The APRIL Hero of the Month - Ronnie McCulley

It's that time again! Our Hero of the Month is Ronnie McCulley. Ronnie is a 21 year-old from Owasso, Oklahoma.

Ronnie spent six months patrolling the rugged mountains of Afghanistan until he was injured in October 2010.

At about 3 o'clock in the morning, Ronnie saw a few guys that were walking in the riverbed in front of him.

Before he could call for help, he was hit with an incendiary device. His entire body caught on fire.

Countless surgeries later, Specialist McCulley is home. A cane and compression bandages are the only signs of his battle wounds. Specialist McCulley expects to undergo even more surgeries, including one to amputate his pinky.

Perhaps my favorite thing about this young hero is his gratitude. Despite all that he has gone through, he continues to keep a positive attitude, while thanking everyone around him for supporting him.

"You see people who have it way worse. It was an honor and a blessing to serve my country," the 21-year-old said.

Personally, I think his father said it best, "He's always thanking people and really, we need to be thanking him".

Alright guys, you know the drill! Let's overload this hero with some notes of encouragement and gratitude!

Email us your notes/letters at theartofencouragement@yahoo.com

Please put HERO OF THE MONTH in the subject line. Also, include your name, age, and where you are from.

Send them in by April 20th at 11:59pm. We will take care of making sure Ronnie receives all of your amazing letters!

A hero contintues to be strong on the outside because it is their job; it is their nature. No one can possibly know of the struggle that wrestles inside the brave and injured men and women of our armed forces. Let's make sure they always have something to remind them that people are grateful for their sacrfice, even in their darkest hours.

We only received 33 letters for our last hero of the month, and we know you can do better than that! Share this blog with your friends. The more letters, the better!

DON'T DELAY!!! Send us your letters today!

As always, we love for our packages to come as a surprise to the hero! If you know Ronnie, help us keep the surprise going! Thank you!

Here are a couple of great news stories about Ronnie!

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20110326_12_A15_CUTLIN907118&archive=yes

The Card-A-Thon

What an experience! Our first public Card-A-Thon was a success!

We were able to sign 500 cards in a 5 hour period, and raise a total of $130 in pledges and donations!

We would like to thank Lush Fashions of OKC, the OK County Sheriff's Department, News 9, Fox 25, and all of the volunteers who came out to donate and sign cards.

Another exciting part of our Card-A-Thon was the amount of publicity we received because of it. Because of News 9 and Fox 25's interest in our charity project, we were able to reach a multitude of Oklahomans in and around the Metro area.

Check out our live interview before the Card-A-Thon

AND

our feature story after the Card-A-Thon, both from News 9

The Pledge

Hello Everyone!

We are so excited for our first ever public Card-A-Thon! We will be at Quail Springs Mall this Saturday (March 5th, 2011) from 10am-3pm. We will be in the Oklahoma Sheriff's Department Sub-Station, just inside the Northeast mall entrance (Between Dillards and Sears).

We hope that you are able to join us as we inch closer to our goal of sending 20,000 Christmas cards to our heroic veterans!

We are also in need of individuals, groups, and businesses to make monetary pledges in order to cover the shipping costs of the cards! For every 10 cards we sign, it costs approximately $1 to ship them.  If you think your $1 won't make a difference, think again! 10 lives could be impacted this holiday season because of your single dollar.

Our goal is to raise enough funds to cover the shipping of the cards we sign this Saturday. Pledging your donation is so easy, and you can even do it in the comfort of your own home!

• If you'd like to pledge now by debit or credit card, just click the donate button below!

• If you'd like to pledge by check or money order, make all checks/money orders our to ASHLEY HYDE and put DONATION-TAOE in the memo line.  Please send checks to the address below!
  The Art of Encouragement
  P.O. Box 12922
  Oklahoma City, OK 73157-2922

• You can always make your plege in person at our Card-A-Thon this Saturday! We hope to see you there!

