On the Wings of an Angel, and One Pair of Boots on the Ground

"It's a Wonderful Life" has Clarence the Angel. The organization Angels Supporting Your Troops has their own angel, in the form of Ms. Irene Spatafore.

Ms. Saptafore is the wings behind Angels Supporting Your Troops.  Her fellow haloed workers include her daughter Valerie Spatafore, and Renee Bernacki. Together they package numerous items in need for our troops serving overseas in combat zones.

The heavenly trio began their angelic work 17 months ago and have packaged 166 boxes of life's necessities for over 616 of our warriors serving in volatile zones.

If the title of this blog sounds a bit strange, believe it or not, the military only supplies our fighting soldiers with one pair of boots a year and two pairs of socks.  I had to ask Irene the question twice, because I could not believe it. 

"The most important item our soldiers ask for are additional pairs of socks and foot powder,"  Irene said.  Other popular things of value are items we take for granted every day, and they include things like toothpaste, razors, band-aids, along with health and skin care products.

Their first home, if you will, meaning a place where the ladies could pack the boxes was provided by the Connelly Funeral Home.  This lasted for about 14 months and unfortunately they were forced to find another location. 

When those clouds seemed to block the light of their worthy endeavor, the Sonshine Church peaked through the darkness and provided the angels with a place large enough to pack their care packages. The ladies were grateful for something the rest of us would take for granted. The Church provided heat and restrooms that even angels require in their duties.

There is always a bummer in a great story like this and here it is warts and all.  In 2010, the angles had to hock their halos because it cost a total of $3,691 to mail the packages overseas.  In 2011, from January to April the postage bill currently stands at $2,041.15. 

Now here is where where my blood boiled when Irene told me they reached out to 11 funeral homes for assistance and only one responded with a $200 donation. 

The average military funeral cost the family of the deceased warrior $8,600.  Is this a great country or what?

Riding to the rescue, or I should say driving to the rescue, was Gunther Charter Buses who donated the proceeds of a bus trip in the amount of $1,397 to this great cause.

Ten Hut!  Listen up, if you want  to help and donate some items check out Any Soldiers.com and take command as they say in the military.

If you have any questions or want to help or donate some much needed money, they are a 501(c)3, here is an e-mail to one of the angels: ValerieSaptafore@verizon.net.

Maybe one night in one of those dark, cold and lonely foxholes, a soldier may have an angel by his side.