Press Release December 5, 2010, OHAH Launches 2nd Annual Holiday Hugs Drive

Holiday Hugs 2010 Campaign Begins for Operation Hug-A-Hero

Operation Hug-A-Hero kicks off its 2^nd Annual Holiday Hugs Campaign to provide Hug-A-Hero dolls to the children of deployed military and law enforcement families this holiday season.

Jacksonville, NC (PRWEB) December 5, 2010 — Operation Hug-A-Hero, a 501(c)(3) organization serving the children of our deployed military, law enforcement, and others separated from their families in defense of our country, kicks off its 2^nd annual Holiday Hugs drive this week with the goal of raising $25,000 in 60 days to provide Hug-A-Hero dolls to children separated from their parents this holiday season.

Operation Hug-A-Hero Executive Director, Lisa Berg, reports a tremendous increase in the applications for the Hug-A-Hero doll program in the weeks leading up to and just after the holiday season. Berg explains that this is partly due to the fact that the holidays are very hard for children who are separated from a parent, or, in the worst case, if they have lost a parent serving in the line of duty. “Separation anxiety is often heightened during the holidays—a time that is already particularly stressful for the family back on the homefront or that is grieving a loss.” explains Berg. “Not only do Hug-A-Hero dolls provide tremendous comfort for these children, but they are also a way for the deployed parent to see that they are not forgotten and their kids do want to include them in their daily lives.”

These are excerpts from just three recent Operation Hug-A-Hero applications:

“We have pictures that the kids have posted all around the house and even our 16 month old goes to the door, opens it to look outside and says “Dada Dada… gone.” My husband’s worst fear is that the youngest two won’t remember who he is.”  – Devon Medina, US Marine Corps Spouse

“My husband is on his 3rd deployment, he’s in Afghanistan. We have 3 kids that all have Autism. I saw a child today that had one of your dolls and I loved it! This is something that would really benefit my kids. Autism already affects their ability to connect with us as parents, and being deployed makes it even harder. But having one of these dolls would be a great way to remind them that have a Daddy who loves them!” – Amber Mead, US Marine Corps Spouse

“I just deployed again and would love to be able to give something to my children, especially the twins, so that they don’t forget what I look like… as I have been out of their lives more than I have been in it since they were born. I know that this is something that they will keep for a lifetime and know that their Daddy loves them and is missing them just as much as they miss me.” – Jeremy Spence, Petty Officer 2^nd Class, US Navy

Operation Hug-A-Hero is inviting retailers, businesses, schools, churches, and other interested organizations to adorn a holiday tree with Holiday Hug ornaments. Each $25 donation represents a Hug-A-Hero doll to be gifted to an eligible child, but donations of any denomination are welcomed. Donors can write a personal message to the child recipient on the back of their ornament which will be used as a gift tag for the Hug-A-Hero doll that Operation Hug-A-Hero will send to the child.

All Holiday Hugs 2010 materials are provided by Operation Hug-A-Hero–the sponsors simply provide the tree or other display for the ornaments.  Alternatively, sponsors can initiate a donate-at-the-register campaign and display the ornaments in storefront windows or other prominent location.

“We are thrilled at the early response from organizations and businesses all over the country who are becoming Holiday Hugs supporters,” shared Stephanie Crabb, Director of Development for Operation Hug-A-Hero. “2010 has been a challenging year for fundraising for all non-profit organizations and we have hundreds of children on our waiting list right now. Our goal with Holiday Hugs 2010 is to provide Hug-A-Hero dolls to each of these families on our waiting list as well as fulfill the new requests we know are coming.”

Individuals who wish to donate to the Holiday Hugs 2010 drive directly can do so via the Operation Hug-A-Hero website. Donors may include a personal message to the child recipient and it will be written on a Holiday Hugs ornament on your behalf.

The Holiday Hugs Campaign will continue through January 31, 2010.

PressRelease on PRWeb -

Thanksgiving & Holiday Season message from OHAH CTO

photo © 2010 Jerry | more info (via: Wylio)
The whine of turbine motors and the Whup..Whupp.. Whuppp of the rotor blades from a UH-60 Black-Hawk helicopter swooping over the top of my CHU(Container-Housing-Unit) on this cool pre-dawn morning, mark the beginning of just another day here in Baghdad, Iraq.

It’s most likely the same for troops fighting in Afghanistan, many without the luxury of a CHU, sleeping in tents or wherever they can lie down or find some small bit of concealment and respite from the weather and the enemy.

