From the General himself!

Dear Ms. Allnock,

Thank you and the members of Operation Write Home for the generous, handcrafted Name Day, Birthday, and Thank You note cards. I am truly thankful for you taking the time to send me a this unique care package so close to Christmas, and to receive so many cards in the Polish language was quite unexpected. As you probably know from your mother, sending a card on a name day is an important tradition in Poland and I am delighted to be able to send these cards even from Afghanistan.

Thank you for your participation in this important program, Operation Write Home, which I am certain brings great joy to many American Soldiers and their families. On a personal level, it is gratifying for me to know that there are Polish Americans around the world, who care about those helping Polish Soldiers overseas.

I wish you health and prosperity in the New Year.

Szczęśliwego Nowego 2011 Roku !

v/r - J. N.

The General is on the left in the photo. The cards made especially for him were on this blog post.

Completely appreciated!

Email received by a cardmaker...

Thank you so much for taking the time to create such beautiful note cards for us to send home to our families!! Your efforts in supporting us troops is completely appreciated! Thanks again and have a very happy new year!

SSG A. M. T.

Heartfelt Thanks

Dear Ms. Cochran,

On behalf of the Soldiers of 2d Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, I would like to thank you for your generous donation to the Strykehorse Squadron.

Your support does not go unnoticed here at FOB Cobra, FOB Edge and our manned checkpoints. Your gifts have had an immediate positive effect on morale. We are honored with your efforts as part of Operation Write Home. Our Troopers are extremely appreciative of your actions.

We are gratefully humbled by your kindness. While we are away from family and friends, your generosity and support consistently remind us of why we choose to serve. Our heartfelt thanks are extended to you and all the supporters of our Soldiers.

J.P.I., Lieutenant Colonel, US Army

They included a nice certificate with the letter too!

Polish Name Day cards

Dear Sandy,
Thank you so very much for the Polish Name Day cards and birthday cards. They arrived just in time for Andrzej's Name Day.

Additionally, the cards were perfect! General N was shocked. He said the words/phrases were commonly used in Poland and properly used on the cards - your research was obviously correct. Thanks again!
This day was so important to my co-worker Andrzej that three Polish Officers actually walked to our camp to wish him a happy day. Hugs and cheek kisses were also exchanged. Later that evening we ate pizza together to celebrate his day. Overall I think everyone enjoyed the cards the most.

Thank you so very much for the support!
Sincerely,
Maj L.A.

The last box was gone in a matter of days!

Thanks for blessing our Seabees with such beautiful Christmas cards! We're quite amazed at how nice they are made.
We appreciate your time, care, and effort in providing cards for us. It really makes a difference! The last box was gone in a matter of days!
We leave Afghanistan shortly after the new year, so the Christmas cards were a great way to wrap up!
Merry Christmas!
Chaps +


(Isn't it sweet that we get to call him "Chaps"!)

Putting them to good use

Thanks again for the generous number of cards you've provided. All of my colleagues out here in Kandahar, Afghanistan are putting them to good use! You provide a wonderful service. Thanks again!
Best,
LCDR D.K., US Navy

Cookies, what a nice surprise!

Thank you so much for the new box of cards. I get so many wonderful comments on how beautiful and thoughtful each card is. You all do amazing work!

We also received the Valentine's Day cards and a box full of cookies, what a nice surprise!

I hope you had a great holiday. Thanks again for your support!
Maj L.F.

The unity of our nations

This is a handwritten sentiment  - and comes from the unit associated with our Polish General, so it's perfectly appropriate!

May the closeness of friends,
the comforts of home,
and the unity of our nations
renew your spirits this holiday season.
Sincerely,
Maj L.A., Camp Eggers, Afghanistan

I wrote 8 cards out right away

A message left for us on our Facebook page:

Thank you all so much for the Box of cards. They came in on Christmas night. I wrote 8 cards out right away for my kids, wife and a girl scout troop that sent me a box of goodies. I placed the box on our free to anyone table and in less than 2 days all the cards were gone. They were so AWESOME!
Thanks
SFC S. D. R.
Bagram
Afghanistan

Can I talk you into sending me another box please?

Hi! I'm one of the people on your distribution list and I would like to say "thank you" from all of us here at ISAF Headquarters, Kabul. I've been sharing the cards with the entire building so they are going really
really fast. Can I talk you into sending me another box please?

We still have some birthday and thank you cards but the I miss you cards, especially those that can go to kids are going fast. If at all possible can I have mostly those? Everyone has been writing a card a
week to each of their kids and it helps them feel they are a part of the process.

Again, I can't tell you how much we love and appreciate these cards - they make a world of difference and help so so much. I wish I had better words to describe how much we appreciate them.

