Growing Pains... 
 
There are constant changes, all good, happening with Citizen SAM!  We have outgrown every space we have occupied for the past 5 years - church closets, vacant and cold warehouses, our own basements, dining rooms and spare bedrooms and our cars.  The Board of Directors is ready to lease permanent space to centralize the operations of the organization.  Stay tuned for upcoming information about a new, permanent, address and phone number. 

As Citizen SAM grows and expands our mission to the troops, we need a cadre of volunteers to do the loving, hand work you do for our soldiers.  We are beginning an organization effort by state and have some hearty volunteers willing to be that states biggest Citizen SAM cheerleader. We are finishing a "job description" of what being a volunteer State Director means.  But, sight unseen, the following good souls have already signed on to assist us.

California-Arlene Zobrist

Delaware-Marsha Thomas

Kentucky-Vicki Netzel

Ohio-JeanEllen Stevens

South Carolina-Melissa Gillespie

Wisconsin-Joyce Gilmour  

We do listen to our fabulous volunteers and can now offer a safe, secure way for you to communicate and share ideas with one another through Yahoo Groups.  We are eager to see if this helps you feel connected, excited and awed by what other crafters are doing.

We have three Yahoo Groups; Operation Helmetliner, Operation Santa, and Quilts for our Wounded.  Each has its own link to allow you to go in, register and share.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CSAM_OperationHelmetliner/
  
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CSAM_OperationSanta/
 
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CSAM_Quilts/

And now, we need all of you who crochet, or any of you who know anyone who crochets, to help in making warm scarves.  We have been asked to get as many as possible to the troops in the cold weather for extra warmth. 

New regulations require that they be made of 100% WOOL or they cannot be sent. Acrylic and acrylic blends pose a fire and melting hazard, so are no longer accepted or distributed.  Please include the yarn label with your finished items when sending on to us. Visit citizensam.org and click on Operation Helmetliner for the pattern and mailing instructions.

As we begin a new year, we ask that you each embrace those that you love and those that love you and enjoy the freedoms we share because so many soldiers are far away from their own loved ones.