Entry bubble Thank the Troops or a Vet This Holiday Season

By: Stephanie | December 14, 2009 | Category: General

wrapped presents in a shopping bagIt could be my response to one of those icebreaker games: People don’t know that I...am a proud member of the Disabled American Vets Auxiliary. I'm a member because of one night during WWII when my dad’s lungs and leg were burned from mustard gas that leaked from the train he was guarding as a U.S. Army soldier. Dad sustained permanent scars because he didn't abandon his post. Like a lot of members of the military, my dad doesn’t think anything he did during his years of service warrants “thanking.” “I was just doing my job,” he always says.

But especially this time of year, many people want to show support for the men and women who are serving or who served in the U.S. military. Want to help? The U.S. Department of Defense offers a list of organizations that can send your care package, card, or letter to troops. Or e-mail the troops a holiday greeting and thank you. Some of the nearly 255,000 e-mail messages sent so far are particularly heartwarming to read. And be sure to check out the video messages from service members deployed around the world.

Veterans also should be remembered during the holidays. You could visit vets at your local VA hospital or nursing home, or simply mail a holiday greeting to local VA hospital patients or local VFW or American Legion members. If you know any veterans, you might show your appreciation by offering to get them some groceries, mailing or e-mailing them holiday cards, inviting them over for a holiday meal, or even just shoveling their walk.

Need more ideas? Visit DoD community relations or “101 Ways to Thank a Veteran.”

Have you thanked a military member or veteran this holiday season? I’d love to hear from you.

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Entry bubble Holiday Greetings for the Troops

By: Colleen | December 10, 2008 | Category: Home and Family

support our troops

I somehow managed to go a full weekend without checking my email. (To this point, I've been able to be blackberry-free, but I don't know how much longer it will last.) When I finally logged back into my electronic life, I was excited to see I had lots of messages awaiting my attention. Sally Field's "You like me, you really like me!" played in my mind and I couldn't wait to see which of my loving friends were dying to fill me in on their lives.

Apparently, none. Every single message was a company alerting me of a sale that weekend or an airline telling me about new low rates should I want to spend part of my already cold enough DC winter in the even colder North Dakota. So much for the love.

Few things in life thrill me more than getting something in the mail other than a bill or finding a nice note from a friend in my email box on a slow Monday morning. Just think how much greater that feeling is when you're far from home and serving your country in dangerous conditions.

Particularly during the holiday season there are lots of ways to show the troops our support. Some are as simple as sending them an e-mail. It only takes a few minutes, and will surely bring a smile to the faces or our men and women in service. Here is a list of many organizations through which you can send your support. If you're putting together a care package, here are some tips for mailing your treats. Be sure to do it soon—the holidays are here sooner than you think! Are any of your loved ones currently serving? What are your plans to bring cheer to their holiday?

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Entry bubble Child Support

By: Nancy | August 07, 2008 | Category: Money

I had lunch with a special friend recently. She's a little over three and a half feet tall, loves French fries, recess and all things pink. She also loves her mom, who hasn't seen her in a long time. Her mom's not just been absent physically though. Her dad, who's struggling to pay the afterschool program bills, hasn't seen a child support payment from Mom in a long time either.

child and parent holding handsIf your child's other parent isn't paying child support, there are things that the government can do to help try to make the situation right. USA.gov's section on child support features links to basic information sources for frequently asked questions about child support enforcement and has contact information for your state's child support enforcement program.

The Handbook on Child Support Enforcement (CSE) details the process you'll go through with your state CSE program if you're beginning the process of seeking child support. If your child's other parent is missing, your state CSE program can use the resources of the US Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Child Support Enforcement to trace that parent, whether he or she is across the country or outside the US, incarcerated or deployed in the military.

Once the parent has been found and paternity has been proven, a support order will be established, spelling out exactly how much the non-custodial parent is to pay each month for healthcare and other support for your child. The way this dollar amount is calculated varies from state to state.

The biggest challenge a lot of single parents run into is getting those monthly support payments in the right amount and on schedule. If your child's other parent has stopped paying or skips payments, CSE programs have a variety of ways to enforce the support order and get that money for your child. This could include garnishing the non-paying parent's wages, freezing bank accounts, offsetting federal income tax refunds or economic stimulus payments, denying a passport, contacting credit bureaus, suspending a driver's license, and putting liens on or seizing and selling personal property. Non-payment could also result in jail time for that parent.

Of course, not every non-custodial parent is trying to get out of supporting his or her children. If you're the parent ordered to pay child support, there are also guidelines to help you know your role, rights and responsibilities in caring for your child financially.

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