20,000 cards, here we come!

Thank you to Lush Fashion Lounge in OKC for their $50 pledge! That's 500 cards already paid for!

Thank you for supporting us and allowing us to help you serve our nation's heroes,
Ashley Hyde - Founder

The Nominations

WE ARE NOW TAKING NOMINATIONS FOR OUR NEXT HERO OF THE MONTH!!!
This year, we are sending surprise encouragement packages to our country's heroes every month.

Our inspiration came from this great paper we found at Mardel!

After selecting a hero (either past or present military personnel), we will send out a request for encouragement. People around the world will email us encouraging notes and letters addressed to our selected hero. We will print these encouraging notes on the paper above, and send them to our hero. Hopefully we will be able to help our nation's heroes through some tough times.

Do you have a hero in mind that needs some encouragement?

We are now taking nominations for our Hero of the Month.
Please email us their story and why you think we should choose them as our Hero of the Month. Please keep all nominations 750 words or less :  theartofencouragement@yahoo.com

Nominations for the following month are due by the last day of the current month!!! Don't Delay!

Please leave your contact information and put "HERO OF THE MONTH" in the subject line.

Please include info like name, hometown, age, name of family members, and a picture if possible. We want to know as much as we can!
We must have a current address in order to send our package. PLEASE include this address in your nomination letter.

(If your nomination is not chosen this month, it will be placed in the running for next month, for your convenience. We will contact you prior to selecting your hero to make sure your nomination is still relevent at the time of selection.)
Nominations will be taken all year long. The month in which you nominate will qualify you for the following month's selection.

After reading the nominations, we will allow our facebook fans to vote on their favorite story.

Good luck and happy nominating!


Ashley Hyde
Founder of The Art of Encouragement


Want to help cover the shipping of our Hero of the Month packages? Donate to TAOE via the button below. You just need a credit or debit card!

Our Heroes of the Month

 Chaz Allen - February 2011 (Read More Here)
 Ronnie McCulley - April 2011 (Read More Here)
 Rusty Dunagan - August 2011 (Read More Here)

February's Hero of the Month

Hey Everyone!

We received one nomination for TAOE's February “HERO OF THE MONTH”, and I’m glad we didn’t have to decide between more than one!
We need your help to send encouragement to our chosen soldier! Just a reminder, our hero of the month program is a chance for you to write a letter to an American hero. Please take a moment from your busy schedule to thank someone who has ensured your freedom.

 This nomination is a special one and it comes from Joy Reader-Cummings.

Staff Sergeant Chaz Allen, a soldier from Ravia, Oklahoma, was hit with an IED in Afghanistan on January 21st. He was transported to the US military hospital at Ramstein Air Base in Germany. Both of Chaz’s legs were amputated above the knees.  He also suffered a broken arm and a handful of other injuries.

SSG Allen was transported to Walter Reed Hospital in Washington D.C. and was in surgery on Wednesday January 26th.  His mother called the hospital and found out about the surgery, but didn't know what the surgery was for.  
Chaz’s mother, Denise, left for Washington D.C. on Friday January 28th.  She wants to thank everyone again for all the prayers and support she has received. She said Chaz was moved to a less intensive ICU room, and is doing better.
Chaz’s wife says his spirits are really good and he is joking around. He told his Dad he wanted some OU shorts. He really likes OU stuff and wants everyone to know he is from Oklahoma!

Chaz graduate from Tishomingo High School (in Oklahoma). He has been serving in Afghanistan with the U.S. Army since June.

Please read Mr. Chaz Allen’s story and send us your notes of thanks, encouragement, and well wishes. 

All messages must be received by Monday February 7th at 7pm (Central Standard Time).
The package will be send Monday afternoon. 

You can submit your message to Chaz via email at theartofencouragement@yahoo.com. 

Don't forget to sign your name, age, and where you're from.

Please feel free to pass this note along to your friends. The more messages the better!

THANK YOU!

