Volunteer FAQ

How do I become a volunteer with Friends Of The Troops?

The process is easy. Click Here to return to our volunteer page to start your background check. Once your background check is complete, you will immediately be sent a Welcome Packet of information via email.

Why do I have to undergo a background check to be a volunteer?

Before any of our volunteers are allowed to receive any service member's name or address, they must undergo a criminal background check and a check against the terror watch list. This is to ensure the safety of our service members, and give them the confidence that any mail or package that they receive from a Friends Of The Troops volunteer is safe.

The process is simple, and your information is kept private and confidential. Our background screening company, Application Researchers, LLC, will perform the background check. To get started and become a volunteer, you may visit our Volunteer page here.

Can my employees (or church group, scout troop, etc.) volunteer as a group?

Absolutely! Any number of individuals may come together to volunteer with Friends Of The Troops. You may write cards as a group or collect items and assemble care packages as a group.

The only restriction we have is that your group select a primary contact who will undergo the background screening. This person will be the ONLY one in the group allowed to see the name and mailing address of the Service Member. So, the group may help assemble a care package, but the group should NEVER see or share the address among it's members.

Donation FAQ

What is the best way to send a monetary donation to your organization?

We accept donations in the form of cash, checks or credit card. We also accept donations through PayPal and Venmo.

Checks may be made payable to Friends Of The Troops and mailed to:

Friends Of The Troops, P. O. Box 21375, Chattanooga, TN 37424.

Credit card and debit transactions may be made through the PayPal donate button on our website. Venmo donations may be made through @FriendsOfTheTroops.

Also, we currently accept donations via our Facebook page. Our Facebook page may be found HERE.

Is a donation made to your organization tax deductible?

Yes. We are a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, and all donations made to us are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. Please consult with your tax adviser if you have any questions regarding charitable deductions. Our Tax ID is 83-3309612.

I want to collect items for care packages. How do I get the items to you?

For items collected in the Chattanooga, Tennessee area, a donation pickup may be arranged by calling (423) 599-9901.

For collections made in other areas, items will either need to be shipped to our headquarters in Tennessee or sent to one of our nearest area representatives.

A great alternative is to purchase items from our Amazon Wish List (a list we created containing some of our most-requested care package items), and have the items sent directly to us. If you are an Amazon Prime member, you don't have to pay shipping!

Service Member and Veteran Support FAQ

DOes the Service member I want to register have to be deployed to a combat zone to receive support?

Absolutely not! Any Veteran or U.S. Service Member serving anywhere in the world can receive support from our Organization.

How do i sign up my family member (or co-worker, friend, etc.) to receive care packages and other types of support?

Due to the information we collect for our adoption/care package program, we prefer that the service member sign up themselves, as we ask them to agree to our program terms.

Please have the deployed service member go here to sign up for support: Get Adopted.

Who sends the cards and care packages to the deployed service member?

Our volunteers all over the country send cards and care packages to deployed Service Members. Additionally, some care packages may come from our headquarters.

WILL MY SERVICE MEMBER’S INFORMATION BE KEPT SECURE?

Absolutely! Not only are our volunteers are required to undergo a criminal background check and a check against the terror watch list before receiving any name or address of a Service Member, but Friends Of The Troops strictly prohibits any volunteer from sharing any names or addresses they receive with any one else.

WHEN YOU REFER TO STATESIDE SERVICE MEMBERS, WHO ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?

Stateside Service Members are those who are currently not deployed or stationed overseas. This large group consists of approximately two-thirds of our military (nearly 850,000 troops). Stateside Service Members may include active duty troops in between deployments or Guard or Reserve Units.

WHAT TYPES OF SUPPORT CAN A STATESIDE SERVICE MEMBER RECEIVE?

Stateside Service Members and their families may receive different types of support from our Organization depending on the individual need. The support for a Service Member may simply be cards sent throughout the year (birthday and special holidays) and/or include a short-term adoption where they receive occasional care packages. For other Service Members, support may come in the form of assistance after the birth of a new baby or help with toys or needed items around the Holidays.

DO YOU HELP MILITARY FAMILIES THAT NEED HELP AROUND THE HOLIDAYS?

Yes we do. Friends Of The Troops has several programs that help support Service Members and their families. These programs include our Military and Veteran Emergency Relief Program, which includes Holiday family support. Some programs may require proof of income/proof of need prior to receiving support. You may contact us at support@friendsofthetroops.org for more information, but please note that the majority of those we provide support to have been thoroughly vetted before coming to us by their acting commander or Chaplain.

