VOLUNTEERS

Loretta Brank

I joined G4S because I had previously felt helpless in a time of such political controversy over this “war”. I grew up in the 70’s when Vietnam Vets and POW’s were returning to the States and heard so many horror stories of how they were treated by the very citizens they had defended and protected. Regardless of one’s opinion about the reason we are in Iraq, (or why we were in Vietnam) the men and women who are sacrificing everything we take for granted deserve our support and respect. They are not the enemy here and I am so grateful for their service, for without them and those who served before them I would not be living free….free to choose the big things like a President…..free to choose the little things like which restaurant I want to eat at tonight……free to wear my hair purple if I want to……free to voice my opinion………free to choose freedom of, or from, religion……the list goes on and on……..all because our brave men and women choose to defend my right to choose! The very least I can do is write a letter to someone who may be wondering if he or she has been forgotten, or pack a box with a little piece of home to get them through one more day……………It’s the least I can do.

Linda Summarell

I joined the G4S as a way to help support these wonderful service men and women. This is an outlet for me to thank them for their service to our great country and let them know how much we care and appreciate what they do for us everyday. My son, Brad, and a few of his friends joined the military after high school, so young and yet dedicated to our country. Brad is in the US Coast Guard and his friends are in the US Coast Guard and Marines. Two of the Marines are to be sent to Iraq in the next month or two. Thank GOD for all of our military!!

Kelly Costanza

My name is Kelly Costanza. I am mother of three beautiful children and wife of a wonderful man for 16 years. All five of us have been on an incredible journey of life and I cannot imagine being without them. My husband and children have been very supportive of me while I found my passion in life of designing and building homes with universal design principles in order to put affordable, accessible and energy efficient homes in our community and in all other states across our country. It has been amazing to see God’s hands in all of our work and the remarkable people who have impacted our lives. Through our work I have seen so many soldiers come home with severe injuries and needing a home that functions. I’m not able to be involved with as many soldiers as I would like, but Gathering 4 Soldiers has been a way to reach out and show my appreciation to our soldiers and their families. These men and women and their loving families need our support of encouraging words from letters, emails, instant messaging and the love-filled packages that go out after every G4S meeting. Every meeting is an invitation to meet someone new and an opportunity to make a difference in a person’s life, whether that’s over seas, here in the states or in the very room the meeting takes place. You start to see a ripple effect take place…it’s an awesome sight to behold and an incredible experience to be a part of….Yea God! Enjoy the journey.

Joseph and Stephanie Olsen

Joseph and Stephanie love being a part of G4S because they have seen first-hand how important it is for a soldier and his wife to have support during a deployment. Joe served in Operation Iraqi Freedom from March 2003-August 2004. During his deployment, he served with a Military Police Battalion in Baghdad doing military escorts and security detail. They were married two weeks before Joe was deployed overseas and the support they received from family and friends made their time apart bearable. Our hope is to give back what we have been given many times over. We are blessed to be a part of a group of people who have such big hearts in giving to our men and women in uniform.

Lee Ann Dichtel

I was asked the question, “Do you support the troops?” and I said yes. Then I was asked, “How do you support the troops?” and I had no answer. When the opportunity to be a part of G4S presented itself, I knew it was the right thing to do. I do not have family actively serving in the service at this time, but since this began I have found out that I have many friends that have loved ones there, and I have been able to reach out to them, and it has been an awesome experience. I’m very proud of our country and for the men and women that have given of themselves to protect and serve. If I can make them feel appreciated, respected and loved just by sending a letter or putting a package together then it is the least I can do. It is now a family affair and my mother and my 11 year old son, Jacob, also attend G4S and write letters and pack boxes as well.

Nancy Neeley

I joined the G4S team to show my support for the troops. I can’t show all the soldiers my support and thanks, but I can tell the ones I write and send packages to that I care. I know they are living under terrible conditions and I hope my thoughts and prayers bring some joy to their day. It is important that they know they are remembered and they are not alone or forgotten by the people they are fighting to protect.

Britany and Scott Kerns

We are Britany and Scott Kerns originally from WI and we live in Nashville, TN. We joined the G4S to be a part of a wonderful outreach. Britany’s brother, Dane, just finished his first year as an active Marine and is training in MD, he shows us everyday what sacrifice is for soldiers to have to be away from their families. We wanted to help, in any way we could, our brave soldiers who are fighting for our freedom. We want to thank them all for their service and hopefully, the little we can do will help boost their moral all the more!

Paula Foster

There is nothing that we could ever give back to these young men and women who have given their time and their lives for the freedom of our country. I admire them for committing this time in their lives to focus on serving and realizing there is a great cost, and their willingness to give that selflessly. I have children who are the age of these young people who have volunteered to serve and I can only imagine the homesickness that they and their families feel. I pray for them daily. The little things we can do to send a note or a package is nothing compared to what they are doing for us.

Debbie Seldon

I became involved with G4S because I enjoy working on projects that involve serving. Also, being the mother of two children who are of the age to enlist, my heart was pulled trying to imagine what the families were feeling. Currently, I work at the Make-A-Wish Foundation and at the Red Cross doing vision screenings for elementary students. I enjoy being Pikes Mom at MTSU and preparing snacks for the musicians and my husband who shoots videos at the The Gathering. I enjoy cooking or going out to eat, so I try to cycle or run. I am a fan of the Chicago White Sox, the Chicago Bears, Texas Longhorns (Hook ‘Em), MTSU Blue Raiders, Illinois State Red Birds, and Vince Young of the Titans. My family enjoys Mardi Gras, so if anyone needs beads, we have boxes of them!

Karen Prather The reason I joined the G4S group was because of my deep appreciation for all of our soldiers. They serve day in and day out in horrible conditions to protect our country. My family is the most important thing in my life and from my point of view these men and women are protecting those most dear to me. They and their families need to know there are people they don’t even know them who love them, are thinking about them, and praying for their safety daily. The letters and packages we send are a small token of our appreciation. I know if my children or grandchildren were soldiers, what this group does would mean the world to me.

Barbara McGee Currently I have no family members in the military. The extent to which I was “supporting” the troops was that I have a map of the Middle East taped to the inside of my coffee cupboard and I say a quick prayer every morning when I open that cupboard. Gathering4Soldiers has given me a tangible way to REALLY support the troops. It certainly has broadened my perspective of our engagement overseas, as well as given me a better sense of what’s really important in the grand scheme of things – connecting to others. I love the expectation of what it will be like when my soldiers’ names are called at mail call and they will open something I have sent them. I also love the feelings of excitement, love, and real purpose I experience at each G4S meeting. The most amazing thing to me is how the love and care spreads. I have 5 sisters in 5 other states who have “adopted” some of our soldiers too!

Pat McCoy I’ve been married to self-employed musician, Charlie McCoy, for twenty years. He has two grown children & five grandchildren. We have a cat, Peggy, who has been with us for 16 years. Charlie has been a recording artist and entertainer, as well as a studio musician in Nashville since 1960. He travels a great deal to perform and I travel with him some of the time. The rest of my time is spent working in our home office, volunteering at Nashville Humane, spending time with friends & family, taking care of the house, etc. I really feel for these guys and gals who are serving in Afghanistan & Iraq. They are doing a “thankless” job, many times under miserable conditions, away from their families for long periods of time, living each & every hour with the threat of snipers, roadside bombs, etc. When Stacy started this outreach, I knew I wanted to be a part of it. I could barely contain my excitement when I got my first response from one of the guys! This has been a wonderful blessing to me. Much more than I could have imagined.