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Film Festival Gets Gold Star for Helping Touch of Home

Agency Needs $ 20,000 for Postage

By Michael P. Neufeld
Sunday, April 13, 2008

Lake Arrowhead, CA – The Lake Arrowhead Film Festival attracted plenty of stars during its four-day run. But the festival earned its own gold star when it invited Touch of Home to set up a display and receive a portion of ticket sales at a Saturday showing to help raise $20,000 for postage to send donated items to deployed troops.

The Evergreen Theater was filled to capacity Saturday when Beanie Baby Soldier and Operation Homecoming were screened during the festival. Individuals also dropped money and checks into a giant collection jar and all individual ticket sales were donated to Touch of Home.

Touch of Home recently received 16 pallets of items from San Bernardino County that are in storage until money for postage can be raised to send the items to the troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. It would be a shame for them to sit in storage and not reach our dedicated young men and women serving overseas.

Touch of Home volunteer Bill Meister unloads one of 16 pallets of goodies for troops deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Touch of Home needs to raise about 20,000 dollars to pay for shipping the items to overseas installations. (Photo by Michael P. Neufeld.)

The 16 pallets represent donations from mountain residents at five different collection points as part of the entire county's Support Our Troops campaign. The overwhelming support from county residents brought in well above 40,000 items. Many of the original contributions—including snacks and comfort and hygiene items—were shipped with members of the 137th Quartermaster Company during their deployment to Iraq in January.

Many of us donated items for the county Support Our Troops program but now Touch of Home needs our support to mail the rest of the donations to the troops. It's a huge task and raising $20,000 is a lofty goal set by Bill and Diane Boone.

Touch of Home's Bill Boone sends packages to the military from the Crestline Post Office. The non-profit organization needs contributions to pay for postage to send newly donated items to deployed service men and women. (Photo by Michael P. Neufeld.)

The Lake Arrowhead Film Festival has started the ball rolling to secure the $20,000 necessary to send the gifts overseas.

Actor Beau Bridges, who helped narrate Operation Homecoming, gave an emotional appeal to support the men and women serving in the armed services not only while they're deployed but when they return home.

Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience was a 2008 Academy Award nominee for Best Documentary. It recounts the experiences of troops in Iraq and Afghanistan based on writings by soldiers, Marines, and airmen.

Beanie Baby Soldier told the story of a soldier killed in Iraq and how he left behind a wonderful legacy of hope for the children of the war-torn nation—in the form of Beanie Babies.

Following the movies, I talked to a local couple that doesn't support the Bush administration's decision to continue the war in Iraq.

"We may not support the war," the couple stated, "but we do support the men and women who are serving their country." At that point, the couple dropped a sizeable contribution in the collection jar to demonstrate their support of the members of the military.

Individuals who wish to help Touch of Home raise the $20,000 postage may send contributions to: Touch of Home Support 4R Deployed Military, Post Office Box 628, Crestline, CA 92325-0628.

Additional information on Touch of Home is available online at http://www.touchofhomeformilitary.com or by calling (909) 338-0876.

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