How can you help our nonprofit send care packages to some of the most remote of the roughly 150,000 U.S. military troops serving overseas in 2024?

1) Donate Financially - Our greatest need is cash for our mailing costs. With no paid staff, we strive to maximize the use of donations. We are a 501(c)(3) charity, so your gifts are tax deductible. We accept checks to Airborne Angel Cadets of Texas, P.O. Box 116691, Carrollton, TX 75011. You can donate via credit card through our Click and Pledge account. Or you can Venmo us at NancyCarter@AirborneAngels.

2) Donate Goods - Our all-volunteer charity is based in the Dallas area, but receives product donations from across the USA for care packages for our Soldiers and Troops overseas. We kindly request that you contact us at support@airborneangelcadets.com before sending any care package goods.

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10/31/2011

Major Maria K redeploys to Afghanistan in 2012

Major Maria K is returning to Afghanistan in January of 2012 along with 3,500 fellow soldiers. The Airborne Angel Cadets of Texas have been blessed to have supported Maria during previous deployments, and will do so again in 2012. Below is Maria's letter as published in a newsletter of the Association of VA Social Workers.

To Whom It May Concern,

I just wanted to explain why I voted for the Airborne Angel Cadets of Texas by sharing an article I wrote for WE ...

Nancy Carter is a Delta Airlines Flight Attendant; however, she is not just a flight attendant. Nancy is also a devoted wife, loving mother of two, and an outstanding volunteer. In 2005, Nancy founded the Airborne Angel Cadets of Texas (ACT), a non-profit charity that supports military members deployed to such remote locations as Afghanistan and Iraq. Nancy and the Angels support military members by mailing them care packages filled with a variety of comfort items from World War II style pogey bait to more modern Bath and Body Works products.

Since 2005, Nancy has recruited over 100-Angels that now make-up the ACT. Nancy has also solicited over $150,000 in monetary donations, $600,000 in in-kind donations, and has mailed over 7,000 care packages to military members. Nancy has accomplished this all from her small town of Carrollton, Texas.

Though at this time, Nancy and the Angels have been recognized by many organizations and have appeared in numerous media outlets, I would like to personally recognize Nancy for her outstanding volunteerism and inspiration.

Nancy and I first met while I was deployed to Iraq in 2005 with the 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment (3d ACR). As an Army licensed clinical social worker, I was providing behavioral health care to the 3d ACR military members that included approximately 3,500 Soldiers, and I was attempting to be creative in reference to boosting their morale and decreasing their anxiety and stress in reference to the everyday toils of the combat environment.

Initially, I advertised myself on AnySoldier.com in attempt to receive comfort items I could deliver to military members during my aggressive outreach missions. I thought by delivering comfort items to Soldiers, would if nothing else, let them know they were not forgotten and someone was concerned about their well-being while being deployed to such an environment.

Within a matter of weeks, Nancy located me on AnySoldier.com and started communicating with me via email. Shortly after establishing an email-based relationship, I began receiving care packages from Nancy and the Angels. I continued to receive hundreds of care packages while deployed to Iraq and I would open all the care packages, redistribute the comforts items in to what I referred to as self-care packages, and then deliver them to military members assigned to the most remote locations in our area of operations in Iraq.

The packages appeared to do what I expected, boost morale and decrease anxiety and stress. They also provided an opportunity for me to develop rapport and informally provide talk therapy to Soldiers. Nancy and the Angels supported me and essentially all 3,500 Soldiers in Iraq until we redeployed to the U.S. in 2006.

Upon my redeployment to the U.S., Nancy and I continued our email-based relationship and in 2007, when I deployed to Afghanistan, Nancy and the Angels once again supported me and approximately 3,500 Soldiers, this time from the 82nd Airborne Division, with hundreds of care packages. When I redeployed to the U.S. in 2008, Nancy and I not only continued our email-based relationship, but she made travel arrangements so I could personally meet her and the Angels. It was a wonderful experience finally being given the opportunity to meet Nancy and the Angels who had supported me and thousands of other military members through some of our worst moments in life.

Nancy and the Angels continue to support thousands of military members every day. And due to Nancy’s outstanding volunteerism, she has inspired me to give back and volunteer. Since 2008, I’ve been assisting Nancy and the Angels to solicit funds, in-kind donations, and prepare care packages for mailing to military members. And in December 2011, I will once again be on the receiving end when I deploy for a second time to Afghanistan with approximately 3,500 Soldiers, this time from the 37th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. Yes, with all that is going on in the world, Nancy and the Angels have already reassured me they will be there for support, as they have always been in the past.