She is one of three who joined the Military, and the only female in the family who did so. She joined the Army during the Viet Nam era and was attached to the Pentagon. She told me of several of her accomplishments and I am amazed. One day I would love to feature her story. She is a strong female and has endured a great deal. She will receive her prostheses next week and I will be seeing her then. She is a brave woman and I am proud to have met her.

With regard to the Hospice Unit, we now only have six beds with Soldiers in them. I walked into their rooms and told them that I love them before I left. One of the staff pointed something out to me, which is that the Soldiers who are at peace seem to die sooner than the others because the others are fearful and fight it. This is an interesting theory, but I don't know if I subscribe to it. After all, God sets the appointment doesn't He!

Yours in Christ,
florence

To: All
Date: July 11, 2010


The following e-mail is from the daughter of one of our Nation's Heroes, George O'Connor. Mr O'Connor served with the 92nd during WWII, and was sent to Italy where he served until the final weeks of the war. During this time he captured a Nazi Spy dressed as a priest. You can read about this in an article titled "Local Man who Captured Nazi Spy dressed as a priest..." This article was written by Mr Mike Marshall and published in the Huntsville Times June 6, 2010. You can go into the archives and read about him on line.

Mr O'Connor was a Purple Heart recipient and a Buffalo Soldier. What an amazing man he must have been. He died at the age of 88 and will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery on July 15, 2010. 

I will FOREVER salute George O'Connor for his bravery and sacrifices!

God has blessed his daughter, Eileen, with a creative gift that will benefit women who like to "keep in touch with their femininity." She makes soaps that would make beautiful gifts for a friend or for some of our female Soldier. This would be ideal for one of our packages to the Middle East. 

Click here for the article.

Yours in Christ,
florence

*************
From: eileen couch
To: ministerflorenceduckett@yahoo.com
Sent: Sun, July 11, 2010 8:23:58 AM
Subject: "Oh Happy Day"

Hi Florence,

It was my pleasure to speak with you as I planned my journey to Arlington. Thank you so much for sharing with me the work that you do. I know you would have truly enjoyed meeting my dad. All the staff at the VA Hospital enjoyed him.

It is beyond any words how grateful these soldiers must be to have someone such as yourself share the gift that you so selflessly give. 

I am happy to see that you were able to find the article about my father. It saddens me every time I think of him and that he is no longer here. Please keep my family in your prayers during this difficult time.

Thanks for visiting www.sequoyahsoaps.com 

If you have any questions please feel free to email me.

Eileen

Date: 7/5/10
To: All

Today is the last Sunday in June, and I like to attend church services with my guys. I didn't get to go into the Church service because a couple of my Soldiers wanted to chat. It is about them "reaching them where they live," so we sat in the hall where we could hear, but also chat among ourselves. I later walked around meeting several of the workers and learned that most of them are Veterans. This helps to explain the warmth shared between the workers and the patients. There is a "bond" between them that only Soldiers share. One of the workers, who is a Muslim, was telling me how much he loves what he does. I mention the fact that he is a Muslim because we are on different pages regarding our path to God, but we are drawn by the same thing - LOVE......! If nothing else, we agree that "...but for the grace of God go..."

Some of the Soldiers are suffering with dementia and/or Alzheimer's disease. The main door to their unit is locked so that they can't walk off. One of my Soldiers had me laughing when he told me one of them went outside to smoke a cigarette and never came back. He looked around and saw two nurses running over the hill looking for him. They found him, so it ended well. Several Soldiers are in their late eighties and nineties. When you see their loved ones interact with them it reinforces the fact that there is a bright side to everything. It makes me think of that old question, Is your glass half full or half empty? Perspective is everything.

In the lobby, there is a large glass cage with some of the most beautiful exotic birds I have ever seen. Some of my Soldiers sit in front of it and just stair and talk to them. I met a beautiful couple who had been married over fifty years. He is suffering with dementia and he just sits, smiles and points at the birds. I noticed that she held and/or rubbed his hand the whole time we were talking. I learned that he had been there several years and they she was there EVERY DAY, driving over 1 1/2 hours each way. He had no conversation except to point and the birds and say the names he gave them several years ago. They have two sons, and I thought about the love they shared and I learned more about them and their journey. 

God grant them rest and give them peace!

