Help the Little Soldiers

With the massive numbers of soldiers being deployed to foreign lands, American Recreational Military Services (A.R.M.S.) would like to make the deployed service men and women's' "Little Soldiers" smile for the holidays.

In order to achieve this, A.R.M.S. is collecting new, unwrapped toys to be distributed to the families of these brave men and women currently serving overseas. It is hard enough for the young children of American soldiers to understand that their parents are away, let alone the thought of spending the holidays without them.

Each Armory, or Battalion, has supplied A.R.M.S. with a wish list of two gifts for each child, and the group would like to make every child's wish come true. Some of the items the organization is looking for are:

* Gift Cards (Wal-Mart, Target, Best Buy, Toys R Us, Sports Stores)

* Footballs, Soccer balls

* Cars, trucks, trains

* Baby dolls

* Cars DVD

* Little Mermaid DVD

* Children's Books

* Children's hats and gloves

* Swimming Membership to YMCA

Anyone who is able to contribute or help out in this worthwhile endeavor is asked to contact American Recreational Military Services (ARMS) at 732-890-4914 (Ronnie) or 718-981-5497 (Evelyn).

Monetary donations can also be made by sending them to
64 Harding Road
Red Bank, New Jersey 07701.
Checks should be made out to A.R.M.S.

The donated toys and books can be dropped off at any of A.R.M.S.'s drop-off points. To find out where the drop-off points are located, go to: www.supportarms.org/Locations.html.

American Recreational Military Services (A.R.M.S.) was founded in 2003 by a group of grass roots volunteers who wanted to give something back to the military and their families. In a matter of months, this small organization had grown from just a handful to more than 325 volunteers throughout the tri-state area.

Since 2003, A.R.M.S. has

* shipped over 78,00 pounds of toiletries to servicemen and women overseas

* distributed 280 Thanksgiving dinner baskets

* collected 16,000 presents for the children of mobilized soldiers

* distributed 6,500 pre-paid calling cards

* served 85,000 meals to troops

* provided over $36,500 in direct financial aid to families

* served meals and snacks to over 35,000 family members

* raised $30,000 to send 42 soldiers home for the holidays before deployment

* participated in over 30 homecomings and Freedom Salutes in 2005 and 2006.

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