About Our Campaign......
"SI Yellow Ribbon Campaign" is a family run, volunteer and non-profit operation based out of Southern Illinois (SI). The Campaign was founded by mother daughter team, Amy Oxford and Kathy Williams in March of 2003, along with the help of Amy's little daughter, Callie. They began to make yellow ribbons and lapel pins by hand, selling them to the public. They set up in a headquarters in an old home owned by the father of Kathy, formally a Tea Room the family had owned and operated that was up for sale. They began asking the area to submit their loved ones for care packages and the profits from sales were used to ship items over to the deployed. While in it's infancy "SI Yellow Ribbon" sent care packages, cards and letters of support to “local” deployed troops. As word spread of the families efforts and soldiers began sharing their care packages, the Campaign began growing rapidly. By the end of 2003 "SI Yellow Ribbon" was picked up by national media and had become a “Nationwide” campaign, sending to thousands of deployed military originally from East to West Coast.
Even though the Campaign has grown to the proportions it has, the family hand packs each and every care package with lots of love and care. Besides the year round care packages of necessities and snacks, they have special "Holiday Projects" they concentrate on as well, such as "Holiday Hugs to our Heroes" a Christmas Campaign in which the family wraps all the Christmas presents by hand. They never solicit names and addresses and information must be turned in to the Campaign by a loved one, family member, Commander, someone in their unit or by the military member theirself. They do not share addresses or any information and follow all guidelines and regulations by the military and government to insure the care packages are sent the proper way. After receiving a name, they send out an "intro box" filled with a variety of necessities and snacks along with a questionnaire for the military member to fill out. By receiving this back they learn about the soldier, their likes and wants, what they have access to and from that point on, each care package is personalized to their direct want and needs, which sets them apart from many other organizations sending care packages. Since the family works around the clock to man the headquarters, sort items donated, pack care packages, fill out custom forms, work on paperwork, answer emails, etc. they rely on the public to hold drives and make monetary donations. Schools, churches, businesses, clubs and individuals are encouraged to hold drives to collect items and do fundraisers for the Campaign. Even though they don't give out addresses for adoption they love to get personal letters and handmade cards from the public to put into the care packages, then the soldier can choose if they want to respond directly to them.
The families efforts do not go without sacrifice. As the troops continue to battle overseas, the family wages their own battles back home, Amy at only 29 years old, suffers from Lupus and many other health problems while mother Kathy suffers from Fibromyalgia and Multiple Sclerosis, many times they must take turns working and sometimes even stretching out in the floor for breaks. Amy has literally driven the wheels off of her personal vehicle since the start of the Campaign, driving all over to pick up drives, speaking engagements, daily runs to the post office, etc. Amy also devoted her personal laptop computer to the Campaign and does all of her work on the computer, answering sometimes 400+ emails a day, making roster sheets and working on the website she constructed. The biggest dilemma of all being their headquarters. The old home is in bad need of a new roof with a large open hole in the back and a collapse in the downstairs where they work. When it rains, the family works around buckets and tarps. When they become discouraged from the pain racking their bodies, the obstacles they are facing and conditions they work around, they simply have to remind each other what the troops are going through and suddenly the problems don't seem so bad.
Today a nationwide, around the clock volunteer project, "SI Yellow Ribbon" still remains the small families project. Amy and Kathy handle nearly all aspects of the Campaign, running the headquarters, picking up drives, sorting of items, packing the care packages, making daily runs to the post office, etc. Amy’s daughter, little seven year old Callie, is very involved in the efforts and has an understanding of freedom and a greater respect for her Country than many adults do. Working side by side with her mom and grandma, she enjoys packing care package, drawing pictures for "her soldiers" and proudly recites the Pledge of Allegiance to anyone that will listen.
"SI Yellow Ribbon"celebrated its "fifth birthday" in March and continues to grow daily. Besides the Nationwide coverage of National TV, Radio and newspapers, "SI Yellow Ribbon" has received many awards from the military and government officials. The Lt. Governor of Illinois did a televised speech from the headquarters, they had a resolution made on the State House of Representatives floor sponsored by Illinois Representative Brandon Phelps in January of 2006 and they were named the Harrisburg Chamber of Commerce "Community Service of the Year". Coordinator Amy, representing SI Yellow Ribbon and her work was a nominee for Citizen of the Year in 2005 and was chosen as "Six Who Care" from WPSD TV Station in 2000. She was selected and taped to be WSIL TV's "Unsung Hero” during two of their weekly segments. She was named the 2004 Winner for the "Celebration of Leadership & Jefferson Awards" in the area of "Individual, Government & Public Service" by Leadership Evansville of Evansville, Indiana. She was the 2005 winner of the “Rosemary Berkel Crisp Award”. An appearance on The Montel Show occurred when she was chosen one of five women in the nation to be honored for their civic work in a contest sponsored by “Charming Shoppes”. She was also featured after that with a picture and story in the January/February 2006 issue of “Figure Magazine”. Amy was National winner of the VFW Volunteer of the Year and flew to Washington DC on March 5th, 2006 to receive her honor. The largest accomplishment to date would be the personal invitation to the White House by President George Bush for a roundtable discussion regarding the work of "SI Yellow Ribbon", as well as a personal tour and presenting of a Presidential Coin in the Oval Office.
This family has proved that only a few people CAN make a big difference. When they receive the heartwarming emails, dirt smudged letters, phone calls and the occasional surprise visit from deployed military on leave, they realize how important their "job" is and what a small price it is to pay for their freedom and the sacrifice of the troops and their families. The family reminds everyone it doesn't take boots and battle gear to be a fighter, you can help "SI Yellow Ribbon" fight the battle to raise awareness of our troops and their families, their sacrifices and what they are missing while deployed far away from everything they know and love. Together we can give our brave military a taste of home while showing them the love and support they deserve. |