Yours in Christ,
florence

Date:7/4/10
To: All

Today is the 4th of July and we had a beautiful celebration. Firemen from the local fire department came by and we lit flares and fire crackers. We were all on the patio singing patriotic songs and making speeches that let our Troops know how much we love and appreciate them. I noticed the loving way the firemen treated our Vets and it made me smile. Most of them were young men paying homage to the ones who had gone on before them. 

Everyone wore red, white and blue high hats and tiaras. I looked at this beautiful elderly woman sitting in a wheel chair across from me. She had the most beautiful head of white hair. I looked at her and thought about what it had to have been like for her in the military fifty years ago. She was clearly a ground-breaker and paid a dear price. Now her body is broken, but not her spirit. I watched her as she waved her flag and sang the songs with pride. I would love to see the world through her eyes. Our Soldiers were grateful, but not a grateful as we were to be there. As I look around I noticed that everyone there was in a wheel chair, except for the staff and volunteers. It made me acutely aware of the the sacrifices they all had made for us!

In 2004 when I started ministering to our Troops I heard about Walker House, which is where women in transition live because of homelessness. The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote an article about Walker House and it gave me insight into what goes on there. I contacted the Director at that time, and now I will have an opportunity to meet some of these women. Like their male counterparts, there are many serious issues facing our female Veterans such as: homelessness, alcohol and drug addictions, post-traumatic stress disorders and depression, to name a few. These women have shelter, but their children can not stay with them so it is a further breakdown of the family unit.

As I was leaving I saw a woman sitting outside under a large flag. She was young and beautiful. We smiled at each other and waved. As I looked down I noticed that she had one leg missing. Another stark reminder of all that our Soldiers have sacrificed, young and old alike! I thought about my daughter who just got married last month and is starting her new life. It made me think of this young woman and what her dreams were when she enlisted and what they are now. I will look for her tomorrow and see what God has in store....

Yours in Christ,
florence

Date: June 28, 2010
To: All

This is the latest from our "GI Joe" Roche. I thank God that he has been given some "down time" because of all that he has sacrificed for our Country. He makes me want to visit Richmond and Monticello.

Maybe he will give us all a guided tour if we can get a bus trip sponsored...:)

Continue to pray for Joe and our Troops!

Yours in Christ,
florence

P.S. He lovingly calls me "General" which tickles me because of our relationship and his commitment to his duties as a Soldier!
*************** 

To: Minister Florence Duckett

General,

Spent last weekend in Richmond & visited Monticello. You really must do this someday!!!

First I went to the Museum of the Confederacy. It was fascinating and powerful! The first floor is sectioned off with an audio tour that goes through each year, maps and displays, to orient you on how the struggle progressed through all the vast and momentous epic events that happened. It is very easy to follow. There are many unique and interesting items on display, such as the uniform worn by various generals who were killed. You can see the bullet hole and their blood on the uniform. Through the maps, broken down by year, it is very easy to see how the struggle evolved.

The basement floor is a wild collection of Confederate artifacts, which includes an amazing collection of Civil War paintings. Some are extremely powerful, such as when returning Confederate soldiers went home to find their families gone and their homes destroyed. There are other displays, such as Lee’s Final Farewell, and many other things, plus the massive painting of the Confederacy’s high-water mark when Lee and Jackson had their final meeting at Chancellorsville.

Upstairs is a haunting collection of pictures of Confederate families, soldiers, etc. Some were taken of soldiers the night before, for example, Shiloh. They never returned so it is assumed they were killed. It is truly haunting.

Next door is the Confederate White House. They have an awesome tour that takes you through the White House. You see and experience the years that Psdt Jefferson Davis and his family lived there. Again, very haunting, but extremely interesting and you really learn a lot.

After all that, I couldn’t have traveled further away in the universe to have been as separated from the Confederacy legacy when I walked only two blocks to John Marshall’s house. That was fascinating! Marshall, the great Chief Justice of the Supreme Court who is called the Definer of the Constitution, is truly one of the great Founding Fathers, even though he technically isn’t a Founding Father because he was of the generation after them. However, in taking the tour through his house, you learn a great deal about him and his family, plus a lot about his years in govn’t service and how he led the Supreme Court. It was truly awesome! It was also interesting that his legacy would have abhorred the Confederacy, and yet just two blocks apart from each other, these two places stand in Richmond.

Then I went to the Tredegar Iron Works and the American Civil War Center. This was totally fantastic!! The American Civil War Center is very different from the Confederacy Museum and is built to represent and tell the story of all sides in the war. It goes in a figure eight on two floors, full of videos and a vast timeline that takes you through many epic moments through the Civil War. From draft riots in New York City, to food riots in Richmond, just weeks from major battles along the Mississippi River and Gettysburg, you really get the full scope of the entirety of the Civil War. It was amazing and one of the best museums I’ve seen in capturing and displaying the story.

