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This page is to display the recognition that The Letters From Home Program has received.
We want to thank the many people who have bestowed the honors given to our program.? It is the love of the citizens of the USA for our Troops, that make this program the success it has become, and for that we are all proud. ? It is also a page to show to some of the many individuals who have helped to make this program grow. ? ? Letters from Home is featured in Weekly Reader as a place for the readers to go to and support the troops. January 20, 2006
? Pennsylvania Families United Conference ?March 26-27, 2006
MAJOR GENERAL JESSICA L. WRIGHT The Adjutant General Pennsylvania National Guard ?meets with Director Chris Jovenitti and Board Member Mr. Gordon Huie at the State Capital Building in Harrisburg. ?
Major Chuck Larson of Pennsylvania Families United. ?????? Barbara Duffy Secretary/Treasurer??? Jim Jovenitti Vice President ?(2nd from Left)??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Duane Duffy Committee Member ?
What an honor to be invited to the Pennsylvania State Capital. ? Support our Troops Christmas Bulb for St Marys Chamber of Commerce 2005 named for Letters from Home
December 6, 2005 St Marys Chamber of Commerce presents the 2005 Christmas Ornament for the city of St Marys to the Letters from Home Program in honor of the men and women serving our Country. What an honor!! ? ? Gordon Huie (Twin Tower Two Survivor Attends Letter Stuffing Party? on August 28, 2005) ? Below is Gordon's letter to the troops.? Gordon lost his beloved sister and best friend on that day in September that changed our life forever.? Dear Friend, ??? In a twinkling of the eye, certain people and events pass through our lives. Rarely do we have opportunities to stop and realize these treasures. When they materialize, we grasp them with both hands; holding and acting dearly on them. It is then that we realize that we’ve made a difference in this world no matter the uncertainties and chaos. You may not receive fame or accolades, your role may seem small and invisible, but from a distance, you’ve achieved greatness in the eyes of unseen admirers. Next time you peer into the starry skies, there are over 3,000 shining celestial stars smiling down on you only. They are grateful for your good works in preserving their memories and alleviating the pain of their loved ones who are left to sojourn this earth. When your time on earth is done, the Lord will say "well done good and faithful servant". I know Susan is amongst the brightest stars; her gratitude is only exceeded by her friends and family member’s heartfelt thanks. Gordon Huie Survivor, Tower Two 24 April 04
Susan Huie 106th Fl., Tower One, WTC 11 Sept. 01 ?
We will remember Susan in our prayers.? She is not forgotten. ? ?Dear Letters from Home Program:??? ??? I just wanted to thank you again for having me come out to speak at your Letter Stuffing.??Seeing the great works in person placed everything in perspective as to the magnitude of your efforts.??I know without a doubt that when you see our Lord, He will say "well done good and faithful servant".??I have already begun to share with the people on this side of how wonderful you folks are. Your slogan should be "we make a difference in this world!" I will be at ground zero on Sunday for the ceremony. I will be the keynote speaker on Sunday evening when all the churches in Maywood will come together in remembrance of 9-11 and Katrina; you folks will be on my mind throughout the entire day. I look forward to seeing you again soon. In His grace, Gordon ? ? ? Armed Forces Day 2005 ?
May 21, 2005 Ssg. Leroy Stewart of the Pennsylvania Army Reserves presents an American Flag flown over the 458th Eng. Bn. base in Iraq and Kuwait to Chris and Jim Jovenitti, directors of the Letters from Home Program.? This flag traveled over 7000 miles back home to show the appreciation their unit had for the support of Letters from Home Program. Thank you to the 458th for allowing us to be a part of their mission. ?
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? ? Letters From Home June 22, 2004 ? The Stackpole Hall Foundation Announces the following to? The Letters From Home Program ? Enclosed is a one time grant for the Letters From Home Program: ? You and the program coordinators are to be congratulated for your efforts in this noble cause. Our grant is the result of the overwhelming support the community has provided and we believe this support is a critical part of what you are doing because it demonstrates true community commitment and spirit. ? ? Service Above Self Award June 14, 2004 ?
? On June 14, 2004, Jim and Chris Jovenitti were guest speakers at The Johnsonburg Rotary Club After their presentation of The Letters From Home Program they were each presented with "Service Above Self" Awards. ? The certificates read, "Service Above Self May It Be Known That James/Chris Jovenitti has performed excellent service Above and Beyond the Call of Duty in the City of Johnsonburg, Pa. And as an expression of appreciation, The Rotary Club presents this Certificate." Dated June 14, 2004 Signed by William A. Lenze, President ? ? ? ? Second Place June 5, 2004 ?
? On June 5, 2004 Letters From Home participated in the Fox Township Volunteer Fire Department Parade in Kersey, PA. ? Letters From Home would like to thank ?
? The trophy reads, "Fox Township Volunteer Fire Dept. Best Appearing Float Second Place June 5, 2004" ? ? ? ? Thank You from the 45th Civil Engineer Squadron Received on April 26, 2004 ?
