[December 11, 2014]

Airborne Angel Cadets of Texas Launches Urgent Fundraising Campaign

Airborne Angel Cadets of Texas, a 501(c)(3) non-profit based in Carrollton, Texas, sends care packages of essential items to U.S. military troops serving overseas year-round, but an unexpected event threatens the group's work. Recently, the group's donated warehouse space was leased by the landlord, meaning the group must vacate the warehouse this month, and also try to raise $40,000 to pay for new warehouse space - it's an unbudgeted cost that will cut in half the number of care packages the group can send to deployed U.S. troops.

To continue its critical volunteer efforts into 2015 and beyond, Airborne Angel Cadets has launched a fundraising campaign to secure a year's rent for new warehouse space. An anonymous donor kicked off the fundraising effort by making a $15,000 matching challenge grant. The group hopes their anonymous donor's generosity will encourage others in North Texas and beyond to help the Airborne Angel Cadets, which sends care packages to soldiers from all 50 states.

"More than 10 years ago, while working as a flight attendant, I met a 19-year-old solider headed back to Iraq after two weeks of R&R at home. When I asked if he received care packages from home, he said his family couldn't afford it, and in fact, he sent his military pay home to support them - it pulled on my heartstrings to see someone so young and full of passion to serve his country being sent to battle missing things we take for granted in our daily lives," said Nancy Carter, co-founder of Airborne Angel Cadets of Texas. "Once I returned from that flight, I met with a few others in the Dallas area, and we started Airborne Angel Cadets of Texas as a way to get essential items and the little comforts of home life to our military men and women overseas, regardless of their duty."

Prior to learning about the loss of its warehouse space, Airborne Angel Cadets' 2014 holiday effort shipped out close to 700 care packages to American troops around the world, which resulted in almost $12,000 in postage fees covered by donations collected throughout the year. Packages like those sent out by this organization must be mailed through Army Post Offices (APOs) and Fleet Post Offices (FPOs), which require full price postage fees.

Founded in 2005 by a small group of women in the Dallas area, Airborne Angel Cadets now has around 75 dedicated volunteers who regularly meet and assemble large care packages of much needed items, donated by local and national companies, that land in the hands of thousands of America's deployed troops around the world, some in remote areas far away from other resources.

The core group of the Airborne Angel Cadets assembled and started sending care packages to American troops serving in Afghanistan and Iraq, and over the past 10 years, the organization has expanded to ship out key edible and nn-food essentials to troops from all 50 states serving in every branch of the U.S. military in locations across Europe, Asia and Africa. The group is also working on logistics needed to support U.S. military members in Africa who are providing assistance during the Ebola outbreaks.

While the U.S. military supplies troops with many essentials, Airborne Angel Cadets received requests from various service men and women about other items that help keep them connected to home and provide some additional comforts that assist them when they are deployed in remote areas.

Some of the food items Airborne Angel Cadets regularly send out include:

• Protein sources such as beef jerky, foiled tuna packs, protein bars, packaged nuts, and peanut butter;
• Energy sources such as fruit and granola bars, pasta, and snacks;
• Beverages including instant coffee, tea, powdered drink mixes, and hot chocolate; and
• Items that are luxuries out in the field, such as shelf stable microwavable dinners, macaroni and cheese, and microwave popcorn.

Non-food items that are consistently on the wish list of the U.S. troops include:

• Personal care items such as soft refill packs of baby wipes, lip balm, sunscreen, body wash, shampoo, soap, foot powder, baby powder, razors, non-aerosol shaving cream, feminine products like tampons and pads (carried by both genders, as they can be used in emergency situations to plug bullet and shrapnel wounds), and lotions;
• Clothing items including plain white or black non-logo socks, flip flops for walking to/from shower facilities, and caps/gloves/scarves for colder weather conditions;
• Household items such as twin sheet sets and mattress pads, towels, blankets, single-use detergent pods, and quart size plastic baggies to keep things dry and organized in large backpacks; and
• Various comforts from home that include DVDs, CDs, video games, power converters, batteries (AA and AAA to run handheld devices), books, playing cards, puzzle books, office supplies (stationery, pens, and greeting cards), air fresheners, and insect repellent.

Many of the troops receiving packages from the Airborne Angel Cadets are not located near a Base Exchange (BX), Post Exchange (PX) or military commissary where they may be able to buy some of these essentials and desired items.

"We were fortunate to have processed our holiday shipment of almost 700 care packages before our warehouse situation changed so dramatically, and we are so honored to have an anonymous donor step up with a $15,000 matching grant to help us raise the $40,000 we desperately need to secure new warehouse space," Carter said. "We remain hopeful and optimistic that we can raise the money needed to find our organization a new home so that we can continue our mission of sending care packages to our troops. Through our efforts and those from other like-minded organizations, we can keep the spirits and morale of our service men and women lifted and let them know how much we care and support everything they do to preserve our freedoms."

Any excess funds raised through this fundraising campaign will go toward shipping more care packages to our military groups. To contribute online through a secure website, you may use Click&Pledge or GoFundMe. Donations can also be made by check made payable to Airborne Angel Cadets of Texas, and mailed to P.O. Box (News - Alert) 116691, Carrollton, TX 75011-6691.

About Airborne Angel Cadets of Texas

Headquartered in Carrollton, Texas, the Airborne Angel Cadets of Texas is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to support American men and women serving abroad in harm's way by supplying them with goodies, needs and comforts of home, along with thoughts and prayers, to let them know that those of us in America care and support them and that they are not forgotten. What started out in 2005 as a few women in the Dallas area sending care packages to American troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, Airborne Angels has now grown to more than 75 active, unpaid volunteers coordinating donations and sending care packages to troops from all 50 states serving in all branches of the U.S. military. In 2013, the organization shipped about 3,000 cartons of donated items to our troops around the world, focusing on those serving on the front lines and in remote areas. Most of the expenditures spent by the organization are postage fees to send these much-needed items to APO/FPO addresses, with $59,000 paid in 2013 for just postage expenditures. To learn more about the Airborne Angel Cadets of Texas and how to help, please visit www.airborneangelcadets.com and follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

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