Bookseller Makes Troop Support Easy for Shoppers

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

Nov. 28, 2007 - With thoughts turning from tasty Thanksgiving turkey to holiday shopping lists, one national bookseller has made it easy to find the perfect gift for everyone, including the nation's servicemembers. Barnes & Noble, a corporate supporter of the Defense Department's "America Supports You" program, has created an online book store that benefits troop-support organizations with a 5 percent donation from each sale made through the www.bn.com/asy Web site.

America Supports You is a Defense Department program connecting citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.

"After Barnes & Noble made our multi-million dollar book donation earlier this year, we considered how we could continue to support ASY," said Brian Buckley, vice president of online partnership for Barnes&Noble.com. He was referring to a nearly $3.5 million dollar product donation the bookseller made in May to several nonprofit supporters of the America Supports You program.

"We felt that this online bookstore could be advertised in supporting publications and every time someone wanted to buy a book, DVD or CD they would be supporting selected home-front groups," he said.

The groups, all supporters of America Supports You, include: ThanksUSA, Operation Troop Appreciation, Operation AC, Adopt-A-Chaplain, Comfort for America's Uniformed Services, Give2TheTroops, Operation Paperback, and United Through Reading.

The groups offer a wide range of support including providing servicemembers with care packages, offering support to military family members and the wounded, and helping keep deployed servicemembers connected with their children through reading.

Each group will receive an equal share of the total donations annually, Buckley said.

While the Web site is a great way to take care of holiday shopping, it will be available year round and allows buyers to shop Barnes & Noble's online inventory.

"We have no time limit on this program and hope to support these groups for years to come," Buckley added.