Very Respectfully,

J.T, E6

Putting them to good use!

Thanks again for the generous number of cards you've provided. All my colleagues out here in Kandahar, Afghanistan are putting them to good use! You provide a wonderful service. Thanks again!
Best,
LCDR D.K., Navy

Coming Home Soon

OWH,

As our tour winds down here I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you for all the support you have shown us over the past year. It often goes unsaid but, Thank You. Whether it was a holiday, birthday or just any other day there was always a card in the back room that could be sent home to those we love and miss so much. The PX could not be counted on to have any cards much less the one that you need but OWH was always there to ensure that we could reach home and show them that we care. OWH and all of the staff are truly amazing and I speak for all the “JOKERS” when I say from the bottom of our hearts - THANK YOU!

1SG J. W.
aka "Joker 7"
Afghanistan

The soldiers were quick to snatch them up

Sandy,
We so much appreciate the beautiful cards you sent us. The soldiers were quick to snatch them up and were very thankful for the personal touch. It means a lot to have such meaningful support. I also loved the picture on the mascot. He reminds me of my Golden Doodle back home!
God Bless you for your servant's heart and spirit.

Chaplain (MAJ) P.A.F.

What exceptional artistic abilities!

To the crew of Operation Write Home,
Thank you all very much for the beautiful handmade cards. What exceptional artistic abilities! It has been such a treat to pick individual cards for my loved ones back in the States! I always write in all my cards what a wonderful supportive organization you all ahve. Everyone here at Bastion Hospital has been more than impressed...keep up the great work. Thank you!
Merry Christmas!
Lt C.A., U.S. Navy Nurse Corps

I understand how much work goes into making the cards

These cards are absolutely beautiful! I have them out y the door of my aid station for all of our soldiers. Thank you so very much. And please late all the other makers know just how much they are appreciated.

My mother and I also scrapbook and make cards. I took a lot of pictures to send to her for new ideas. Her new "toy" is a cricut that we absolutely love to use. She lives with me back home and we have half the living room (which is probably 25x12) turned into our scrapping nook. I say all that to let you know that I understand how much work goes into making the cards!

Thank you again!
SPC A.A.

My family really likes to receive those cards

Dear Operation Write Home,

Thank you so much for the beautiful handcrafted cards. My family really likes to receive those cards.

It also provides better opportunity to reach out to our friends and family.

We appreciate all you do.

Sincerely,
Maj. V.H.

Yesterday I got a very nice card

Sandy,

Thanks for what you and your volunteers do. Yesterday I got a very nice card from Bridget and a nice colored picture of a dog with a wonderful note from Emily from Forestville, Door County, "Wisconson," and a great letter from COL (ret) Stephen and his wife May.

With great gratitude and respect,
Lt Col G.L.

Cookies arrived in Kabul!

THANK SO MUCH......we appreciate the cards and cookies! -Maj C.O.

Note from a Kansas Jayhawk fan!

Greetings from Iraq! I can't begin to tell you how grateful we are for the box of Christmas cards from Operation Write Home! What an incredible blessing! The cards are a true work of art and have been fun to send to our family and friends.

I received the box you send and our team quickly distributed them! I have attached a photo of our Advisor team after I received the cards.

I wish I could better express our "heartfelt" grattitude for your graciousness to our servicemen and women. Thank you!

May God richly bless you and Operation Write Home.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Respectfully,

G.S.

P.S. I'm a Kansas Jayhawker! My wifes family resides in Overland Park and Leawood KS. Neat to see that you sent from our heartland - Olathe, KS.

**I was a Jayhawk fan until my son went to Kansas State University. Now I'm a Wildcat fan! Will root for the Jayhawk's when they aren't playing the Wildcats.

A Blessing Across the Globe

I received a delightful card today...

Dear Ms. Dixie,

You and your mission, team, and kindness is beyond words of praise. That sentiment echoes theatre wide here amongst service members.

Personally, I testify that my daughter of 4 and my son of 2 think they still have a father who cares enough to send them cheer from afar. My motivation is lifted by your generosity. To see and have your packages here is encouraging to stop work and think of family...to be happy to send them a smile, pictured on a greeting card and expressed in words. I admit, I would not have been so good about it if it were not so "handy" and right here at our fingertips. Thanks to you and ALL. I looked forward to the opportunity to see what cards I could mail home. Thank you - thank you - thank you.

May God continue to bless you and through you a Blessing to so many others across our globe.

From a grateful Soldier and Family

When I return home to my home base in England

My office here in Afghanistan just received a box of your cards. I never knew of your organization, had never even thought of the idea of cards like this. But these are just beautiful and it is very apparent that someone put alot of time and effort into making them. I took a number, to send to friends and my parents and even my boyfriend who is posted on an air craft carrier in Italy. It really made my day to write these cards out and I just wanted you to know how much they are being enjoyed.