Today is Thanksgiving Day 2010 and I am reminded by my surroundings that each day, courageous men and women who serve overseas face extreme hardships.

Currently over 250 thousand military members are deployed overseas.

Many troops are deployed in far off reaches of the globe. Some on ships a few on submarines and many in other far off places on foreign lands. Over 130 thousand in Afghanistan, 50 thousand in Iraq and close to 30 thousand in South Korea. The remainder in other far off reaches of the World in support of US Interest’s, protecting our Country and Way of life.

While living conditions are one hardship, the one that is the most difficult is the separation from family. This is not a one way event, as the dependents of our military members suffer from the long separations too.

As a veteran I believe, that everyone that serves their country in time of need is a Hero. Unfortunately, oftentimes overlooked in the process is the littlest Hero’s. These are the children of deployed service members who are missing their mom or dad right now.

Around this time of the year, as many of us begin to celebrate our blessings, often our thoughts turn towards our families and those in need. I think it’s time to remind all and to reemphasize the needs that children of deployed service members have.

Two key reports this year, one from the New England Journal of Medicine and the other by the Rand Corporation clearly show the pain from separation and the need.

The NEJM report along with the RAND report signify that children of military parents are adversely impacted emotionally with a parent who is deployed away from home for significant amount of time. This is the main reason that Operation Hug-A-Hero was created. We can and have made huge positive psychological impacts to the children that are recipients of our FREE Hug-A-Hero® dolls.

Our troops have made the sacrifice. Their commitment to serve their country and the American people is unwavering. We at home have so much to be thankful for even in these troubled times.

May your thoughts be with our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, Coast Guard and Civilians stationed throughout the world, as is ours.

As today starts the major celebration period for our nation my hope is that from today on and all through the Holidays, you will think of them and help us to bring a little Homeland Security to their little Heroes left behind.

There are many ways that you can help us to meet our mission.

• One simple way is to pass this message along to others; family, friends or co-workers. ( Share Save)
• Email, Tweet or re-Tweet this article,
• join our cause on Face Book
• Subscribe to our News Letter
• Comment on this article.

Of course you can also make a contribution by volunteering or helping to run a fund raising event or even by making a tax deductible donation.

Fortunately, these days, it’s easier than ever to help others. You don’t have do any heavy lifting, or even make any trips  With just a couple minutes and a few mouse clicks, you can donate and save money while you’re doing your Holiday Shopping.  Please remember us on Black Friday and Cyber Monday by visiting igive.com

Our Holiday Hugs event for 2010 will launch within the next week – Hug-A-Hero is inviting retailers, businesses, schools, churches and other interested organizations to adorn a holiday tree with OHAH Holiday Hug “ornaments.” Each ornament represents a Hug-A-Hero doll for a child, for a small donation.

If you are into Social Media and want to help with Fund Raising you can also start your own campaign to support OHAH via Crowd rise.

Whatever avenue you choose to assist us in getting our message out, we will all be eternally grateful for your kind gesture and assistance in helping to support our troops and the little Heroes.

Sincerely,

Thomas Townsend

CTO

Operation Hug-A-Hero

Baghdad, Iraq

Serving the Home Front

“It’s not easy hearing the challenges that other military families are facing.  I’ve talked to families struggling with the loss of their loved one, children having a hard time sleeping while daddy or mommy is deployed, kids staring out of the window each night waiting for daddy and not understanding why he doesn’t come home from work, and so many other heart-wrenching stories.”

Operation Hug-A-Hero’s Executive Director, Lisa Berg was recently asked to write an article for publication in the Christian Military Fellowship November Newsletter. Lisa does a great job discussing the difficulties that parents of deployed service members often encounter and how her own power of prayer gets her through the difficult moments and which led her to a rewarding association with Operation Hug-A-Hero.  Here is Lisa’s introduction and a few snippets from the article. To read the entire Newsletter please click on the link above to the Christian Military Fellowship website (CMF).

Greetings Operation Hug-A-Hero supporters!  I was asked by Christian Military Fellowship to write an article for their newsletter about my personal journey as a Christian and why I chose Operation Hug-A-Hero as a non-profit organization to be involved with. I thought you might be interested in reading it. After doing so, I also encourage you to add your comments and thoughts on this Blog post.   Thanks!

“Many military parents worry that their kids won’t remember them when they get back from a deployment (which is often 6 to 12 months or longer).  Seeing photos of their kids interacting with their Hug-A-Hero doll and including them in family events such as Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas, and so on, shows these parents that they are not forgotten.”