? ? ? Dear Jim and Chris Jovenitti, ??? I have received a few packages from the Letters From Home Program that you run. The guys at my shop and I think it is a wonderful thing that you all do for us. We wanted to thank you very much for doing such things to show support for our troops. Lately there has been a lot of not so good talk about the militay and the operations we are engaged in. Everyone that signed the papers, such as I did, to be in the military accept the order that we get without a blink of an eye. It is nice to have someone like yourselves to show support and have the kids involved too. The children that are writing these cards are the next generation to take over the country, and supporting us now makes everyone feel good about letting them take over.? The shop that I work in has civilians, prior military, retired military and active duty alike. I take the cars that you send me into the shop and let the other guys enjoy them such as I have. No other person in the shop has ever, ever had anything like this sent to them during their career. They all sit and read them when they get time and always ask me, "Who wrote these?" When I tell them that the adults and children in my hometown arranged this they are very impressed. ??? In closing, I would like to thank you and the children for the shop and myself. It is appreciated gratefully, we thought we could send you a little something. I have enclosed a plaque and a few United States Air Force pins. Wear them with pride as we do ourselves. Once again thank you for all the support you are giving to the troops. Keep up the good work!! ? ? Easter Wishes From America March 2004
? ?The 2004 St. Marys Home & Business Expo ?2004 Easter Wishes From America campaign ? Dear Soldier, Love, your friend, ? Dear Soldier, Sincerely, ? From The Ridgway Record March 19, 2004 "We Salute The Iraqi Liberation" Edition ? Message Reaches Around the World By Todd Hughes A program that started out of love for a child has blossomed into one that has touched hundred of soldiers. Chris and Jim Jovenitti started their "Letters from Home Program," to help comfort local soldiers. The program took on a life of its own and during the last mailing, over 10,000 valentines were collected and mailed to nearly 1,000 soldiers, both stateside and abroad. The Jovenitti’s son, Lance, left for basic training for the national guard on Mother’s Day of last year. The Jovenitti's were then asked to perform on Memorial Day at the gazebo in Johnsonburg. "We had been taking music lessons for about five years and we were asked to perform on Memorial Day," Chris said. "We had a number of military marches and patriotic music ready. People told us that we had to talk between the songs, and I said ‘We can’t do that, we don’t know what to say.’" Right about that time, the Jovenitti's received a letter from their son Lance, who was at Ft. Benning. The letter gave them something to talk about at their performance, and it also made the Jovenitti's realize how "homesick" they were for their son. "I remember it being on army stationary and being so proud when I pulled that letter out to show it. People were starting to tell us stories about what their children were experiencing over there," Chris said. "In between songs I started to read stories from letters and it really got people’s attention to what was going on." The Jovenitti's then decided to ask people at their performances to write messages to lonely soldiers. "We started to ask people, while we were playing, to write a note to a lonesome soldier, not necessarily to our son," Chris said. "That Memorial Day weekend, we were running around taking pictures of anybody and everybody, then we had them write a message. We had 55 messages on the collage we made from the pictures." The reason for the collage was because their son told them that for every letter he received he had to do 25 push-ups. As the weeks went on, Lance questioned his parents as to why he was only getting one letter a week from them. Chris was trying to protect her son from the extra push-ups, but Lance told her he could do all the push-ups needed for letters from home. Chris said that Lance told her that it mattered to him that his family was at home doing the normal everyday things. "After Memorial Day, we started to put this program on at various places. We did the program for a Women of Grace Breakfast, and everyone was in tears when we finished," Chris said. "After that show, they gave us a donation and said ‘You can not let this ministry go. If you do, nobody will get this message, because nobody is out there telling us that these kids are lonesome from little bits of information from home.’" It took the Jovenitti's from May until October to get enough letters to send to the 65 boys from the Ridgway unit. Each soldier received an envelope with five letters. The Jovenitti's then contacted the Bucktail Chapter of the Vietnam Veterans and through Operation Uplink, they sent phone cards along with the letters in their Christmas campaign. In November, the combined effort of the Jovenitti's and Bucktail Chapter of Vietnam Veterans along with the Dagus Mines American Legion Post, sent letters and phone cards to 396 soldiers. The program was titled "Help a Hero Call Home." The Jovenitti's program really exploded for Valentine’s Day. The program titled "Send Your Heart to the Troops," grew by leaps and bounds. The Jovenitti's collected 10,000 handmade valentines to send to the troops. The valentines program sent packets of valentines to 450 soldiers in the U.S. and abroad. Another 150 valentines went to soldiers at the Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D.C., 50 went to soldiers at Landstuhl Medical Center in Germany, along with 320 valentines to soldiers at Bethesda National Medical Center. "This program has formed some very good bonds between people who needed each other at the right times," Chris said. "One of the captains told me that our letters provided a pick-me-up for his troops just at the right time." The public is encouraged to attend and show support for our troops. ? ? Pennsylvania Army National Guard Company C 1st Battalion 112th Infantry Homecoming March 2004 ?
? On March 2, 2004 the Pennsylvania Army National Guard Company C 1st Battalion 112th Infantry out of Ridgway, PA came home. Chris and Jim Jovenitti were awarded the above plaque and medallions at the homecoming ceremony. Task Force Falcon 5A To:? Jim and Chris Jovenitti Co C 1/112th INF (M) (FWD) Ridgway, PA Kosovo Force (Kfor) Rotation 5A from 11 Jul 03 to 20 Feb 04 The medallions read: Peacekeeping Force Kosovo KFOR 5 Alpha Task Force Associator 28 th ID Been There Done That 2003-2004 C/1/112th IN Bucktails Lead the Way ? ? Send Your Heart To The Troops February 2004
On February 12, at a meeting of the Johnsonburg Area School Board, Samantha VonArx of Wilcox was awarded the above plaque for submitting "The 2004 Valentine That Says It All." (plaque made by Garbic's Graphics) ?
Samantha receiving her award, and the card she made. ? Outstanding Citizen Award November 2003
Chris and Jim Jovenitti, founders and directors of The Letters From Home Program, were awarded the WKBI Outstanding Citizen Award in November 2003 for the wonderful and meaningful work they are doing. The article reads: Radio Station WKBI "Until they come home, we will bring them voices from home." ? views since 10/22/04 |
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