By Joe Winter
Catholic Herald correspondent
Group sends phone cards as Christmas gifts to injured soldiers
RIVER FALLS -- Tired of getting people socks and toasters for Christmas?
Want to get something that will be much more meaningful, and spread good will and understanding at the same time?
The River Falls Area Peace and Justice Group suggests sending phone cards to injured soldiers from the Iraqi war who are at the Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D.C. The group, which includes members from St. Bridget Parish in River Falls, says that without such help, the soldiers might not be able to phone home to their loved ones over Christmas.
Members of the group have made arrangements to pick up the cards that are donated into drop boxes at local merchants, then mail them to the Washington hospital.
"Some people have gotten cards at different places and put them in the drop boxes," said Tammy Tollefson, a member of the group, adding some of these accidental donations came from Sam's Club and Best Buy in the Twin Cities.
The first pickup from a local store consisted of 27 cards totaling more than 4,100 minutes -- many of them for 100 minutes but some as high as 800. One was even a stack of 10, complete with a handwritten note.
One customer said approvingly, "If it's for the troops, anything goes."
Some of the River Falls stores have employees, or families of employees, who have served and are still injured, Tollefson said.
Tollefson and another volunteer, Maralee Savage, have been dividing the city into sections -- north and south -- for pickup from the businesses. The cards are then sent by priority mail to Walter Reed. They will be accepted and sent along until the first week of the new year.
At least one member of the Peace and Justice Group, Liz Jones, along with her 14-year-old son Jordan, is sending the phone cards as her only Christmas presents. They are more needed than some of the relatively trite, soon-forgotten gifts that they could give family and friends.
Tollefson said that an e-mail circulating among members of the social justice community spurred the idea for sending phone cards to injured troops. "I did some checking, and learned that the Red Cross actually provides the phone cards via 'comfort bags' (sent to) the Family Medical Assistance Center at Walter Reed," Tollefson said.
The number one request at Walter Reed is phone cards. "Because the priority of our government is to continue tax cuts for the likes of Paris Hilton, the government doesn't pay long distance phone charges and these guys, many of them amputees, are rationing their calls home," the e-mail said.
Many of the soldiers will be there throughout the holidays. "Remember that most are from poor families. It is disgusting that they cannot keep in touch with family after what they have been asked to sacrifice, especially this time of year," the e-mail said.
"No matter where we each stand on the war in Iraq, we need to remember that there's a group of people who have paid a very high price for it," the e-mail concluded.
Tollefson said this idea was reinforced by seeing states designated "red" and "blue" during election coverage, and by the need to find common ground among people of all opinions and create a dialog in our divided country.
The group got momentum going during earlier anti-war marches in River Falls, but there now is even more of a need to seek reconciliation among people of all persuasions, Tollefson said.
"Here's a way to help the (soldiers) out a bit. Not that it's any real compensation of course. Just a way of making a bad situation a bit better for them."
By latest count, the Peace and Justice Group has 59 members among area churches, people not associated with any church, and the University of Wisconsin-River Falls student and faculty community.
Officials at Walter Reed say an "endless" supply of the cards are needed, and any amount is appreciated, even one with a value of a few dollars. Individuals are encouraged to spread the word through their company or church newsletter, or local newspaper.
Editor's note: Phone cards can be dropped off at these stores in River Falls: Dollar General, Freedom Value Center, all three Holiday stations, Dick's Market, Dick's Plus and Econofoods; or sent to Medical Family Assistance Center, Walter Reed Medical Center, 6900 Georgia Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20307-5001.
Go to www.wramc.amedd.army. mil/soldiers/medfac1/communication.htm for more information.
© Superior Catholic Herald, 2004