“I’m a 46-years young, insomniac textbook compositor, artist, and mother of a U.S. soldier. Sit down. Tell me about yourself.” So reads the About Me section of Lori Stewart’s blog, This Just In. It leaves out that she is the founder of Toys For Troops, which delivers toys and care packages to soldiers overseas. In 2007, the State of Illinois honored Stewart with a Homefront Hero award which goes to “everyday people (civilians) who are making the extra effort to help out our soldiers, military families and Veterans.”
Toys For Troops’ annual Christmas Gifts to Soldiers event will be this Sunday, Dec. 6 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. at Champaign’s Village Inn Pizza Parlor. Toys For Troops will accept (new) gifts for soldiers as well as donations to defray the costs of shipping. Baked goods are also encouraged. For a full list of the desired items, please visit the Toys For Troops blog.
See why we think Lori Stewart is a Chambana mom to know.
Q: What the hardest part of being a military mom?
A: Tough question. Overcoming “constant” fear of something happening to my son while he is deployed is imperative to my own well-being—dwelling on it is absolutely not constructive. Still, it’s always underlying. A phone call after a certain hour, or an unexpected knock on the door makes your blood run cold almost before you process what it could be about. Little things like that will trigger awareness that you really do wear your worry.
Q: What is the most gratifying part of being a military mom?
I had absolutely no idea the path I’d be heading down as a Military mom. My son’s enlisting didn’t just introduce a “few new dynamics” to my life, it changed who I am. I didn’t know a single soldier five years ago, and have now met, emailed, spoke with, and worked with hundreds. I have networked with other worried Moms, and taken midnight phone calls from worried partners. I’ve worked with wounded soldiers, hugged veterans from all eras, and I’ve stolen the lunch tab from men and women in uniform on more than one occasion. So, unexpected to me, yet most gratifying is how many lives have touched mine, and how we manage to take turns holding each other up, as our loved ones rotate in and out of different war zones at different times.
Q: How has your blog impacted your life?
A: I started writing, thinking it wouldn’t go beyond the four goofy friends at my coffee shop table. It was initially a little rattling when it “took off” and I started to become more aware of how many people—and who they were—were reading. There was a brief period of worrying about who might think what, and coming to terms with what I’m willing to expose about myself. The response has always been positive, and the result is that over time, I’ve become more confident, more convicted to my opinions (or silly ramblings), and less worried about what you’ll think. More importantly, I’ve made so many new friends, and met so many wonderful people as a result of the blog. It’s been only four years, and I still stop and wonder at all of that’s happened since I started the blog.
Q: To what do you attribute the success and longevity of Toys For Troops?
A: A large part of it is that the nature of the organization is such anyone that wants to help can. You can be 8 or 80 years old. If you don’t have beanies, you can help with shipping costs. If you don’t have lots of of money (and most of us don’t!), a $5 DVD, a batch of cookies, or a heartfelt letter are still appreciated. In addition, our demand for beanies gets higher. Our troops in Iraq are working more humanitarian missions now, and spending more time in hospitals and orphanages. The message from abroad is that we just can’t send too many beanies. Most importantly, it’s the long line of people that want to help that keeps us up and running.
Q: You’ve been through a lot personally in the last several months. What has helped you through the ups and downs?
A: You may or may not know that I’m the primary caretaker for my mother, who has Alzheimer’s. I lost my only sibling, my sister, this year, to ovarian cancer in September, and my Grandmother shortly after. In the midst of all of this, I hugged my kid goodbye and waved him off to Iraq. It feels insane–and almost embarrassing–to spill all of that, but you ask what helped me through? Corny, I know, but there’s only one answer: I get by with a little help from my friends. Or a lot of help. For all of the heartache we went through this year, there was almost always someone doing something so wonderful that the scales were almost balanced. What helped me was everyone’s offers of help…and my learning to accept.
If you would like to suggest someone to be featured as a Chambana mom (or dad) to know, please email Laura at laura (at) chambanamoms (dot) com.