Veteran’s Day Tribute

On November 11th we celebrate Veterans Day—a day to recognize the sacrifices that our military, past and present, have made in defense of our great country. We are still at war, and we still have tens of thousands of active duty military deployed overseas. On a day like this it is also important to remember the families left behind on the homefront—particularly the children. It is no coincidence that November is also the “Month of the Military Family”.

Operation Hug-A-Hero is proud to support these families year-round, but we are especially pleased to acknowledge the businesses across the country that are providing specials deals and offers to honor our Veterans on November 11. Two great sources to find the deals around the country are Miltary.com and Monterey Officer Spouses’Club (MBOSC). We encourage you to keep our Veterans in your thoughts this week and hope you will reflect upon what they and their families sacrifice for our country each and every day.

Sergeant Mike Rowe-to be Honored at Benefit Ride

On April 11th, 2010, Operation Hug-A-Hero® is honoring local fallen hero, Sergeant Mike Rowe, with a Motorcycle Ride and event at Gulf Coast Harley-Davidson in New Port Richey, FL.

Sergeant Mike Rowe, U.S. Army, was killed in action while deployed to Iraq in 2006 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.  He left behind his wife, Rebecca, who was six months pregnant with their child, Nevaeh.  A few weeks after Mike passed away, his wife found a poem he had written on his computer just three days before deploying. The poem was essentially a goodbye to his family. Even then he had a sense that his mission was dangerous and he might not return.

“So it has finally come, words that shant be spoken,
My life must be done, hearts must be broken.
Fear not my dearest family, for I am not alone,
I rest with many loved ones, in my eternal home.

Saddened as you must feel, I hope you do not dwell,
For the life that I lived. I lived it so well.”

Excerpt from untitled poem written by Sergeant Mike Rowe

In November 2009, Rob James, singer from the band 2′s Company, saw the poem. He was inspired and within three days he wrote “He Knew” in tribute to Sergeant Rowe.

At Operation Hug-A-Hero®’s April 11th Benefit Ride, 2′s Company will be part of the musical entertainment along with WQYK radio station.

“It is important to us to remind the community that these survivors are here, amongst them, particularly during April, the Month of the Military Child.” says Lisa Berg, Executive Director of Operation Hug-a-Hero®. “Military children are our country’s littlest heroes and they deserve all the support we can give them.”

Nevaeh Rowe, now 3 years old, recently received her Hug-A-Hero® doll courtesy of Operation Hug-A-Hero®, a 501(c)3 organization which provides durable, washable, high quality dolls with a full-length photograph of a parent to military children dealing with deployments or whose parent has paid the ultimate sacrifice.

Below are a few photos that Mike’s wife graciously shared with us.

For more information about Operation Hug-A-Hero®, or for interview requests please contact Lisa Berg for more information, or to get involved in the April 11th Benefit Ride, please checkout our article – Wanted Sponsors & Participants for Harley Ride.

A Call to action: How YOU can help us spread the word.

15 actions you can do to help us spread the word.

It’s been an interesting two weeks with  the news of the earthquake in Haiti and the ensuing calls for support to help their country in their hour of need. The support has been nothing short of phenomenal from all the stories I have read and all the donations pouring in from all across the world and in our own country here in the United States, there are literally thousands if unique Fundraising events to help the impoverished nation and ailing peoples of Haiti.

Now let’s step back a moment and take a look at this to see what it means to our own country.  Our United States mobilized in record time additional military resources, our countries finest Sailors, Soldiers, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen were sent on deployment for undetermined lengths of time to help Haiti.  For many this is their first time away from home for extended deployments from their families. Right now no one knows how long this operation will continue, but it is sure to be many months. We also still have thousands of our military men and women deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq with more scheduled to depart every day for lengthy deployments away from their husbands, wives and children.

This post is a request, a CALL TO ACTION to ALL whom will read this:

Whether you are a current subscriber to our weekly OPERATION Hug-A-Hero Newsletter, or possibly an RSS Newsreader subscriber, if you’re a Facebook Cause Member or you are reading this from a TWEET on Twitter or just a passerby looking to see what we are all about. Perhaps you came across the Operation Hug-A-Hero blog from somewhere in the Blogosphere?

