Monday, January 22, 2007

Angel on Earth - Patricia Gallagher

Patricia C. Gallagher Rights Offered
yngsparro@aol.com
215-272-1933





Doing Good, for Goodness Sake!

By

Patricia C. Gallagher

An angel on earth, oh yes. I do believe. Celestial assistance intertwined with my problem. It seemed far-fetched, but it did happen, on April 5, the day I moved to Main Street in Norristown.
After experiencing the shifting cloudy shadows of a difficult period in my life, I went to live with my mother. With an infinite variety of cartons, crates, and barrels of the cherished belongings of my four children, we filled my mother’s basement. Rather than placing our household goods in a temporary storage facility, we stacked them on her pool table, ping-pong table, and then filled the perimeter with boxes lined side by side, and floor to ceiling.
Six months later I found a house that I could afford and eagerly looked forward to moving day. The night before settlement, all of my plans
shattered. My three friends who had volunteered to help, canceled one by one. The truck rental company called to advise me that they were not able to provide what I needed. I had no one to help me with the move, and I felt blinded by the tasks ahead of me.
Feeling quite discouraged, I went to the basement and had a lonely vigil with the boxes. As I reminisced, I tried not to let the veil of sadness overwhelm me. I knew that a plea to God for assistance was called for. I smiled to myself as I thought, If God can move mountains, then surely this little move should be a piece of cake.
But there was no one left to call! I had called everyone that I thought “owed me a favor,” and the kids were all in school.
I picked up the local newspaper classifieds hoping to patch together a network of handymen with trucks for hire. I doubted that on such short notice it was even a possibility. I called several phone numbers and got recorded messages. I left my name, number, and a brief message that I needed assistance the following day by noon. Frustrated, I wanted to forget the whole thing. All of my plans were going into a spiraling descent.
There was another classified ad that drew my attention. In a boxed ad I read, “Man will help you with any job, errand, willing to assist, no fee.” I made one more call. Should I risk, let alone accept, an offer from a total stranger?
“Trish, this man has a caring heart. You can trust him,” I felt the Lord speak to my spirit.
I placed the call.
The next morning I went to the Title Company to sign the settlement papers. All went well, and I left with my keys and a welcome home gift from the realtor. I let the tears flow and muttered to myself, “What home? What if I never find anyone to help me move?”
It was cold and sleet began to fall. I shivered as I checked my phone messages at an outdoor pay phone. There was only one response to my previous evening calls; it was the mysterious man who would help, for no money! I called and asked if he had a truck.
He politely answered that he had a van, and he could take the seats out for more space. He asked when I needed assistance.
“As soon as possible, preferably in an hour, about noon,” I said.
He asked for directions and said he would meet me at my mother’s house. I asked again about the fee. He assured me there was none.
I looked across the street and saw a U-Haul rental facility. Although I had no experience driving a truck, I went in and rented a large one.
A very clean-cut man in his early thirties arrived and helped me for three hours. We loaded the truck to capacity. My mother invited him in for coffee and he explained that he was “between jobs” and had some time on his hands. He had asked God for spiritual guidance, and he was led to put the ad in the paper.
As the only person who responded, I was the benefactor of a spiritual reward. He took no money. He did all of the heavy work, no money and no strings attached. He was just doing good, for goodness sake! A faithful witness to the random act of kindness movement, an anonymous person filling a temporary void in his life, reaching out to help another, with no expectations. An angel on earth!
Was there a lesson here? This man seemed to have captured the essence of a moment in time. He lifted himself out of the shadow of a job loss, focused his problem through a spiritual lens, and turned his empty moments in time, to doing good. His name? His address? I don’t know. With each heavy box, he also lifted my heavy heart. He taught me a lesson. We all have something to give! Huddled close to the boxes, in my new home on Main Street, I thanked God for the angel on earth.

christian speaker, christian, Catholic speaker, motivational speaker

September 14, 2006




To Whom it May Concern:

Our parish, St. Patrick, Troy, Ohio, had the privilege to host Trisha Gallagher this past August 14, 2006. She touched many people telling her own story of faith and courage. She made us aware that God is always working in our lives and all we need to do is listen, trust and just turn everything over to Him.

Trisha passed out her Team of Angel pins and prayer cards to those present and encouraged people to pass them along to those who may need them. It motivated other people in the audience to share their own stories. I later visited a nursing home where some ladies were brought to the talk and they were wearing their pins. There was very positive feedback from those who attended Trisha’s talk.

