Who gets the pillowcases? Guidelines.

[Sue-Pillowcase lady]

I have been getting requests for pillowcases. With the help of my "board of directors", other Navy moms who have been helping for months and that I have grown close to and trust their judgement, I have written up some basic guidelines on how we decide to mail pillowcases too.

When I started Heads at Ease in Janaury 2009, I was just a Navy mom who wanted to make a few pillowcases. 
At the beginning, it was me, some friends in Tucson and a friend in VA. I never dreamed it would go on so long nor grow so big. And I am blessed to be the "CO" of Heads at Ease.

Also, when I started, the pillowcases were for deployed sailors only. Then I got requests from family and friends for deployed military in other branches of the service or for sailors having a terrible time on their deployment. So I did a few special requests like that.
Then Molly's adopt a sailor started the Special Hugs for injured sailors, so I've done a few of those people and a couple of other special requests.

The USS New York is a major departure from our original/extended plan of deployed and injured military. Dori had a friend on the ship, and she wanted to do something special for him and his cube. Then Lyn, our beautiful embroiderer said she'd make it. And it just took off.
I had decided to "test the waters" with the command to do the ship. And as we worked thru the ideas for it, I tried several times to stop it. BUT the Lord would not let me. He would place that burden on my heart in a renewed way and we would press forward again. The USS New York is a ship that belongs to every American and I am blessed to have such a personal part in it.

Heads at Ease has been done totally on the donations of many people. I didn't have help with the project from any Navy moms until July. So that meant for 3 months, my personal family and friends funded my "pet" project. Then my friend Betsy wrote a letter called "Heads at Ease", which can be forwarded to anyone who is interested. Just give me your email address.
That letter really opened the door to a whole bunch of new people.

In July, my husband and I were interviewed by a local news station which brought us some new people and I had my 1st Navy mom helper-Lyn. Many have since joined us and again, I am so blessed by these moms. They have bought fabric and mailed to sewers. They have bought fabric, sewed and mailed. They have sent money. This is why we have been able to do so many. And with the NY, we will be close to 2000! Oh my, the blessings continue.

So all that said, we come to requests from people to purchase some or to send to non-deployed children. After chatting with my crew, here is what we have decided:

We send pillowcases to deployed/injured military personnel, primarily sailors. We wish we could send to all but it's not possible. We can always use more volunteers!! The pillowcases are a gift of love and not for sale. When we adopt a group we do everything possible to make each unique. Each carries a heart, showing the love that surrounds the recipient while s/he is away from home.

Here is my feeling on that reasoning. While some bases/duty stations have a NEX and decent choices, most do not. I feel that anyone who is stationed in the USA, can get to a big NEX, Walmart or whatever store they want to go, to get what they want.
If you could read some of the thank you notes that we have received, saying they didn't have a pillowcase, were using a t-shirt for one, a jacket for a pillow etc. you would see what we HAE crew members have seen. These are a permanent reminder to our precious deployed military that someone back home "has their back" and that they are prayed for.

I truly hope you will understand this. It's my heart's desire to do everyone, but it takes time and deployed just have to come first. Is your child deployed? If yes, check with us in a couple of weeks as we refine how we will choose the groups to do.

The best thing that I can offer to you, is to ask you to join the HAE group and see that we do. But the bottom line is, we will basically keep to deployed personnel.

Sincerely,
Sue Lamberson
Heads at Ease CO

[Christine]

Tell me what to do and where to send!!!  I'd love to help!! One of my son's are on the Carl Vinson - the other on shore duty in San Diego (and a Chief if I may brag as a mama!).  Please send dimensions and regulations and I'll mail as many as I can make to you!!!  

[Maryellen]

Christine, Welcome Aboard we are glad your here. Well our deployed military get the pillowcases that we make. If you would send me and email I will bew more than happy to send you all the instructions and details. The instructions are in a thread at the top of the HAE page and right now we are making and stashing them. In April we will be shipping then to the sand box ( Aphganistan) and that will be a large group of Marines. Here is my email [e-mail], I am Sue's right hand, my name is Maryellen and we are glad your here.

[Sue-Pillowcase lady]

Hi Christine,  we are glad that you want to help!  We can always use more.  I appreciate Maryellen answering for me and giving you information!

We are in stash mode right now as we just finished a mailing.