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- One of the first things I learned as a flight attendant, was to ALWAYS have a back up plan! When I plan a vacation, things tend to fall apart for one reason or another. I’ve learned to “bounce” because .. well .. I can. This past week as the volcanic ash began to spread itself further across Europe, the plans & efforts I put into our Airline Ambassador mission to volunteer & visit at the USO Wounded Warrior Center & Chaplain’s Closet this coming week, seemed irrelevant. It is as though Mother Nature is saying “I have other plans” .. which has been a bit overwhelming for me, as I am sure it has been for thousands of Europeans & other travelers who long to get to their destinations.
In reality, I consider myself lucky .. because I fly for virtually free (taxes) and I didn’t have to put a bunch of money down (none, in fact) for this particular mission. All I am out is the time and energy to put the trip together, items I purchased or gathering of the items you so graciously donated for our Wounded Warriors. The items you have all donated will be taken on the next trip, or as donations come in, I will ship items over to the Chaplain’s Closet.
Speaking of donations .. thank you, thank you, thank you for all of the cards, flip flops, tshirts, soap and toiletries. I promise I will get them to our Wounded Warriors .. and I will make sure they know they are remembered and thought of every single day. (I am still sad to not be going in 2 days .. but I know I will go as soon as the opportunity arises).
Normally I would not post and ask for money for anything not associated with supporting our troops. But the reality is .. I have felt a gnawing in my stomache to go help in Haiti for two months. Since the moment the earthquake occurred, I have known I needed to be there to “get my hands dirty”. Within an hour of postponing the trip to visit the Wounded Warriors, my plans shifted to another continent.
You see, I have a friend who can use my help. You all know how much I admire Eric Klein and the work that is done through CAN-DO.ORG to aid in a disaster. Instead of going to visit the Wounded Warriors, (because of the cancelled flights to Europe due to the volcano) … I have decided my vacation this month is going to be spent helping him on the front lines. There are expenses I need help covering, the main one being my hotel. I promised my family in January I would not go until I knew I would be safe and took all the necessary precautions to not get sick. When I return from my training tomorrow night, I have an appointment to get the remaining shots needed and any prescriptions. You see, any money (even $5) will help pay for these specific costs. If you are able to make a donation, please go to my website (http://alwayssupportourheroes.com/) and click on the “donate” button. If you prefer to make a tax deductible donation, please go to https://secure.can-do.org/ and write “Robin Schmidt” in the notation (I will tell the CAN-DO.ORG team I asked you to do this for my expenses).
You see, I have the time off … I truly will regret it if I don’t go to help. The thought of orphans on the streets or people having no shelter, it just kills me. I feel I have to do something … and I know I need help in order to do so. As much as possible I will provide updates. It’s going to be an interesting week … after all, I thought there was truly nothing that would keep me from my Wounded Warriors … and I just learned once again … how to “bounce” … and the importance of ALWAYS HAVING A BACK UP PLAN! <
Thanks so much for ANYTHING you can do to help … and if you want to send a donation rather than use the internet (remember, any amount, big or small will be greatly appreciated!), please send it to:
Robin Schmidt
PO Box 122037
Covington, KY 41012-2037
Updates to follow … and thanks for your support !
Always,
Robin
Tags: can-do.org, humanitarian, volunteering
Robin,
Whether you are helping those at the USO Warrior Center, or in Haiti doing humanitarian relief, your impact is felt worldwide on a daily basis. Thanks for all that you do and your selfless service to our country’s heros.
Johanna Kelly
You can use my page or my words as you see fit. Please link folks back to me for any questions to my email of : supportouheroes@live.com . Thanks so much for your interest.