I highly recommend inviting Trisha to your church, group or event and be inspired by her message.

In His Service,



Pat Smith, Coordinator Adult Faith Formation
St. Patrick Parish

Patricia Gallagher - team of angels for soldiers

Team of Angels Tour Brings Hope to Middle America

To contact Trish on her travels:
CALL: 215-272-1933 or 484-932-8311
EMAIL: yngsparro@aol.com
www.teamofangels.com

July 20, 2006, Royersford, PA—Patricia Gallagher and her Team of Angels is traveling through Middle America beginning next week to bring hope to families. These are indeed despairing times for Middle American families as soaring gas prices have curtailed or even canceled family summer vacations, mom and dad are working two or three jobs to just make ends meet, serious illnesses such as lupus, multiple sclerosis, and cancer are on the rise, even in younger people, and unexpected natural disasters, such as Katrina, seem to be hitting more frequently and closer to home.
In answer to these troubles, Patricia (Trish) Gallagher has set out on a mission of hope to bring her Teams of Angels to Middle America to help these overwhelmed families and individuals. She leaves this Sunday, July 23, from her Philadelphia, PA, suburban home, setting out for Florida in a celestial gold van bedecked with stars and angels, and a sign on the rear bumper asking: “Do you or someone you know need a Team of Angels?” She will be making frequent stops at towns along the way to speak and spread her Team of Angels message of hope with her pins and bookmarks.
Trish began her Team of Angels ministry seven years ago during an especially difficult personal time. She prayed to God for an angel, then amended her request with “better send a team of angels, Lord; I don’t think one will do….” The answer to her prayer was this original poem—“A Team of Angels for the Overwhelmed”:

II need a team of angels, Lord
I don't think one will do. Please send me all the help from HighFor what I'm going through.
Guardians to watch over meAnd help my soul to copeI'll do the best I can to prayAnd cherish gifts of faith and hope.

These words started her thinking. How many people were overwhelmed like her, and might welcome an actual, tangible sign of support? She designed a gold lapel angel pin featuring three angels holding hands. She mounted the pin on a bookmark-style card that bore the “Team of Angels” poem inspired by God and she began to spread the word.

“I see my ministry as a Pass Along ministry,” Trish said. “When I started this in 1999, I printed 50,000 bookmarks with pins and asked my relatives to carry the bookmarks in their purse, briefcase or pocket. Friends and strangers began passing my bookmarks along to share a message of hope, friendship, and comfort.”

Trisha contacted some chaplains and sent 5000 of the pins overseas to be distributed to U.S. troops in the Middle East. She donated 2500 more to hospitals and women’s groups in her Pennsylvania community. “I dropped them off at toll booths, mailboxes, waiting rooms and phone booths,” Trish says. “I even put a basket of them on my front porch, and encouraged neighbors to take what they needed.”

Today, Trish asks strangers she sees in restaurants, stores, and parks “Do you or someone you know need a team of angels to help? Please keep this bookmark until you see someone who needs it more than you do and then kindly pass it along.” She asks them to share their story of where they were when someone gave them this message. Over the years she has received thousands of letters from all over the world from people who have received a Team of Angels pin and bookmark, telling their stories of how their Team of Angels saved them from despair and gave them hope. Here is one of them:

Dear Trish,I recently found the "Team of Angels" with the for loss of loved one poem attached. I am a member of a group called Patriot Guard Riders. Our main mission is to attend the funeral services of fallen American heroes as invited guests of the family. We go to show respect and honor our fallen heroes, their families, and their communities. I purchased some of the "Team of Angels" pins for the loss of a loved one poem attached to give to these families. I just stumbled across your product and found it to be perfect. So perfect a tear rolled down my cheek when I first looked it over & read it. I knew right away how much this would mean to the families. I gave one to a mother and a wife at a viewing this week; the next morning the mother was wearing her Team of Angels when she arrived for the funeral. Later in the week another funeral took place; again angels were given. I want you to know this product gives comfort and aid to the grieving family. It has meant so much to the families that have received them.Thank you so muchDaniel

Since the first 50,000 bookmarks were printed, Trish has written 12 more poems, individualized to express the words people need to hear and want to express to someone they love. In addition to the Team of Angels for the Overwhelmed bookmark poem, she now offers a Team of Angels:
1. For Serious Illness
2. For Someone Special
3. Thinking of You
4. To Thank You
5. For Friendship
6. For Hope
7. To Thank Our United States Armed Forces
8. For Getting Well
9. For United States Military Families
10. For Taking One Day At a Time
11. To Protect My Loved Ones
12. To Help

In development is a book compilation of the stories from people all over the globe sharing where they were when they received a Team of Angels pin and how they helped.

