Still haven’t purchased your own Products for Good commemorative coin? Enter to win one from the blog Faith and Deployments!
Visit the blog to see how easy it is to enter (just follow the blog and post a comment). But hurry – entries must be made by midnight on Monday, Jan. 17!
Thanks, Lauren, for your ongoing support of our troops!
Happy Holidays from all of us at Products for Good. We are so grateful to all who have supported our efforts and we are especially appreciative of all of you who have chosen to share your Products for Good gifting story with us. If you have already told us, thank you. If not, we would love to hear from you. We wish you and your family and safe, happy holiday season and we know you join us in wishing the same to our military and their families.
Thank you, Lane Ostrow, co-founder, Products for Good
With the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics counting more than 360,000 paid firefighters and nearly 900,000 million law-enforcement officers in the country, many Americans will be looking for special gifts for those who put their lives on the line for our safety.
Following the trend of consumers seeking more customizable gifts, Products for Good now offers an assortment of gifts that tell the firefighters and law enforcement officers in their lives that their service, sacrifice and commitment will always be cherished.
Products for Good supports our men and women in public service with commemorative items customized for their line of duty. As with all gifts from Products for good, 20 percent of sales go directly to charity.
Must-have gifts for the law enforcement officer:
Must-have gifts for the firefighter:
Note: This blog post was written by Products for Good co-founder Lane Ostrow.
The crowd of veterans and their families assembles
Duane started planning this event six months in advance of Veterans Day, and the day was finally here. Duane contacted Products for Good as a prior customer who had purchased a shadowbox for his mom, in his grandfather¹s memory. His mom hung it proudly in her home, and it triggered a thought for Duane - what if we honored all of the veterans in his church with a thank-you gift from Products for Good (PFG)? He went to work on the idea.
He first reached out to us and asked what items might work best as the gifts for the church’s veterans, and we quickly settled on the three-coin velvet box gift, which would allow for Duane to designate the branch of service and, if appropriate, a conflict coin to go with the branch coin. All choices would be accompanied by the unique Iraqi coin.
When the day finally arrived, Duane had all of the veterans in seats assigned by conflict, with the World War II Veterans sitting in the front row, and then on back through Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan, including others who served during peace-time as well. Each person who came up to receive their gift and recognition either spoke or had a family member come up with them and speak to them about their service. There were a few extremely special moments, including when a gentleman who was so emotional came across the stage. The pain from his service experience was so apparent and so sad to see, that he literally did not have to say a word. Another young girl came up with her dad, who was a Vietnam Veteran and just said, “I am so glad you made it home alive.” Another boy, who was no more than 8 years old, came up with his grandfather and told him, “I am proud of you for serving our country, but I am sad for those who did not make it back home.”
It was an honor to be included in this special day. It was enough for me to know that PFG was partially responsible for inspiring Duane to coordinate this moving event to also get to stand up there and thank the veterans as they crossed the stage was more than I deserve.
Veterans speak as Lane Ostrow hands out Products for Good mementos
Military spouses are the unsung heroes of our armed services. With selfless commitment, support and strength, they hold down the fort while their husbands and wives fight for our freedom.
Use our exquisitely crafted Iraqi Coin Pendant Necklace to honor the woman in your life who serves and the woman who faces her own battles at home as her loved ones serve. Hanging on a solid sterling silver chain and encased in a sterling silver bezel, our liberated Iraqi coin symbolizes freedom and the sacrifices made to preserve it. When women put it on, it will serve as a constant reminder that their commitment, sacrifice and service will forever be cherished.
Your gift comes in our signature velvet box and includes our Products for Good story and certificate of authenticity.
Monica A. Heimes is a military wife and blogger (http://maheimes7.blogspot.com/) who recently received the necklace.
“It represents my and my husband’s sacrifice for the freedom of others,” Heimes said. “Many people (think) that it’s only your husband in the military, but behind every soldier is a strong family that keeps him grounding and going.”
To send a special gift to your unsung hero, visit our shop page here.
Products for Good is proud to announce its inclusion in a number of blogger giveaways this holiday. Each of these blogs is written by a military spouse and offers a great testament to the challenges and sacrifices military spouses face when their loved ones serve our country.
Below is a list of blogs that are featuring easy ways for you to nab a Products for Good item – perfect for a stocking stuffer or as a special something for your special someone.
As always, these gifts and more can be found on the Products for Good website, www.ProductsforGood.com.
“Reflections From a Christian Mommy Writer”
“He Wears Combat Boots, I Wear Stilettos”
“Annoyed Army Wife” also hosted a giveaway that just ended today. You should still check out her blog for insightful musings of life as an Army wife.
Happy Holidays, from Products for Good!
Note: This blog post was written by Products for Good co-founder Lane Ostrow.
I had the honor and privilege to attend the first night of a very special week, The Fourth Annual Heroes’ Week, in Huntsville, Ala., put on by the Semper Fi Community Task Force of North Alabama. It is put on by the task force, all former service members, mostly Marines, for the purpose of welcoming home those who have returned wounded from Iraq or Afghanistan.
Wounded are brought in from as far away as Hawaii. This year, the group included 17 Marines, 12 soldiers, and 25 additional family members. When they landed at the Huntsville airport, both sides of the walkway were lined with people waiting to cheer the group arriving.
From the airport, the wounded were led by The Patriot Guard, a brigade of motorcycles, over to the hotel. There were 50+ motorcycles, all being driven by veterans, escorting the cars with the guys and their significant others.