Tredegar, by the way, was the main ammo and ship building facility for the Confederacy, so it is quite poignant that it is now the site of the Civil War Center. There is much more to see around there such as all the Civil War railroad lines and facilities to keep the Confederacy’s war going.

Then I went past the St John’s Church in Richmond, which is where Patrick Henry declared, “Give me liberty or give me death!”

Then I went down along Monument Avenue. This is absolutely fascinating!!! The massive monuments to JEB Stuart, Robert E Lee, Jefferson Davis, and Stonewall Jackson are there. They are huge, powerful, extremely meaningful. Each one has a story, and there is much to see around them. Monument Avenue is fascinating. Further along from the Confederate monuments, interestingly and awkwardly, are a couple monuments to African-Americans (Matthew Fontaine & Arthur Ashe). It is really interesting to behold the struggle as it still can be seen there.

Then, to top it all off, the next day I spent the entire day at Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s house. That was TOTALLY AWESOME!!! Monticello is incredible! There is a great visitor’s center and free shuttle rides around the large estate. The tour through Thomas Jefferson’s house is fascinating, as you see all the arts and inventions that Jefferson worked on and experimented with. The paintings are fascinating, showing his views and philosophies through people he saw as great in history, such as great explorers, Lafayette, George Washington, etc. It is also full of the actual gifts given by Indian leaders from the Lewis & Clark Expedition.

Around his home, which he had built, is a wild vast garden and plantation in which items from China, Greece, Rome and other places around the world are grown. This was Jefferson’s hobby, and with the creation of America he was able to expand on his collections while in Paris and as the third President. It is all extremely wild to see and learn about. They have very nice tours that take you through all of this.

The Plantation tour around Jefferson’s house is powerful and extremely sobering. It focuses mainly on the slaves who lived there. They were sort of elite, extremely well educated, and yet slaves. They had their own community around Jefferson’s house. After Jefferson died, most remained slaves and were sold off. In the tour, you learn the gripping stories of how nearly all of them always sought to return to Monticello, which they saw as home. It was all so moving.

Jefferson’s grave is nearby, along with others of his family and many of the slaves. It is an incredible place to visit. The view is extraordinary, and you really learn clearly why Jefferson built his home there and named it Monticello. You really feel the awesome sense of being in the home of one of our Founding Fathers.

You really must do all this someday. Richmond and Monticello. Wow!

Date: June 27, 2010 
To: all

The visit to the VA Hospital was very fruitful yesterday. I met new Soldiers and learned a great deal about their lives, past and present. They have choir rehearsal every Saturday at 2pm so I decided to check it out. I think I sang every military song that was ever written.......:) It was touching seeing them sitting in a circle with their caps on. Some have medals pinned to them and you can see what branch of the military they were in. These caps give me insight into their lives.

I heard some things that are troubling, but they just have to be prayed about and then addressed. Most troubling to me is the fact that more and more Soldiers are committing suicide. I spoke with one yesterday who said he had made five attempts. He served in Nam and was exposed to Agent Orange. His pain had been so excruciating that he didn't want to live. Aside from people spitting on our Troops when they returned, his family abandoned him because they said he had too many issues and they didn't want to be stuck with him. These are his words! About twenty years ago, God brought someone into his life who loves him. He still has a great deal of pain, but he is in a better place mentally, physically and spiritually.

A Soldier died a couple of days ago, all alone except for the nurses. This man had the highest honor bestowed upon him that our Nation could give, the Medal of Honor. He had a family, but they chose not to be a part of his life. Sadly, this is commonplace. People lack awareness, and I plan to change that. There is a beautiful hostel that was built to give the families of these Soldiers a place to stay when they visit. I was told that I would be able to stay there. I have gone to a three-day week with Amtrak so that I will have four days to give and then hopefully more when God opens the door for me to retire and go into fulltime ministry.

It is Sunday morning and I am going to have Church service with some of them. Continue to pray for our Soldiers in that God will send people into their lives who will show them love.

The mantra of the nurses is "No Soldier Should Die Alone." It has now become mine!

Yours in Christ,
florence

P.S. Oh, the food is goooooood there...lol

Date: 6/21/10
To: All

I spent Father's Day with my Soldiers at the VA Hospital. So many of our Soldiers don't have family members who visit them for various reasons. Some live too far away or just can not get there. In to many cases, our Soldiers have just been forgotten!