To read more true stories and testimonials, and to view and order the Team of Angels pin and 13 different bookmark poems, please go to www.teamofangels.com.

To contact Trish on her travels:
CALL: 215-272-1933 or 484-932-8311
EMAIL: yngsparro@aol.com

Article written By Sue Harper, The Writer’s Cottage, www.thewriterscottage.com

support the troops - one mom's effort

Contact: Patricia Gallagher # 484-932-8311 yngsparro@aol.com
A TEAM OF ANGELS TO THE RESCUE
Pennsylvania mom gave away thousands of angel pins to families who have loved ones serving in the military
Sometimes it is the little things that get us through the toughest times. That is why Patricia Gallagher gave away a special reminder to let the troops and their families know they are not forgotten: a Team of Angels pin.
The Pennsylvania woman said she has given thousands of lapel pins to the families of servicemen and women serving our country.
The pins come with two special poems that she wrote herself titled A TEAM OF ANGELS TO THANK OUR UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES and A TEAM OF ANGELS TO PROTECT ALL MILITARY FAMILIES.
Gallagher started the Team of Angels pin and poems about six years ago, when she was going through a difficult time in her life. Her first poem was called A TEAM OF ANGELS FOR THE OVERWHELMED, which aptly described her own feelings. She made makeshift angel pins using safety pins and other materials. She and her four children left them at train stations, in hospital waiting rooms, and other places. Somehow, one of those pins got the attention of the military newspaper STARS AND STRIPES which did a full page feature story about Gallagher’s project, which led to the PX stores placing orders for them. Military chaplains and family support groups contacted her for the pins. The CBS Early Show visited her home for a segment with Bryant Gumbel and her story was featured in Family http://www.teamofangels.com/Circle magazine, Gannett Wire Service, and Woman’s World. A producer from the Oprah show called!
“I would like to visit twenty military bases and give a talk which I have titled TEA, TALK AND A TEAM OF ANGELS.”
Her message is a simple one: “From the bottom of our hearts, I and every American wish to thank you for the job you are now doing. Please wear this angel pin next to your heart under your outer garment. It has brought good fortune and safety to others. May God bless you and keep you safe.
For more information on how to invite Patricia Gallagher to your military installation, family support group, or military organization, please visit http://www.teamofangels.com/

Help soldiers in Iraq, help wounded troops

SUGGESTED STORY IDEA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
By Patricia Gallagher
www.teamofangels.com
484-932-8311
215-272-1933


SOMETIMES ALL IT TAKES IS JUST ONE LITTLE ANGEL PIN TO BRIGHTEN A SOLDIER’S DAY!

What does a mother do when her two sons are involved in life-threatening battles, one as a soldier deployed to the Balkans and the other son battling leukemia here at home? My friend faced this tragic situation. I wrote a poem to cheer up our troops. I attached a little angel pin that I created, fashioned from craft products, to a bookmark bearing the poem A TEAM OF ANGELS TO THANK OUR UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES. My four children and I sent 5000 overseas - three little angels holding hands, reaching out with a heartfelt “thank you”.
On September 22, in a crowd of 45,634 people at a Phillies vs. Marlins game, I met two vets David Larsen and his friend William, (unsung heroes) who had received my Team of Angels pin, one wearing it on his hat.
I’ve been clean and sober 79 days. I got this Angel Pin from a guy when I was sitting on a picnic table on a real sunny day. He said ‘ain’t gonna need this anymore’ and he gave it to me. I look at them angels every day.
My nephew gave one to me –yep, I love those three little angels.
In the middle of Ryan Howard’s home run, David Larsen, the former paratrooper called his nephew. You’re not going to believe who I am sitting with. The lady who makes those angel pins
I opened a desk drawer and looked at the letters from soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen as well as the Department of Defense, the Secretary of the Navy, and the Veterans of Foreign War.
I am not living on the streets because I am a bum. How does a soldier who fought for his country become homeless? Why have lots of my buddies ended up in jail for drugs and domestic abuse? I lost my wife, my house and my kids. My drinking and rage drove my family away.
Nobody understands what it’s like to have your body crushed, watch your friends blown up and every night still hear the sound of the artillery in your mind.
Your little Angel Pins make us feel like the heroes we want to be.
If you can make an old military man like me cry here in the desert, I can only imagine what this pin means to our young soldiers here in Iraq.
Having your Team of Angels on my humvee makes me feel safe.
I read this letter from a former Vietnam prisoner of war. I pictured his battered face as he told me what my little pins must mean to servicemen and women fighting in Iraq.
A TEAM OF ANGELS TO THANK OUR UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES
You’re positive, uplifting
Brave, courageous, fun.
The angels bring with grateful joy
Our thanks for all you’ve done.

