Veterans Day Message from Sell My Timeshare NOW

As events last week reminded us, even when our military men and women are serving here at home, their lives are never totally without risk.

So instead of my usual blog on timeshare news and timeshare resale updates, I want to share with you information about a way to give back to our men and women in service. Sell My Timeshare NOW has no affiliation with this organization; I am simply sharing information with you about a nonprofit agency that I personally believe is doing something special and offers you an easy but meaningful way to get involved.

Books for Soldiers

During the first Gulf War, Storm Williams decided to begin sending paperback books to people he knew who were stationed abroad. The idea, like good ideas usually do, spread quickly, and soon friends and family were also mailing books overseas. The books were so appreciated that BooksForSoldiers.com was soon established as a Not-For-Profit corporation registered in North Carolina. Books for Soldiers is owned and operated by a non-denominational, interfaith outreach ministry and is a 501(c)(3) charity recognized by the IRS. All donations are tax deductible. (Please follow the links and check them out for yourself.)

The concept is simple:

Books For Soldiers is a self-service site. Once you are approved as an Official BFS Volunteer, go to their message board (you can get there by going to http://booksforsoldiers.com and clicking on the VOLUNTEER FORUM link at the top of the page). Look at the posted requests. You will see all five military branches listed; click on the name of a branch, such as ‘ARMY,’ and you will then see a long list of requests. Click on a request and the address will come up along with information about what the troop has requested.

Decide which books you are going to donate, (they don’t have to be new, just in good usable shape) and then pack them in a small box, roughly shoebox size. Many volunteers choose to fill in the extra space in the box with candy, moist towelettes, sunscreen, or other small items a service man or woman will appreciate.

And shipping is the easiest part of all. Books for Soldiers recommends the use of FLAT RATE BOXES available free from the US Postal Service. On the BFS website, they say, “It is a very good deal — you can cram as much as you can in the box and shipping is a flat $8.10”.

When your box of books (CDs or DVDs are also accepted) is packed, mail it directly to the military person or unit that has requested it.

As Books for Soldiers reminds us, “Regardless of why the military is deployed, the men and women of our armed services are there for us. They deserve our support…“