Good News everyone!  We have had a lot of people tell us they would like to give, but are concerned about giving through the internet and don’t have a Compass Bank nearby. 

We heard you.  It took a while and a little bit of effort, but we finally have an account you can donate to at Bank of America, one of the largest banks in the US.  I am told they have the most branches of any bank in the country.  You can find one near you here.

So now all anyone has to do is visit their local BofA and reference G.I. Phone Home (make sure the periods are there) to give a little something back to our heroes!

We want you to feel safe when you give, like we want our troops to feel the safety of home from far away when they hear the voices of their loved-ones.

BJ, a great friend to our troops, sent Christmas cards telling her friends and family that she donated calling cards to the troops in lieu of holiday gifts this year.  Irv’s daughter made a donation in his name at his request.  

We have heard from a lot of people with generous ideas to support our fighting men and women, but none more creative then that of David and Pauline. 

This couple from Los Angeles created a pub quiz that they call Booze Clues LA (http://boozecluesla.com).  Every other Wednesday 150+ players and guests meet at Rudolpho’s Bar & Grill in Los Angeles. 

Amid the food and drink and conversation teams of six compete for five rounds in topics ranging from music to history, current events to pop culture. 

On December 12, in the middle of the holiday giving season, donations were collected and GI Phone Home received $500 from this charitable group of competitors.  

David and Pauline have created a way to have fun while socializing and raising money for our troops, and they have generously agreed to allow their pub quiz to be used as a fundraiser for GI Phone Home (or just for entertainment) anywhere.   

Whether is a direct donation, an in honor/memory of, or a more inventive means of raising money, we thank all of our generous supporters and invite you to share your thoughts and ideas with us.

Turn on the news these days and you are likely to hear a story about a someone taking advantage of our troops to get your money.  You'll see websites claiming to help those in need that really only help the builder steal from you.   

The good news is that this is not one of those sites.  You can do the math without even a calculator.  

Salaries and bonuses - $0.

Costs and expenses - $0.

Our troops calling home with every cent - PRICELESS.

That's right.  We are all doing this for free, which is why we don't post as much as we would like.  We have been taking care of the shipping costs for cards sent to us out of our own pockets.  The only cost associated at all is the percentage that Paypal takes when you pay using their service.  

So you can give with confidence.  The GIPhoneHome Family is not doing this for personal profit, but for the benefit of our armed forces and their families.  

We feel it’s the least we can do.

We asked the wife of a soldier serving in Iraq (the family that inspired this site to be built), some questions about what the soldiers need.  She gave us permission, via email, to print a portion of her response.  Her sentiment wasn't directly to us alone.  It is directed at all who are supporting them by supporting GI Phone Home.com.  It was directed at you.

The phone cards most often needed are the ones more than 20 dollars, cause 1 phone call can cost that much, most of the population does not know the expense of the soldiers calling home and how much of their money goes to keep in contact with their loved ones!  thank u so much for all the love and thought for our loved ones over there! Stacy

We are nothing short of overwhelmed!  Nearly $600 in just a few hours after one national radio mention!  The power of the media is only rivaled by the power of the human spirit. 

We are not PR people, just a crazy family trying to help, and we are making this up as we go along.  But we are continuing to try and make the media contacts necessary to get the word out.  Feel free to let us know if you know anybody.

The next projects include getting discounts on the calling cards from AT&T and getting retailers to place collection bins with their calling card displays in the stores.  It’s a win/win if we can combine sales for the stores with donations for our soldiers and their families.  Again, don’t be shy if you know anyone who can help.

Once again, thank you radio listeners!  I am deliberately not mentioning the name of the show as it has a political bent (don’t they all) and I don’t want to discourage anyone from giving.  Maybe we can eventually get the left, right and middle to challenge each other to see who can better support the troops on GIPhoneHome.com.  Wouldn’t that be great?  I can promise that the winner of that competition would be the child who gets to talk to her Mom or Dad who is stationed half way around the world!