How you arrived here does not matter. What you do here is of great importance to us and our Military Families. We are not asking for money…or Donations, (although you are more than welcome to contribute to enrich a young child’s life should you so desire to do so….and it is tax deductible too) or as you are shopping online be sure to visit iGive.com. If you buy anything, Operation Hug-A-Hero gets an automatic donation from your purchase.

What we are asking for is an infinitesimal (extremely small) moment of your time to help spread the word about our cause. Haiti is extremely important, but we want to make sure that everyone knows who is helping and that they may in turn need some help of their own. At least the Children whose parents are answering our Nations call to duty. Let’s not forget them!

Here’s what you can do to help:

Please perform one of these small tasks below to help us spread the word about our Mission.

Please HELP US and share our OPERATION Hug-A-Hero site with others:

1. Click on the Share/Save Button Below the article for this post (share or email from here)
2. Forward this post/article in an email to friends, family, neighbors or co-workers
3. Forward your Newsletter to friends, family, neighbors or co-workers
4. Post this article on your Facebook Page
5. Share with your Facebook Friends from the FB Share Button above or the Share/Save Button Below
6. Add our Facebook Cause to your Facebook
7. Tweet this article from the Tweet Button Above or the Share/Save Button Below
8. Follow us on Twitter
9. Retweet this article
10. Make a comment on an article of interest on the site.
11. Subscribe and Watch us on YouTube
12. Sign up for the Operation Hug-A-Hero Newsletter
13. Sign up for our RSS Feed
14. Send our URL (Web site address) to a friends, family, neighbors or co-workers
15. Send an email to
feedback@causeworld.com and ask them to include Operation Hug-A-Hero in their nonprofit listing.

Our President gets it. In a statement today prior to his State of the Union address on Wednesday, President Obama stated “military families welfare is an important part of U.S. national security”.

After all, this is what OPERATION HUG-A-HERO is all about.

For more information on the Mental Health & Welfare issues that our Deployed families routinely deal with please read the related post below.

Wives & Military Deployments – SPECIAL REPORT by NEJM

Children & Military Deployments – SPECIAL REPORT -

Wives & Military Deployments – SPECIAL REPORT by NEJM

An interesting story published on Thursday January 14th, 2010 in the New England Journal of Medicine entitled “Deployment and the Use of Mental Health Services among U.S. Army Wives” discovered that the wives of soldiers deployed suffered higher mental health issues.

This was the largest study ever undertaken. The results are very conclusive and indicate “that the mental health effects of current military operations are extending beyond soldiers and into their immediate families.”

The study shows again “that when a service member deploys, the entire family deploys,” said Air Force Maj. April Cunningham, a Pentagon spokeswoman.

The results of this study mirror the findings from the RAND Corp. study of military children that we reported on last month in our Operation Hug-A-Hero SPECIAL REPORT,Children and Military Deployments that discusses Deployment Effects on Children of Military Families. The NEJM story details the fact that Children of deployed parents suffer more emotional issues, particularly if separations are long or the parent at home is troubled.

It’s a fact … kids do worse when Mom does worse. “So if spouses are more likely to need mental health services as deployment times increase, than their kids are more at risk.”

The NEJM story is pretty technical, so if you want an easier read, I would suggest the USA Today summary that you can read by clicking here: Army wives with deployed husbands suffer higher mental health issues.

The NEJM report along with the RAND report signify that  children of military parents are adversely impacted emotionally with a parent who is deployed away from home for significant amount of time. This is the main reason that Operation Hug-A-Hero was created. We can and have made huge positive psychological impacts to the children that are recipients of our FREE Hug-A-Hero® dolls.

Download a copy of this Report

TampaBayOnline Features OHAH

Operation Hug-A-Hero’s Executive Director Lisa Berg and her family were featured on Tampa Tribunes’s – TBO.com (Tampa Bay  Online) .  The Story by Geoff Foxx of the Tampa Tribune is an inspirational story that details the history of Daddy Dolls as well as how the Dolls have helped Lisa’s children. Also of great importance is the note regarding the recent troop surge announced by President Obama and how many children of military family’s can be helped by a Donation, so that Operation Hug-A-Hero can supply more Dolls to children whose parents are about to deploy in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.

With President Obama’s recent announcement that 30,000 troops soon will be sent to Afghanistan, OPERATION Hug-A-Hero is accepting donations so that more Daddy Dolls will find their way to the arms of children who miss their parent. A donation of $25 can get a doll to a child.

Click here to read the entire TBO story entitled Hug-A-Hero dolls provide comfort to children of deployed military.

