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Kathy Orr, President
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People often ask me, "Why do you work so hard to support the troops? Do you have family in the military?"
I used to struggle with how to answer that question. When I was a toddler, my oldest brother was in the Navy for four years. But, being so young, I did not know or understand all that "being in the Navy" meant. The service and sacrifice of our troops was neither taught nor emphasised in my home. Until very recently, we had no military members in our family (my husband's nephew and his oldest daughter just signed up). So, why indeed do I do this? Well, after much pondering, I came to the only logical conclusion there could be: simply, this is what the Lord put in my heart to do. This is the 'job' He has for me to do while I'm here. It does not seem like work to me, though -- it is a joy and a blessing!!! I could no more stop sending cards & care packages (even in peace times) than I could stop breathing. It is just deeply ingrained in my heart, and that's all there is to it. 
My day job is that of a legal secretary, working for a large firm in Atlanta. My husband works for a locally-owned pest control company. We have four children here at home, ages ranging from 4 to 14! My husband has three adult children from a previous marriage, and various grandkids, as well. We belong to a wonderful church, the Orchard United Methodist Church, where we have been members for several years now.
I began writing to soldiers frequently during the Gulf War in the early 1990s. That was back when you were allowed to send mail to "Any Soldier," and the letters would be delivered to whoever wanted extra mail that day. Then, in 2000 or perhaps very early 2001, I stumbled across one of the many wonderful troop support organizations out there. I immediately signed up to "adopt" a soldier. For the longest time, I only wrote to one soldier at a time. Then, September 11, 2001 happened, and changed everything. When we went to war, I kicked up my support efforts by several notches, knowing that the troops would truly need the tangible support from home that letters and care packages provide. In approximately 2004, I began doing card drives to collect cards from all over the country, in order to give support and encouragement for deployed troops. As the years have gone by, the card drives have grown. Christmas, 2007, saw over 25,000 Christmas/Holiday cards shipped, along with other care package items and treats. None of this would be possible without the help and support of my family, friends, and community as a whole. I am humbly honored to be able to team up with Melissa, Michelle, Patty and Tammy, some of the finest people I've ever had the honor of knowing, to expand and increase our support efforts. It is my goal and vision that we continue to do so, even long after the current conflict ends. Even in times of peace, there are ALWAYS troops deployed *somewhere* in the world, often in hostile environments. Our troops will never cease to need the support and encouragement from us here at home -- and it is my personal goal to make sure they get it!
No doubt, sending "Love From Home" truly makes a difference to our troops!
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