Soldiers' Angels charging volunteers to volunteer

Charity gets backlash over fees charged to volunteers
Army Times
By Karen Jowers
Staff writer
November 23, 2013

A charity formed in 2003 to send care packages to deployed troops is in turmoil as many of its volunteers protest a new policy forcing them to donate money each month in order to participate.

Soldiers’ Angels on Nov. 1 began requiring volunteers to donate $1 a month, preferably by credit card, in order to receive access to lists of troops, including chaplains, who have requested packages, cards and letters.

“I don’t see why we have to pay to volunteer since we pay for all the stuff that we put into the packages, and the postage to send those packages to the troops,” said Cyndi Fisher, who has been sending packages on behalf of the charity since 2006.

“When we signed up originally, we had to be verified, and most of us have been doing this for years,” Fisher said.

Soldiers’ Angels’ Chief Executive Officer Ann Davidson referred questions about the new policty to Amy Palmer, a volunteer for the group.
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