Packing Party Postponed

Due to the winter weather warning in effect, the packing party scheduled for tomorrow (Tuesday, January 27th, 6 pm) has been postponed until our scheduled meeting on Tuesday, February 10th, 6 pm. This meeting will now be a Quarterly/MOMS/Packing Party Meeting! And, yes, refreshments will be served!!!!Stay safe, warm and dry!

Nancy Peabody

Here We Go

Greetings!!!

Betsy, Mary and I got together this evening to discuss upcoming events, and we have made some plans, so get your calendars out and PLAN TO PARTICIPATE!!!!

Tuesday, January 27th at 6 pm:GM employees have generously donated money to be used for postage on another round of boxes to be sent to our young men in Iraq and Afghanistan. We have a few donations left from the Christmas Packing Party that we did not use, we have received quite a few new donations, and we are requesting VALENTINES to be included in boxes which we will pack on Tuesday, January 27th! We need you to: 1) have your group or organization make Valentines (bring them to the HHAFFA office by Tuesday, Jan 27th) and 2) help pack boxes. Plan to come to the HHAFFA office, bring your Valentines and help pack about 29 boxes!

Tuesday, February 10th at 6 pm:QUARTERLY MEETING!!!! We will be discussing upcoming events and have our first MOMS (Mothers of Military Servicemembers) meeting!

Remember to keep us updated on current addresses--stateside or deployed!
See you next Tuesday!!!
Nancy Peabody

Happy New Year

"Cheers to a New Year and another chance for us to get it right!" --Oprah Winfrey

New Year's Eve is usually spent looking back on the previous year and deciding that there are a few things we need to do differently in the upcoming year! We usually don't look back and say to ourselves--"Job well done"! So, I will take it upon myself to say to you--Thank you. No one is more cherished in this world than someone who lightens the burden of another. You may not realize the difference you have made in the lives of others, but every time you collected a donation, wrote a card, volunteered for an activity--you have made easier, physically and mentally, the life of a military service member or a family member! It would be wonderful for all of us to hear about the joy brought to soldiers when they receive phone cards, letters and boxes, or from family members when we help them with their needs, but often people "think" their thanks, but don't pass it on! So, I just want you to know that, through your volunteering--you DO make a difference in the lives of military personnel and their families!

"We will open the book. It's pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first Chapter is New Year's Day." -- Edith Lovejoy Pierce

HHAFFA has many activities scheduled throughout the year, and I encourage you to volunteer for as many as possible. In order for you to plan ahead, I have listed some of these opportunities. Look through the list, and "resolve" to participate. There is a core group of about 10 people who seem to volunteer for everything! Thank goodness for these people, but it would be wonderful if more people decided to get involved, so that those 10 don't become spread too thin, become too tired and quit all together! Many hands make light work! Some of the opportunities available throughout the year:

Valentines for Troops (Jan)
MOMS meetings (once a month, beginning Jan)
Girl Scout Cookies sent to Troops (March)
Relay for Life (begins March, event in June)
Tour of Iraq weekly walk (April-October)
Mothers' Day corsages (April/May)
Candlelight Ceremony (June/July)
Window Display at Regions Bank (June/July)
Fourth of July Parade (June/July)
Christmas Boxes for Troops (Oct/Nov)
Christmas Cards for Troops (Oct/Nov/Dec)
Christmas Tree on the Square (Nov)
Christmas Parade (Nov/Dec)

These activities don't just happen. It takes days, weeks, sometimes months to plan, organize, and execute each activity. Please consider volunteering when the call goes out. Each newsletter requests help. This is YOUR organization. Please continue to contribute in order for us to survive and grow! Don't let the following happen to you:

"A New Years' resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other.

"My New Year's wish for you--May 2009 bring Peace throughout the world, and may all our loved ones come home to stay!

God Bless Our Troops!
God Bless HHAFFA!
God Bless our caring community!
God Bless YOU!
Nancy Peabody