Freedom Pens- Handcarved by War Veterans

Handmade Pens for the Deployed – Freedom Pens Partners with Soldiers’ Angels 

Soldiers’ Angels proudly announces its partnership with the Freedom Pens project to send beautiful handmade wooden or Corian plastic pens to military personnel in remote locations in Iraq and Afghanistan, including 100 pens to the sailors of the currently-deployed U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln.  Led by Joe and Irmalene Kelly, and with the support of Freedom Pens’ head office in Virginia, volunteer wood turners across the country crafted 2,300 pens for shipment to addresses provided by Soldiers’ Angels.  Additionally, the Kellys are preparing to ship another 150 pens this week.

The Freedom Pens Project is an all-volunteer effort spearheaded by the members of SawMill Creek Woodworkers Forums that began as a way to make sure that  deployed soldiers had pens to write back to family and friends.  Freedom Pens are made by individual woodworkers everywhere, from small towns to our largest cities; amateur woodworkers of all ages and experience levels donate their time, talent and personal funds to create custom pens as a symbol of their support for our military men and women.  Every Freedom Pen that is delivered serves as a constant reminder to our troops that they are not alone and will have our continued support until every one of them returns home…

Community Team Leader Anita Dice of Soldiers’ Angels facilitated the partnership, and has had personal interaction with a number of Freedom Pens volunteers.  "I’ve had young people come up to me when Soldiers’ Angels has a booth at a community event or patriotic celebration and tell me they’re woodworkers and they make Freedom Pens," she reports.  "They just love the troops!"

Freedom Pens volunteers often spend their own money on supplies, and purchase specialized woodworking tools to make their beautiful creations.  Each pen kit for a woodworker costs $2.50-2.75 (including shipping), and over 83,700 pens have been made with 82,000 shipped so far. Donations are greatly needed to continue to support the troops with these beautiful creations.  See the Freedom Pens website at www.freedompens.org, and contact Jackie Outten at [email protected] or Joe Kelly at [email protected] to learn more.

Soldiers’ Angels is a grassroots 501(c)(3) non-profit comprised of around 200,000 volunteers in over twenty different teams and programs with unique and effective ways to support members of the U.S. military.  Soldiers’ Angels operates internationally to provide letters, care packages, and comfort items to the deployed, and support for their families at home.  They also provide assistance to the wounded, continuing support for veterans, remembrances and comfort for families of the fallen, and immediate response to unique difficulties. For more information, see www.soldiersangels.org or call (615) 676-0239.