Related Posts:

December 2, 2009 Press Release – OHAH offers public opportunity to support ‘littlest heroes’

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OHAH’s Exective Director Featured on Tampa’s 10 Connects.com

OPERATION Hug-A-Hero’s Executive Director, Lisa Berg was featured on Tampa Bay’s WTSP TV Channel 10 Connects.com on Friday December 18, 2009. You can check out the text of the interview from 10 Connects Web site where you can view the interview. Or you can view it right from the home page of Operation Hug-A-Hero in our Featured Video on the right sidebar ->.

Here are Lisa’s comments from the interview:

I was happy to come down and interview. What a warm welcome 10 Connects gave me. Couple other points I didn’t get a chance to make: MacDill AFB Enlisted Spouse’s Club raised money for our cause to help those on MacDill in need. Please contact us to find out how to place a doll into the loving arms of a child in need right here in Tampa. Also, ANYONE can donate. Every $1 helps. In recent days, groups have come forward to donate instead of buying each other Christmas gifts (RNs from Orlando and Kansas City). We thank each of you for your support. Let’s Help our Little Heroes left behind. Let’s support our troops who are protecting us by us providing comfort to their children. Think about these children right now as we all plan to celebrate the holidays with loved ones. Thanks for your interest!

Related Posts:

Afghanistan Troop Surge – Public Opportunity to support littlest hero’s

Deployment Effects on Children of Military Families – SPECIAL REPORT -

Children & Military Deployments – SPECIAL REPORT -

At Operation Hug-A-Hero® we know firsthand the negative effects deployments can have on children. After all Hug-A-Hero® Dolls were created by two military wives who struggled with a way for their children to be able to connect with their fathers who were deployed Marines. That was the original basis for Daddy Dolls®. The founders Tricia and Nikki, saw the huge psychological payback for their own children by seeing the connection their own children had with the dolls, which bear the image of their fathers. Several years later the nonprofit OPERATION Hug-A-Hero was created.

Up until recently little was known about how children were affected by long absences from parents who were deployed overseas and the reintegration after their return home. The National Military Family Association commissioned a study by the RAND Corporation that addresses this issue.

The research is among the first to explore how these children are faring academically, socially, and emotionally during an extended period of wartime. Results show that children from military families studied may be experiencing above average levels of emotional and behavioral difficulties, relative to national norms.

This report has had a fairly wide media response and has been published in Stars and Stripes, New York Times and the Science Daily to name a few. We have provided links to the actual reports for your benefit.

You can read the full report from Rand’s Press Release – here Longer Parental Deployment Linked to More Emotional Challenges for Military Children

Additionally you can download the full report in a PDF format directly from the National Military Family Associations website.

Views from the Home Front – The Experience of Children from Military Families
Here are the major points from this report:

■ Children in military families experienced emotional and behavioral difficulties at rates above national averages.

■ About one-third of the children reported symptoms of anxiety, which is somewhat higher than the percentage reported in other studies of children.

■ Self-reported problems varied by age and gender: Older youths and boys reported more difficulties with school and more problem behaviors, such as fighting; greater numbers of younger children (compared with older children) and girls reported anxiety symptoms.

The results also revealed challenges posed specifically by deployment:

■ Longer periods of parental deployment (within the past three years) were linked to greater difficulties in children’s social and emotional functioning, at least based on caregiver reports.

■ Deployment-related challenges varied by age and gender: Older youths experienced greater school- and peer-related difficulties during deployment; girls experienced greater difficulties during the period of reintegration than did boys.

■Children whose caregivers had better self-reported mental health were better able to cope with the deployment experience both during and after.

■ Living on-base was linked with reduced difficulties both during and after deployment.

The results represent an important first step in understanding the link between parental deployment and military child and family well-being. The findings suggest the need for more research to improve understanding in several areas, including the link between caregiver mental health and child well-being and the reasons why girls and older youth may be reporting more challenges with deployment. The results also highlight several avenues for possible intervention. For example, families may benefit from targeted support to deal with stressors from multiple months of deployment, rather than only during initial months. Further, families in which caregivers face mental health issues may need more support for both caregiver and child.

Reports like this validate the OHAH mission and are the reason why our volunteers are eager to help us achieve our goals.  We want to help our military children who are faced with the inevitable. Founder of Operation Hug-A-Hero®, Tricia Dyal, states “We want to be able to help these children by providing them with a coping mechanism before that parent ever deploys. A Hug-A-Hero® doll should be their security blanket.”

Download a copy of this Report

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