I hope that when I return home to my home base in England to make time, perhaps even have a party with my grilfriends, to make cards like this to send to someone who would enjoy them as much as I enjoyed the ones we received from you.

Thank you!

P.A.
ISAF Joint Command
Kabul, Afghanistan

You truly made our lives bearable

Three hero notes in one card!
Thank you very much for all the cards that have been sent out here. We appreciate all the hard work and dedication that were put into making all of these cards. They've really come in handy for us here in the office, and all of the Marines/Sailors here at Camp Leatherneck. They've really helped us stay in touch with our family and friends back in the states. We sincerely thank you for everything you are doing and all your hard work.
Thank you!
W.P, RPSN

Greetings from Afghanistan!
I thank you very much for the beautiful cards you made for us. They are so unique and wonderfully crafted. I love them very much and  they come inhandy especially in this remote place. Thank you for the time and efforts you put in. You truly made our lives bearable.
Thank you!
D.T.

Thank you and God Bless!
RPt M.

Miss my first Christmas together with my hubby

Thanks so much for the box of cards you sent. I use a ton of them along with soldiers who are constantly coming and going. I can't believe Christmas is around the corner. I'm going to miss my first Christmas together with my hubby...how sad!!! I just hope this is my last deployment for a while.

Anyway, thanks again!
SGT D.D.

Another thankyou from NATO troops!

To Operation Write Home:
Thank you so much for your continued support for our troops here at Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan! I pass along cards, a handful as I can, and they use them to write home from the hospital if they can.
Thank you so much for your hard work and dedication for our troops !
D.C, Role 3 NATO Hospital

These are the greatest things

I just wanted to thank you very much for the box of cards. These are the greatest things and are a great way to drop notes back to my wife, family, and friends. So glad to know there are people out there that want to help us out. This is a great program. Thanks again, the cards that stay here after I leave will be used by my replacement.
CSM W.W.

I like to use your cards to write my three kids

Hi, I want to thank y'all for making sure we have plenty of cards to write home. I'm a soldier, and I will be away from home for a year. I like to use your cards to write my three kids. I can usually find cards with animals or flowers. I think my kids like those.

God bless you,
D.F., CPT, US Army

Carried his card around for a few hours

Thanks for your support and all that you do! My company so far has received 3 packages from you. I am writing to let you know we are using the cards. I have four children aged 7, 5, 3, and 1 and I sent my older 3 kids cards they loved getting cards from me. My middle boy decided he liked them so much that he wrote all over it. My younger boy Johnny (3), carried his card around for a few hours and had my wife read the card multiple times.
I appreciat ethe time and money that you have put into this project and wanted to let you kno that it helps me and my family. Again, thanks for all that you and your organization does for us.
Sincerely,
CPT T.S, Commanding

It's obvious

I really wanted to pass on our thanks for the cards we received from OWH! It's obvious that the folks who design the cards really love what they do - they are beautiful! We really enjoy sending them to our families and friends. So from Al-Faw Palace in Baghdad - THANK YOU!
-D.C.

You REALLY energize us and keep us going

We have received your box of Valentine cards today. Thank you so much for your support.

Attached is a picture of my team. Supporters like you REALLY energize us and keep us going while we are out here.

Thanks also for the signed Christmas cards from people all over the country that you included in the box (and I love how you always include a picture of your cute dog as well...LOL)

Take care! Merry Christmas!
Very Respectfully,

CW2 S.A.

Playing Army

"The cards you and everyone's hard work is so appreciated. When I opened the boxes, all you could hear were oohhh's and aaahhh's. I've never had the creativity as those that make the cards, that's my wife's area. I'm just fortunate she let's me play Army. I only take a few cards to send to family and the rest I put on our "free table" and by morning the box will be empty. Everyone here loves the cards and it helps keep in touch with many families around the world. I've even passed cards on to many of our allies (French, Polish and others).

Thanks for making the connection easier, S. R.

**Read this to my husband and daughter at dinner. We all chuckled at the "let's me play Army" comment. I said that his wife's crafting and his playing Army didn't equal out. Daughter said "Yes it does.....those scissors are dangerous and paper cuts are lethal." LOL!!!!

They are awesome!

We received the box today, they are awesome!!!!! I still say there are some talented folks out there. Thanks for sending them....

Hope you have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
G. P.

Some of your wonderful cards

Hi I am F. with the USO and I have been in Baghdad for the last year and we had some of your wonderful cards. Now I am at a FOB in Afghanistan and was just checking to see if we could get some out here, we are at Shindad Afghanistan and there is not much here. Well we have a barber shop and just got that in a few weeks ago, and everyone is living in tents, We just got internet and free phone calls to the US for them but other than that (dust and dirt) they have it pretty bare here. Well I was just checking on this. Thanks a lot.

