Defense Department's 'Defend America - Virtual thank-you cards can be sent to service members.
Operation Dear Abby - Created in 1967 after Sgt. Billy Thompson wrote Abigail Van Buren asking for "letters from home" at Christmas, the program has continued sending messages of support to hundreds of thousands of troops.
Operation Uplink - Veterans of Foreign Wars has organized this program in which calling cards are donated to help service members keep in touch with their families.
Operation USO Care Package - United Service Organizations are coordinating this and are asking for individual and corporate support to sponsor care packages which include items from service members’ wish lists such as travel-size toiletries, sunglasses, snacks, stationery, journals, disposable cameras, playing cards, board games, CDs and DVDs.
Hugs to Kuwait - for those who prefer traditional letters, but don’t have a serviceman’s specific address, soldiers can be adopted through a program started by Army wife Pamela Bates as a way of coping when her husband left for Kuwait.