Ashley Hyde

Founder - The Art of Encouragement

***EDIT***

Here are some of the goodies we sent to Chaz!
A comfy OU Shirt and a no-sew pillow to help keep warm in those cold hospital rooms!



The Reason

I had the privilege of speaking to a new American about The Art of Encouragement the other day. As a military brat, I've spent my entire 23 years bleeding red, white, and blue. This conversation truly moved me; I realized how often Americans take for granted their freedom.

I was signing some Christmas cards in my free time and she asked "What are those cards for? Isn't it past Christmas?"

I replied with my usual short info-mmerical about The Art of Encouragement.

"Oh, so you get paid to do it. I see"

"No, no, no." I replied. "I do this for free. It's volunteer work"

"Why would you spend so much time doing that....for people you don't even know?" She asked me

*A GOLDEN WINDOW OF OPPURTUNITY*

"Because I want to give back to the men and women who have given me my freedom.  America didn't just become a free nation and stay that way. The reason that you and I can pick our jobs, live where we want to, shop with our friends, walk down the street...that is all because of the men and women who have served in the American military. They have defended our country against anyone who wishes to try to harm us or take our freedom away, and done so successfully. Without them, we would not get to do a lot of the things we do everyday."

"And they still do this now?"

"Yes. Everyday their are thousands and thousands of servicemen and women defending our country. Not just here in America, but all over the world."

"I guess I never really knew there were so many of them"

"Yep. So that's why I write these cards. Some of them are in hospitals or retirement homes at Christmas, and many of them don't have family or are unable to spend the holidays with their loved ones. I send a card so that they know someone is thinking about them at Christmas, even if they are alone. It's also a really easy way to say "THANK YOU" for all of the freedoms we get to enjoy because of them.

"Cool"


It wasn't the most profound conversation, but I got the message across. I'm not sure how long this women has lived in the United States, but I do know she has been a citizen for less than 6 months. She didn't grow up learning the history that is so ingrained within the average American. She is just now getting to hear the stories and learn the history of this great country, and she can now call it her own.
She didn't say much, but I could tell by the look in her eyes that a lightbulb had gone off.  Though I know she appreciates the freedom of America for her own reasons, she now appreciates it for a whole new reason.

Which leads me to the "REASON" for this blog. Why do we do what we do? What is the reason?

If you have ever taken the time to stop a veteran who is proudly wearing their hat in the local WalMart, or shaken the hand of a soldier in uniform, you already know the answer to this question.
Why do we do what we do?
The genuine look of astonishment, thankfulness, and pride that you see in the eyes of a military service member when you shake their hand and say thank you is undescribable. Our hope is that we would be able to stir that same emotion within each veteran that receives a card, package, or letter from us.

Why? So that every hero is thanked
Why? So that every hero knows that they are GENUINELY appreciated
Why? So they know their sacrifices were not made in vain
Why? So we can give back to those that have ensured our freedom
Why? So that we may have the chance to say thank you
WHY? SO THAT NO HERO IS EVER FORGOTTEN


Thanks for taking the time to read our blog! Don't forget to nominate your "HERO OF THE MONTH" for February. Nominations are due by January 31st at 11:59pm.

Ashley Hyde
Founder of The Art of Encouragement

The Frame

Hello Fans!

Founder Ashley Hyde has started hand designing unique frames to sell in order to fundraise for The Art of Encouragement.

The following frames are all 8x10 in dimension, but hold a 5x7 photo.

Pink Swirl Frame - $20

Green and Black Floral Frame - $20

Solid Purple Frame - $20

(Ashley can also create frames that hold a 8x10 photo. These are $30 each.)

All frames can be made both vertically and horizontally. They make great gifts for any occasion. We will post more designs as they are made available. We just wanted to share this unique gift with you! It would make a great addition to any home/room/office.

Follow the link for Ashley's Designs:

http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/album.php?aid=2013949&id=122300878

Happy Shopping and Happy Supporting!