Adventure Outdoors Magazine Summer 2017 | Page 74

kages Send Care Pac Sending care packages is another great way to bring a smile to the face of a member who is on active duty and/or doing a tour. These men and women are spending every single day training, fighting, and standing guard, both in our country and outside of our nation’s walls. You can go through an organization that sends monthly gifts and packages based off of donation rates, or you can make your own and send it off yourself. Finding local families that have members on tour or overseas could be fun as well. Start searching around in your community and see who could possibly use a little extra TLC, and then put together a personalized package just for them. Other members of your community can and will become inspired to do some- thing as well, so you can start up a monthly collection of your own and give back a little time and care to those who are cur- rently fighting for us. write Letters If you don’t have the means to send a care package, or you 72 | Summer 2017 | Adventure Outdoors would like to be a little more personal, you can write letters to your service members. There are organizations that offer pen- pal-like services, but this is a great option for those of us who know someone who is currently serving in the military. When writing your letter, you don’t have to talk about any- thing in particular, but it is suggested that you don’t bring up current political news, or anything that may be happening to or affecting them directly. Instead, choose to write about personal things are happening in your life, like something funny you read or a recap on a recent trip you just took. End the letter by telling that service member that you appreciate all that they do, because without them, you would not have these freedoms. These types of letters are suggested because the personal words of affirmation mean so much to the service members who are sacrificing their time and sometimes – unfortunately – their lives. The outside stories that have nothing to do with their job or stress will bring them peace and escape for a moment, and allow them to remember what their position in the nation means to them, and to all of us.