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Community Projects
HONORING OUR MILITARY
The Penelope Terry Abbey Chapter is proud to participate in a number of projects to support our active military personnel and their families; to honor those who have previously served in the military; and to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
Our Chapter members join the citizens of Enfield in honoring our military and preserving the past by participating in all three parades held during the year: The MEMORIAL DAY PARADE in May; The INDEPENDENCE DAY PARADE in July; and The VETERANS' DAY PARADE in November.
PROJECT PATRIOT-
At the national level of our organization, we contribute funds to PROJECT PATRIOT. The money supports the wounded servicemen who are sent from the battlefields of Afghanistan and Iraq to the medical facility at Landstuhl Air Force base in Germany.
OVERSEAS COUPON PROGRAM-
In an effort to support our military and their families, our chapter has joined the Overseas Coupon Program and adopted the Naval Air Facility Atsugi in Japan. Atsugi is the largest Naval Air Facility in the Pacific and is located on the main island of Honshu, Japan. The base is located twenty miles from downtown Tokyo. The base’s current community is 8,000 personnel, composed of U.S. military, civilians, family members and over 1,000 Japanese National employees.
Our DAR chapter members clip the manufacturers’ coupons that appear in the Sunday newspapers and send them to the base. The bundles of coupons are placed on tables, at the PX and Commisssary, or handed out for use by military members and families on base.This helps the families save valuable dollars and stretch their budget.
The manufacturers accept the coupons up to 6 months after the expiration date, so we can send them if they are close to expiring or just recently expired. They suggest that we don't send any coupons more than 2 months expired, so they have time to use them once they receive them.
Since joining the program in 2009, our chapter members have sent $67,000 worth of coupons to Atsugi through July 2011. The only cost to us is postage and a little time.
If you would like to learn more about adopting a U.S. military base through this 18 year-old program, go to the Overseas Coupon Program website: http://www.ocpnet.org
You can also contact them by snail mail at: Overseas Coupon Program (OCP), P.O. Box 1085, O'Fallon, MO 63366, or 636 "dash" 448 "dash" 1440.
STAMPS FOR THE WOUNDED-
For a number of years, our chapter has been collecting cancelled and new US postage stamps and cancelled foreign stamps. We forward them to this non-government affiliated agency for use by hospitalized servicemen and women.
Stamps can be found on your own mail, the mail received by friends, and business firms with overseas correspondence. It is estimated that more than a million discarded or forgotten stamp collections are in attics, trunks, and closets!
MILITARY COFFEE REQUESTS-
By going to this website and entering a deployed soldier's mailing address (APO/FPO) you can enter to win coffee for deployed members of the military. Dunkin' Brands, Inc. holds a monthly lottery to randomly select 50 military personnel at random per month. Each receives a case of Dunkin' Donuts coffee. Be sure to save the website address and enter every day. Perhaps someone you know and love will get some coffee!!!
Click Here
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2011
STAND DOWN DAY AT THE VETERANS HOME AT ROCKY HILL, CONNECTICUT-
You may have seen television news coverage of this event this year or in the past. Articles of clothing, dental care, hair cuts, and job counseling, etc. are made available to veterans. The STAND DOWN was established to improve the lives of homeless and needy veterans.
For the second year, the Penelope Terry Abbey Chapter will participate in this event by donating items to go into Comfort Kits for veterans.
The list of goods asked for in 2011 include the following:
Hooded Windbreakers - (L, XL, 1X, 2X)
Sweatpants - (L, XL, 1X, 2X)
Hooded Sweatshirts - (L, XL, 1X, 2X)
Hats, Scarves and Gloves - (All sizes)
Mens's and Women's Slippers - (All sizes)
Socks and underwear (men's/women's)
Fleece Throws
DUE TO HEALTH REGULATIONS, ALL DONATED CLOTHING MUST BE NEW
Shaving cream, Disposable razors,
Toothpaste and toothbrushes,
Shampoo, Hairbrush, Combs,
Bar Soap, Deodorant, Lotion
If you would like to contribute goods to this worthy cause, we will be happy to deliver them to the home. We ask that folks get the goods to us before the end of August.
Financial donations are also welcome, and checks should be mailed directly. Please make them out to:
CT Department of Veterans' Affairs, Stand Down Account
Send to:
Attention Angella Bentley, Business Office
Connecticut Department of Veteran' Affairs
287 West Street, Rocky Hill, CT 06067
This year's Stand Down is expected to serve 1200 homeless and needy veterans.
VETERANS IN NOVEMBER-
Our chapter makes a donation to the Veterans Home in Rocky Hill, Connecticut.
WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA-
Saturday, December 10, 2011 12:00 Noon
Our chapter members participate in this event at two locations.