During my first visit, I met George as I was leaving the Hospice Unit and asked God to allow me to see him again. Just in one week's time I saw the difference in his countenance, or appearance. He was deteriorating fast. As Christians we are always concerned about someone's relationship with Jesus Christ. He acknowledged that he was a Christian. When I asked him what he wanted from God, he just smiled. I anointed his head with oil and the said goodbye to him. If I don't see him next week, I know that he is a man who is at peace!

On a brighter note, there was a Father's Day celebration on the second floor. These Soldiers have very serious issues, but they aren't critical. We played bingo and had healthy snacks. If you ever want to have a good laugh play bingo with the Vets at Coatesville. They have their own rules.................lol Mr. Nelson who is 99 years old puts his own spin on things........:) I was blessed to see some of the Soldiers that I had met the first week. 

My dad died in March of 2008 after a week in hospice care and I was missing him. He was shown such love by the nurses who cared for him. I was missing my father on this day, but what a blessing it was to have been able to spend it with such brave men and woman. I thank God for the opportunity and can't wait to see what next week brings!

Yours in Christ,
florence

Date: Monday, June 14, 2010
To: All

Well, I started ministering at the VA Hospital in Coatesville, Pa on Saturday, June 12th, 2010, and my life will be forever changed! When you want to complain, visit some of our Soldiers in hospice care. I fed a Soldier who was burned horribly as the result of an explosion. He was going through skin drafts and his legs were twice their normal size. I fed him because his fingers were missing. I sat in the hall talking to a Soldier who was blown away from the waist down. I pushed a Soldier up the hill so that he could see the tomatoes and other vegetables that they allowed him to plant in his garden. He had trouble talking because of the chemicals he had been exposed to in Viet Nam. I held a Soldier who was 99 years old and was awarded a purple heart because of his bravery. If you ask him how he got it he says "I fell off of a bike." He is too humble to talk about the sacrifices) he made for his/our Country! I looked across the room into the beautiful eyes of a female Soldier as she struggle to eat her lunch because of wounds she sustained. I asked God to allow me to meet her during my next visit.

I am amazed at the courage and strength of these Soldiers that God has entrusted to me. I consider it an honor to do what I do and I thank God for them! As I left, I embraced one of my Soldiers whose bed was by the exit as I left the ward. I placed my hand upon his head and prayed that God would allow me to see him again next week.

There are no words to express how this experience has impacted my life. I pray for God's grace and strength to bring to fruition this "labor of love" that He has placed upon me. I do this with the understanding that God is the "...author and finisher..." the "...Alpha and Omega..." the "...beginning and the end..." God alone sets the appointment with death and,
"...may His will be done on earth as it is in Heaven..."

Yours in Christ,
florence

Date: June 14, 2010

Dear Sister Soldier Project Family, Friends, Hosts, Posse Members, Volunteers and Supporters:

WOW! That a month!

Cypress Ridge Packing Party May 22, 2010

The American Medical Association

On June 3rd, as promised, our grandest Packing Party yet occurred at the Chicago headquarters building of the American Medical Association. Bob Hobart, AMA's Vice President, Corporate Services officially hosted the event and gathered many AMA employees who enthusiastically devoted their afternoon to packing 300 care packages for the female troops serving abroad. This same team not only provided all the ancillary goodies . . . female personal care products, magazines, books, DVD's, etc., that we use to fill the boxes, but also opened their wallets and donated the entire amount necessary to ship these 300 boxes at $10.70 each! 

If you want to see pictures taken by the fabulous AMA photographer click here for the AMA Packing Party Pictures (you may need to install Silverlight.) The AMA occupies 17 floors at 515 State St in downtown Chicago, one floor is devoted to their employee cafeteria and dining areas. The main dining room was completely turned into our staging and packing area and the cook staff provided a delicious post-event meal for the roughly 75 people total who participated in the effort. And, best of all, the AMA shipping department whisked the boxes on their way to the troops, no US Post Office run this time, a blessing given the huge quantity of boxes involved!

This Party also reached out to the general US Military female troops serving abroad. 100 of the names were provided to us by www.AnySoldier.com, a prominent website which has been facilitating gifts and care packages to the US troops since 2003. Thanks to Marty Horn for his cooperation and assistance. 

