By Colleen Marshall

Staff writer

    Allison Boyce is seeking some angels on earth.

    The 32-year-old Gorham resident serves as the
overseas coordinator for the national non-profit organization Angels ‘n
Camouflage. The group, formed in 2002, pairs an “angel” with a deployed
soldier or veteran at home with the mission of ensuring they are not
left standing empty handed at mail call. By adopting a soldier or
veteran, participants pledge to send weekly cards to their adoptee as
well as periodic care packages.

    “I do it because I love it,” Boyce said. “One of my
deployed said having his name called at mail call was like a kid at
Christmas.”

Boyce said she began looking for an organization to aid in 2003, and
came across Angels ‘n Camouflage. Her father and grandfather had served
in the military and her brother-in-law is a retired serviceman – and
she wanted to form a more personal relationship with those serving the
country.

“I started looking for an organization that allowed me to be a little
more involved – not just something where I was making a donation. I
wanted something a little more personal to be able to be connected with
someone. With the Angels program, you can be set up with someone who is
deployed or veterans at home. This way I was able to really feel like I
was making a difference in someone’s life.”

    Applicants fill out a short form online at
www.angelsncamouflage.org and then are contacted by an Angels staff
member for a telephone interview. Boyce said the organization requires
the interview in order to review the programs expectations as well as
to make sure participants have their questions answered and have a
point person in the future in case any further questions arise.

    Once an angel is paired with a deployed soldier,
they must then check in with the organization for weekly updates.

    “The angel follows a soldier through their
deployment,” Boyce said. “And then they can continue their relationship
when they get home – as long as both sides want to continue to
correspond. It really creates a lasting pen friendship. It just allows
someone to show that we care. It’s taking the time to make a connection
and share a little bit of your life with them.”

    Boyce said the same is true of the adoption program
of a homeland veteran, many of whom are now in the care of veterans’
homes.

    “A lot of the veterans don’t have family and they
end up being lost in the system,” she said. “With our veteran program,
we don’t adopt people out within the same state – mainly for security
reasons. Many people feel more comfortable with the pen pal
relationship.”

Boyce said one of the most frequently asked questions is how much the
program costs for participating angels – and it is one she cannot put a
price tag on.

    “It’s basically what you want to put into it,” she
said. “Some people think that it is time consuming and expensive
– but it can be simple. It’s the cost of a stamp a week. And, you
can put a tremendous amount in, but it also can be as something small
as a copy of a magazine. Any kind of contact just makes their day.”

    Boyce said she traded in her frequent flier miles
and redeemed them for magazine subscriptions to send to her soldiers
overseas – and also has made it a family affair with her husband of
seven years, Frederic, and their children, 6-year-old Steele and
5-year-old Harleigh, becoming involved.

    “Both of the kids, whenever they see someone in
uniform, go up to them and say, ‘Thank you for your service.’ And when
they are in the store they pick out items they think the soldiers might
like to have and they draw them pictures,” Boyce said.

    Boyce said while families and civic organization
groups are welcome to participate in the adoption program, they ask
that one adult (18 and older) be in charge and serve as the point of
contact for sending letters and packages –as they do not want to share
the adoptee’s information with more than one person.

    Boyce said she has been the only angel in Maine
until last month when two others signed up for the program. She said
she thinks the lack of participation in New England is not due to lack
of interest – rather lack of knowledge of what the program offers both
a soldier and the person adopting them.

    “You can really create some lasting friendships,” she said.

    Unfortunately, she said, the lack of angels has
caused a list of soldiers hoping to become adopted to grow larger and
there are currently about 150 on the waiting list.

    “There is always a need for angels,” she said. “I
wish it was the other way around, but we always have soldiers who are
waiting to be adopted. We need to have more people become involved.”

    Boyce said the Angels ‘n Camouflage program has
several other programs for people who are unable to make a more lengthy
commitment.

    The Operation First Responders helps homeless
veterans by creating a backpack containing toiletries and personal care
items.  The Lapghan Angel program seeks lap-sized afghans or
quilts for injured veterans.

    “This is a great program for injured veterans,” she
said. “We have a lot of wheelchair-bound veterans who need something to
cover their laps. It can be quilted or knit or crocheted – whatever
people would like to make.”

    Boyce said she hopes more area residents become
involved in Angels ‘n Camouflage – something she feels she’s benefited
from as much as the people she’s adopted.

    “I wanted to do something special for them – for
their service and sacrifice,” Boyce said. “It is a moral boost for them
and it means so much.”