F.S., USO

And of course we said YES!

Thank you for everything!

Ciao Dixie!! Hope all is well for you! It's almost time for me to go back to
Italy and I can't wait! I'm hoping to be back around the first of the year
but we'll see how the flights go. Even though I'm missing the holidays with
the family, the deployed family is making it a little easier to be away from
home.

Thank you for everything and I look forward to receiving the last box of
cards! Thank you for all of your care and support through these crazy times.
It's very much appreciated!

A.A., Air Force, Afghanistan

We all appreciated it

Thank you for your support and what your church did was really awesome. We all appreciated it, and the cards are all getting distro'd out.
Thank you again - you are OUR hero.
W.

It means a lot to all of us out here

Sandy,
How are you doing? I would like to start by thanking you for the time to support not only my Soldier PFC J.K. and the rest of us out here but for all the other military personnel that are deployed or were at one time or another. It means a lot to all of us out here. Personally I have used quite a few already to send a little something to friends and family. I appreciate the time and effort you put into this to allow me that opportunity.

Well keep up the good work for all of us and have a great holiday season!
Again, Thank you very much!
SSG R.

Thank you for the beautiful cards. We really enjoyed reading the personal messages included in the box and have posted them on our bulletin board. Once again thank you for the cards and all that you and your organization does. Thanks for letting us send love to our family and friends.

You are a hero to me.

Love, D D-H.

Please accept my humble gratitude

Please accept my humble gratitude for the box of cards you sent our unit. As the husband of a former stampin’ up demonstrator, I know how much effort went into each of these cards, and I wish that I could personally thank each and every one of the creative volunteers. The cards have been a big hit with our squadron especially during this time of year with all the holidays.

So, on behalf of the 405th Civil Engineers, thank you and all of the Operation Write Home team!

God Bless,

D. F. T, Lt Col, USAF

Every single card

Greetings from Kabul Afghanistan! I want to first thank you for the beautiful Christmas Cards. Every single card was distributed and used by troops here to send home to their loved ones. The box made it in mid-Nov...just in time to get our cards sent out in time! I am looking ahead for Valentine's Day. Can you please send mostly Valentine's Day cards and the rest Thank You and misc? Thank you sooo much in all you do to support us here...this program is one of the best morale enhancing programs we receive from the community. For me personally, it's better than receiving a box of food/snacks. Thanks again!
Maj A. B.

Amazing job at improving the morale of the troops

I run the Recreation Center at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan and just received my first Christmas card of the season from a soldier that is in my facility frequently and it absolutely made my day. It was one made by a church in my home state, which was extra cool.

I just wanted to thank you for running your program. I know the soldiers utilize it and something so small can definitely do a such an amazing job at improving the morale of the troops, their families and friends, and the people that they interact with on a daily basis.

He didn’t say that he got the card from this base but if you’re not already sending them to Bagram, I would be happy to use my recreation center as a POC/distribution point to get them out to the soldiers here. If you are sending them out here already, please keep up the good work!

Again, thanks for all you do and I wish you a very merry holiday season.
J.J.
Camp Cunningham

What a fantastic gift!

I just wanted to let you know that I received the box of beautiful hand-made cards yesterday, and I thank you so much for thinking of me and sending the cards. What a fantastic gift! I was just trying to figure out how I was going to find a card to send my mom for her birthday on Dec 11th... now I am all set! All of the cards are so unique and really just gorgeous. I will put them to good use and will be sure to share w/ the people around me. And Sandy, no worries about being out of Christmas cards b/c I had already ordered some picture cards to send out.

Anyway, I just wanted to let you both know that I got the cards and I truly appreciate it. Being deployed over the Holidays is a bummer, but it is kind gestures such as yours that really help to keep my spirits up.

Thank you once again!

K.S.

Our PX has nothing compared to your work

Received by cardmaker Roberta:

Dear Mr. and Mrs. O:
I just wanted to send a note of thanks for all of the wonderful and beautiful cards. Our PX has nothing compared to your work. We really appreciate all that you do in support of our various operations. God Bless!

CPT L.S

I appreciate your support and well-wishes

Received by cardmaker Roberta:

I received a card from you in my box of cards from OWH and wanted to let you know I appreciate your support and well-wishes. I get to go home for R&R at the end of this month and then will return to finish my year which is Feb. 11.
Thing are really quite comfortable and safe on the camp I am assigned to. It is a bit exciting to be her during these historic times.
Thanks again for your support and patriotism.

J.P.