As always though, these shipments can never occur without the indispensable support of the ethnic hare care industry, providing the core products for the Sisters. This event was so ambitious, the two longest tenured and most consistent manufacturer supporters of the Project, Luster Products, Inc and Namasté, two of the leading companies in the business, each headquartered in Chicago, and very friendly competitors, agreed to join forces and provide all the unique products needed to exactly match each Sister's requests for her respective hair style.

I was especially gratified that Sonja, Freddie Jr., and Jory Luster, who manage their family owned corporation and Gary Gardner, CEO of Namasté, could finally experience first-hand what their resources and the commitment of their executives have made possible for the Sisters abroad.

Reggie Maynor, Vice President, International Licensing, Luster, Inc. and Deborah Smith, Director of Communications, Namasté, as each has done before, spearheaded their firms' respective teams and "delivered the goods", big-time!

We have started to receive thank you notes already:

Thank you so very much for my package that I received on today. I was pleasantly surprised and when I opened my package, I got sooooo excited!!!! All the goodies were made especially for me!!!! I appreciate the effort, the time, the care...every thing that went into putting the package together; it is so dearly appreciated. I'll be leaving in about 4 1/2 more months. Your project is great because as an African American female it is a special challenge to take care of my ethnic hair and I want you to know that your package was right on time. Wow, what an awesome thing to do for the military. You guys are great!!!! Thank you so much. I can't say it enough. I'd like to be on your mailing list for more if you don't mind and I promise I'll share with my buds!!! Sincerely, Mae F. Kidd

Thanks a million for the Care Package! This is truly great and I appreciate you thinking and being supportive of sisters serving! Sergeant Major Rue Mayweather

I received your box today thank you so very much. I have been spreading the word to all the females I run into. You have been a great help to me and I really appreciate it. Take care and thanks
MSG ANDERSON, DEBBIE

This AMA hosted Sister Soldier Packing Party sets the bar very high for future events and has helped the Project already come close to its 2010 goal of 1300 shipments for the year---and we still have three more scheduled significant Parties and one tentative yet to come, which may ship as many as 600 more packages.

The Media

June 2010 Essence Magazine June 2010 Essence Magazine

We hope you've had a chance to see the June issue of Essence magazine, p103, a great plug for us, the Project is #2 on their "10 Things We're Talking About" this month! (#1 is very properly First lady Michelle Obama's relief efforts in Haiti.) 

June Issue of SLO Journal Plus San Luis Obispo Journal Plus

We were also featured in the issue of San Luis Obispo Journal Plus. It is a community magazine written for and by the local people of the Central Coast of California. It is directly mailed to every single-family residence in the City of San Luis Obispo and it is distributed at 600 key locations throughout Northern Santa Barbara County and all of San Luis Obispo County. Click onto the SLO Journal Article to read the entire story.

Sponsors

Our sincere apologies to Dr. Miracle's for neglecting to mention in last month's newsletter that it supplied all the hair care products for the April Sistahs Bookclubbing party in Shreveport. We packed and shipped for 150 Sister Soldiers. We are very sorry, you know how much we appreciate your support. 

Special Thanks

Dr. O, M.Jamison, E. Ford, S.Ellis. Y.Johnson and Friends, L.Gilliam, R. Burks, K. Pumphrey, C. C.Bridgeford, T. Young, Jack and Jill of America, Mobile, Alabama Chapter,
Razac, and EdgeStick, for their much appreciated donations in May. 

June is off to a good start with donations from Miami L.O.V.E. (Ladies Offering Vision and Empowerment), C. Bailey, and A. Garrett. 

We need more support, while we shipped 300 Packages this month, we already have 72 names on our "wait list." Our next Sister Soldier Packing Party is in August. 

Support a Sister Soldier, www.sistersoldierproject.com.

Have a great summer. 

All the best,
Myraline

Date: May 15, 2010

Dear Sister Soldier Project Family, Friends, Hosts, Posse Members, Volunteers and Supporters:

Shreveport Repeats!

The "second annual" Sistahs Bookclubbing hosted Packing Party in Shreveport, LA was such a success they're already planning a 3-peat in April 2011. This time we packed and shipped 150 hair care packages. Both local and Louisiana State representatives all participated and packed for the Sister Soldiers. That Southern hospitality is the finest! The project received Louisiana State Senate and House of Representative Resolutions, plus Sister Soldier Day Proclamations from the Office of the Mayor and the Parish Commissioner. Tannie Lewis Bradley and the Sistahs Bookclubbing members coordinated an exceptional Packing Party.