First, at the ceremony held in the East Windsor Veterans Cemetery, Windsorville Road, in East Windsor/Broad Brook/Windsorville Connecticut. This ceremony, held at 12:00 p.m. Noon, is sponsored by the East Windsor Veterans Commission.
Second, at St. Patrick’s Cemetery on Route 5 in Enfield, Connecticut will be the site for Enfield's Fourth Annual Wreaths Across America Ceremony, which begins PROMPTLY at 12:00 p.m. Noon so that all of the ceremonies being held across the nation happen on the same day. Enfield is one of 40 locations from around our state, and one of 500 locations all over the world.
Locally, this ceremony is being sponsored by several organizations, including the Penelope Terry Abbey Chapter of the American Daughters of the Revolution, the Enfield Girl Scouts of America, the Enfield Boy Scouts of America, the Enfield Veterans' Council and the EnfieldHooah.org.
This is a very special ceremony to remember the fallen, honor those who serve, and teach our children the value of freedom. The Worcester Wreath Company donates the seven ceremonial wreaths that will be placed near the Veterans’ Memorial Markers in the cemetery. Each wreath represents a branch of military service--the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Merchant Marine and POW/MIA service men and women.
We encourage citizens and their families to attend this very moving ceremony.
Members of the public may purchase individual wreaths any time during 2011 for their loved ones who served our country. After the ceremony, they may place these wreaths on local graves or, if preferred, they will be placed for you on your veteran’s grave in St. Patrick’s Cemetery by Boy Scouts. The purchaser may claim their wreath by showing proof of purchase after the ceremony. If you have purchased a wreath but are unable to attend the ceremony, alternate arrangements made be made by calling Jean at 860-668-7922.
The DEADLINE FOR ORDERING the wreaths is MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2011.
Wreaths may be ordered directly from the Wreaths Across America organization for $15 each. There are three options available for ordering.
First, by going online, just click the link below.
Click Here
Second, by phone toll free at: 877-385-9504 ask for Elaine or Julie
You will need a credit card when ordering online or over the phone.
Third, paper order forms are available in the lobby of the main branch of the Enfield Public Library and from the Town Manager at Enfield Town Hall.
Be sure to provide the Group ID Number CTDAR007 and Cemetery ID Number CTSPCE so that your wreath(s) will be delivered to the group leader for St. Patrick’s Cemetery for you to pick up immediately after the ceremony.
EDUCATING OUR CHILDREN
DAR SCHOOLS-
In addition to donating funds, members collect and donate box tops from General Mills products and UPC Codes from various Campbell's Soup Product Labels to support six schools owned and controlled by private, non-profit corporations. These schools offer a variety of special needs programs including attention deficit disorder, dyslexia, adult literacy, and children in family crisis. The DAR also serves thousands of other students from pre-school through college who need a place to learn to fulfill their potential. These schools are located in Tamassee, South Carolina; Grant, Alabama; Marlborough, Massachusetts; Hindman, Kentucky; Mount Berry, Georgia; and Crossnore, North Carolina.
DAR SCHOLARSHIPS-
The Connecticut Daughters of the American Revolution, Inc. offers five college scholarships of $1,000 each year to Connecticut students. In 2010, our chapter sponsored two scholarship winners.
To learn more about DAR scholarships offered by Connecticut and our national organization, contact our chapter or your local high school's guidance office.
JANUARY GOOD CITIZENS AWARDS-
Each year awards are presented to one senior selected from each of the following local high schools: Enrico Fermi High School, Enfield High School, Somers High School, and East Windsor High School.
The program encourages and honors young people who are outstanding good citizens in their local communities.
United States citizenship is not required.
It is open to all senior-class students. Students selected as their school's DAR Good Citizen must demonstrate the qualities of dependability, service, leadership and patriotism.
Each school's DAR Good Citizen receives a DAR Good Citizen pin, certificate and wallet recognition card.
Selected students are encouraged to participate in the scholarship competition part of the program, but they are not required to do so.
DAR Good Citizens who enter the scholarship contest are eligible for the awards beyond the chapter level. Each state winner receives an award in the amount of at least $250 and a special state DAR Good Citizens pin and certificate. The national winner will be invited to Washington, D.C. to attend DAR Continental Congress and will be awarded a $5,000 scholarship, an inscribed silver bowl, and certificate. Each of the eight national division winners will receive a cash award in the amount of $500.
PRESERVING OUR HISTORY SEPTEMBER CONSTITUTION WEEK-
The 224rd Anniversary of the signing of the Constitution will be commemorated from September 17-23, 2011. A special Proclamation will be sought from the Town of Enfield.
We hope all chapter members and citizens of Enfield will proudly fly their flags!
Web hyperlinks to non-DAR sites are not the responsibility of the NSDAR, the state organizations, or individual DAR chapters.
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