My Fellow Americans,
My name is Joey Herman. I am a college student at the University of Michigan (Go Blue!). I started a nonprofit organization called Thanks-4-Giving, as a way for American people to show how much they appreciate the services and courage of the military. I am acutely aware that as I sit safely at my desk in school, there are young men and women, some of whom not much older than I am, who are risking their lives for the freedom and safety that we all enjoy here at home. I am also deeply moved by the knowledge that many of our American heroes are here, on our soil, struggling. Some are in hospitals. Some are in rehab centers. Others are trying to pick up the pieces of their interrupted, altered private lives. Too many private civilians take the sacrifices and struggles of our military men and women for granted.
With these feelings and thoughts ever present in my mind and with the help of my parents, my sister and my brother, I started a nonprofit organization called Thanks-4-Giving. The goals of my efforts are two fold:
First, I used money that I saved up to initiate and create a special gift for our military heroes. My dream is that ultimately every person who serves in EVERY branch of The United States military will have one. It is my intention that the bracelets will serve as a link between the individual civilian who bought it and the hero who wears it. The bracelet simply says “Thanks-4-Giving” on one side of it and “Courage” on the other side of it. Each bracelet will be enclosed in its own mesh gift bag along with a short note explaining what the gift represents. It will also contain a short personal note of gratitude written by the purchaser. It is my hope that every American will desire to purchase at least one of these bracelets so that every person in the military, both active and retired can have one. I also hope that perhaps a special bond can be made between the civilians back home and the special men and women who protect(ed) us both here and abroad.
THERE IS NO COST FOR THE BRACELET TO ANYONE IN THE MILITARY. IT IS A GIFT!
Second, ALL proceeds from the sale of my bracelets, after expenses, will be donated to specially selected military charities. Two that I have in mind from the outset are the USO and The Wounded Warrior Organization. My mission is to help fund organizations that work directly towards enhancing the lives of our military heroes while they are at work protecting us abroad (The U.S.O.). I also want to support such organizations as The Wounded Warrior Project whose mission is to rescue our fallen heroes directly from combat and rehabilitate them back into a new life of possibility and fulfilling challenges here at home.
I am hoping that my endeavor is successful, and that my “Thanks-4-Giving” Foundation becomes a viable link between the American people and the military heroes who risk their lives in order to protect us.
Thanks-4-Giving,
Joey
Joey I. Herman
Founder and President
Thanks-4-Giving Foundation
joey@thanks-4-giving.org
