DETROIT – What started as a small idea—sending thank-you letters to troops—has grown into a nationwide movement that has delivered nearly 12 million messages of gratitude over the past 21 years.
Jordan Newman, an IT specialist at WDIV and a sergeant in the Army National Guard, knows firsthand the power of a simple letter. Before helping journalists with technology issues at Local 4 in Detroit, Newman served in Kuwait as a technology specialist in the Army. During deployment, isolation can take a toll, according to Newman.
“Sometimes in those deployment environments, you get so isolated and so locked in yourself,” said Newman in the atrium of WDIV. “You start to think, do people even remember I’m here.”
But on a particularly tough day in Kuwait, Newman received something that changed his perspective—a handwritten letter from a stranger.
“It wasn’t addressed to me specifically,” said Newman. “It was addressed to the soldier.”
The note came from an older woman in Florida, simply thanking him for his service and sacrifice. It was a reminder that people back home were thinking of him.
“It reminds you, you know, it’s that reminder that you need,” said Newman. “It’s that moment of people haven’t forgotten. People know I’m here, people are thinking about me. And even though it wasn’t addressed to me, it made me feel that woman is thinking about me specifically.”
How One Teen’s Idea Became a Global Effort
Newman’s letter may have come from A Million Thanks, a nonprofit organization that collects and distributes thank-you letters to deployed service members. The organization was founded in 2004 by Shauna Fleming, who was just a high school freshman looking for a way to complete community service hours.
“I had no clue that it was going to become something not only nationwide but truly worldwide,” said Fleming from her office California, where the organization was founded.
Since then, A Million Thanks has collected and distributed letters from schools, churches, businesses and individuals across the country and the world. These letters are shipped in bulk to service members, who then share them with their units.
Fleming has heard countless stories of how these letters boost morale.
“I had a soldier recently tell me that he would rather get letters from complete strangers than food on a daily basis,” said Fleming. “That morale boost that they get from people they don’t know.”
Writing a letter only takes a few minutes, but its impact can last a lifetime.
“I know about those long days, those sleepless nights,” said Newman. “I had been stuck in these green pajamas for this long, and I don’t think anyone cares about it. And then you see some letter come in from someone you’ve never met, someone you’ve never thought of, someone who cares—and you can see that they’re thinking of you.”
Local 4 has teamed up with The Detroit Area Agency on Aging, A Million Thanks and The Ennis Center for Children Inc. to make cards and letters for seniors, active military members, and foster children during this month’s Go 4 It event.