When they arrived at the Westin Hotel (one of the event sponsors), the parking lot was again lined with individuals holding large American flags and cheering the heroes’ arrival.
That night, all gathered for opening ceremonies. I told the story about Products for Good to an extremely attentive audience of heroes. You could hear a pin drop, and while I emotionally struggled through talking about the history of the coins, the disabled workers who assemble our products and the donations we have made and hope to make, I could see the emotional reaction of many in the crowd – especially many of the wives of the wounded.
One of the programs we have in place is our Honor One in a Million Project, where individuals can make a purchase of an individual coin (along with a copy of the Products for Good story, a certificate of authenticity and most importantly, a personal note from the individual making the gift) that will be delivered to a wounded or hospitalized service member. I explained our Honor One in a Million Project to the entire group and then explained that we had an Honor One in a Million gift coin for each of the wounded who were there. I was able to explain to them that there would be one name on each card that I presented to each of them, but that one name really represents thousands, actually millions, of Americans who are grateful for their service and their sacrifice. It was my honor to then thank each one of the wounded, shake hands and present them with a coin from a grateful American. I was overwhelmed, and each and every one of them thanked me for what we are doing. We really do not deserve their thanks … I really believe that this is the very least we can do to show our appreciation to them.
I think, just like the Vietnam Veterans who are hosting this event, you will find that you will get more out of the experience than those you are assisting. I know that I have already and we have really only just begun.
*Special Thanks to Photographer Howard Stogsdill for all photos contained in this story.
This holiday, give the gift of honor, the gift of thanks and the gift that gives back. Through Products for Good, you can support military families, veterans and Americans with disabilities, while also giving a unique, custom gift to a loved one who sacrificed his or her service.
Products for Good customized shadowbox
As with all gifts from Products for Good (available at www.ProductsforGood.com), 20 percent of the sales (before any expenses are paid) go to military-centric charities (like TAPS and Folds of Honor) that support veterans and their families. Also, Products for Good assembles its products at Cleveland Vocational Industries in North Carolina, providing jobs for mentally and physically disabled Americans.
Some gift ideas that will cheer even the hardest to shop for on your list:
Sammie Smith of Wichita Falls, Texas, recently ordered a Products for Good gift for her father, a Vietnam War veteran.
“He still suffers from post-traumatic stress syndrome from the events he went through in Vietnam, and I’m hoping that this might help him just a little,” Smith said of her Products for Good gift. “It is the least I can do for one who has served his country and is still suffering from it. I myself have served and retired from the U.S. Air Force and know what it is like just to have someone come up to you and say ‘thank you for serving.’”
It all started with a Golden Corral and a complete stranger. Vietnam veteran Jim Peters was dining with his wife near their Virginia home six months ago when he noticed a fellow veteran sitting nearby. Remembering his cold reception after returning from the Vietnam War, Peters felt the urge to offer the veteran a gift of honor and gratitude – something he wishes he had received. He found that gift with Products for Good.
With money saved from his VA benefits, Peters’ desire to thank another soldier has become a journey throughout the South, handing out dozens of patriotic Products for Good gifts to complete strangers he meets at grocery store parking lots and gas stations along the way.
A truck driver by trade, Peters carries the commemorative items on the road, presenting them with a story and a hand shake whenever he encounters another soldier or veteran.
“When I see the expression on people’s faces after presenting the gift to them, it makes everything worth it,” Peters said.
Peters also appreciated the philanthropic component to Products for Good, which donates 20 percent of every sale to a charity that supports military families. The company’s items feature liberated Iraqi coins recovered by coalition forces in Basra, who used proceeds of their sale to rebuild an orphanage that had been destroyed in the area. As a result, the coins have become a symbol of service, sacrifice and commitment from our men and women in uniform.
“[Peters’] ambition to extend the message of thanks and honor to our veterans and service people is completely in line with what we do every day at Products for Good,” said Lane Ostrow, co-founder of Products for Good. “We were inspired and enlightened to hear [Peters’] story, and are glad we can be a part of his ongoing mission.”
Peters primarily offers the Products for Good single coin in a velvet case, but also is looking into the more customizable products – shadowboxes and pendants – for veterans he knows in his community. Peters says he’ll continue giving away the mementos as long as he can, and he has a stash of coins in the bed of his semitrailer to prove it.
Jim Peters
Note: This blog post was written by Products for Good founder Lane Ostrow.
Products for Good was proud to co-sponsor the Patriot Gala of 2010. The gala is a yearly fundraising event held at Quail Hollow Country Club in Charlotte, N.C. This year, the event raised more than $200,000 for various military charities in the Carolinas. In addition to collecting money to support our men and women in uniform, the event served as a remembrance for those who have fallen and for the commitment and sacrifice of those who have and still do serve.
A series of very meaningful speeches stirred our patriotism. Among the most moving events of the evening:
Products for Good presented each attendee with a one-coin Patriotic Shadowbox and a “Pay-It-Forward” coin for him or her to give to a veteran in his or her life. Products for Good also provided a four-coin White House Edition Shadowbox to each of the speakers and the four special recipient winners, who also received a trip for their families to go to Disney World for a week.
Lane Ostrow hands a shadowbox to Sergent John Hyland as master of ceremonies Erica Bryant looks on
This was a real highlight of the evening, as many donors came together to share the expense to give these gifts to such worthy recipients.
Overall, it was an emotional evening for all of us and a proud opportunity for Products for Good to help support military charities in the Carolinas.