CAN YOU HELP TO SUPPORT NEW RECRUITS WHO ARE HEADED OFF TO BASIC TRAINING?

Absolutely! If you provide us with their name, mailing address while at Basic and the date when they are set to graduate, we would be happy to have our volunteers send mail to your new recruit! Military recruiters are also encouraged to sign up their new recruits to receive support while away at Basic Training. Friends Of The Troops wants these new recruits to know that the civilian population is thankful for them and appreciates that they have voluntarily chosen to join our military.

HOW DOES YOUR ORGANIZATION WORK TO SUPPORT VETERANS?

Friends Of The Troops supports Veterans through our cards program, Holiday support and other special projects on an as-needed basis. We are also a proud supporter of the Honor Flight Network and Honor Air and actively participate in their mail call programs.

WHAT IS AN HONOR FLIGHT?

An Honor Flight is a very special trip organized by either Honor Air or the Honor Flight Network (both nonprofits) in which Veterans are flown to Washington, D.C. for a memorable day. The trip is of no cost to the Veteran, and while in D.C., the Veterans tour the war memorials, visit Arlington National Cemetery and see the Changing of the Guard. The entire day is intended to be a special day for the Veteran, from the moment their group leaves their hub (there are numerous hubs where flights originate all over the country) until the time the group returns back home. These are usually day trips that include police escorts, and large crowds typically gather at the airports to give them a very big "Welcome Home" upon their return. Priority for the Honor Flights is given to Veterans of WWII, Korea, Vietnam, and the terminally ill.

One particularly special part of the Honor Flight trip for each Veteran is also a surprise for most of them. On the return trip, each Veteran receives a packet of mail. This "Mail Call" packet is meant to be symbolic of the actual Maill Call the Veterans may have experienced while deployed. These packets are full of cards of appreciation sent from all over the country - from their families, from school children, and from patriotic Friends Of The Troops Volunteers.

WHAT TYPES OF CARDS DO YOU SEND TO SERVICE MEMBERS AND VETERANS?

Friends Of The Troops and its volunteers send cards all through out the year. For many Service Members and Veterans, these are cards of appreciation for their service or letters encouraging them while they are deployed. We also send birthday cards, Holiday cards, Get Well Cards, New Baby Cards... you name it! We want to support our Veterans and Service Members throughout the year, and we want them to know that they are never forgotten.

HOW DO I SEND A CARE PACKAGE TO A SERVICE MEMBER?

To send a care package to a Service Member, you must undergo a background check. This is so we ensure that our service members’ names and addresses don’t fall into the wrong hands. The process is very simple. Click HERE to begin your background check. Once complete, we can assign you the name of a Service Member who is in need of support.

WHAT DO I PUT IN A CARE PACKAGE?

There are many options when it comes to packing a care package. Some volunteers pick a specific theme or Holiday when putting their care packages together. Others work off of a wish list of items requested by a specific Service Member.

We have compiled a list of the most-requested snacks, hygiene items, and other fun things that you can put into care packages. Once you become a volunteer, our list of care package items will be sent to you in your emailed Welcome Packet.

For those wanting to collect items to donate and need some guidance, please send an email to support@friendsofthetroops.org, and we will be happy to email you the care package list.

ARE THERE ANY RULES I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT BEFORE SENDING OFF A CARD OR CARE PACKAGE?

Yes. We do have a few simple rules regarding the sending of mail to our Service Members. You will receive the information by email in your Welcome Packet once you become a volunteer.

HOW DO I GET MY FAMILY MEMBER’S PHOTO PLACED ON YOUR WALL OF HONOR?

It's very simple. Make a donation in honor of or in memory of the Service Member or Veteran via Paypal, or send a check payable to Friends Of The Troops by mail.

After you make your donation, please send us an email containing the following information (or include the following information along with your check):

- the Service Member or Veteran's Name

- their Rank

- their Branch of Service

- their Year of Birth

- their Year of Death (if Deceased)

- Info about their Service, if known

- a Photo of the Service Member or Veteran (Preferably in Uniform)

Once your donation and information is received, we will create a special place of honor on our Wall of Honor as soon as possible.

Information and donations sent via mail may be sent to: Friends Of The Troops, P. O. Box 21375, Chattanooga, TN 37424.