They bring strength from heaven’s garden
In bouquets of love and cheer
And prayers full of blessings
To protect our forces, far and near!

Why am I doing this? God, am I on the right track? My cell phone rang:
Hi,
I am a Sergeant First Class in the United States Army. While in Kosovo as part of the initial entry force, a soldier in my battery gave me a Team of Angels pin which I wore as part of my uniform, over my heart, under my left breast pocket flap everywhere I went. The pin has since broken. Could you please send me another pin?
Hang in. Don’t hang up. Don’t worry, Sergeant the pins are on their way!

inspirational speaker, Patricia Gallagher

Seminar topic, inspirational speaker, workshop, retreat, women’s conference, Patricia Gallagher, www.teamofangels.com, 215-272-1933

HOW THE TEAM OF ANGELS BOOKMARK PROJECT BEGAN:

Introduction:
After my husband’s accident, finances were now strained and we were struggling to stay in our smaller home, not the new one. My husband’s paycheck was drastically reduced due to a disability salary while the cost of medical co-pays and uncovered medical expenses mounted. I was not able to work outside of the home because I needed to wear the hats of mother, father and caregiver. I was feeling totally overwhelmed and began writing poems which were probably more like prayers asking for divine assistance. Each day I would go to the Monastery of the Poor Clares in Langhorne and write a poem which eventually became laminated bookmarks, 78,500 of them. I just received a shipment of 50,000 more.

Readings: The Team of Angels for the Overwhelmed
A Team of Angels to Protect My Loved Ones
Song: Johnny Cash – What on Earth Will You Do (For Heaven’s Sake)

THE TEAM OF ANGELS GOOD WILL TOUR – summer 2006

I never thought that I would be wandering around cities at 11 pm passing out angel pins and bookmarks. But there I was, meeting people: junkies, a mother of a young woman arrested for prostitution twice in one day, and a lady who had been hit 50 times in the head. Even a man saying “No one will get hurt, I need money for my baby.” That isn’t what I had in mind when I began my 7000-mile trek. I called my trip THE ANGELS ALONG THE WAY GOODWILL TOUR and had a sign company put those words and my web site address (www.teamofangels.com) on my van’s rear window.
What lesson did a beautiful, young heroin addict waiting outside a detox center in Boston teach me about parenting?
How did a middle-aged West Virginian mother with a 19-year-old daughter serving 45 years in a federal prison show me what really matters in life?
How did Erma, a Disney employee from Epcot, help me put my marriage back together?
What do I think of the 30,000 letters and e-mails that I received from the 78,500 people who have my angel pins?
Why did I pass out thousands of my TEAM OF ANGELS pins to hospital emergency room patients, addiction centers, disabled veterans, 5000 soldiers in the Middle East desert, and grief support groups
What made me leave baskets and plastic bags filled with thousands of Angel pins in the bathrooms of highway rest stops, Pizza Huts, Cracker Barrels, Holiday Inns, toll booths and to folks with broken down vehicles on the side of the road?
Why do I keep a large basket of Angel pins on my front porch in Pennsylvania, with a sign that says: FREE ANGEL PINS TO HELP AND ENCOURAGE –PLEASE KNOCK IF YOU NEED MORE?


QUESTIONS AND ANSWER SESSION

Team of angels pins - inspirational speaker

Patricia Gallagher – 484-932-8311
HOW THE TEAM OF ANGELS BOOKMARK PROJECT BEGAN:

(I sold my house and used the proceeds to fund giving away 50, 000 angel pins attached to an inspirational bookmark. I am no longer able to do this and would like to ask my fellow Americans help to continue. I hope I can tell my story to help others.

THE TEAM OF ANGELS GOOD WILL TOUR – summer 2006

I never thought that I would be wandering around cities at 11 pm passing out angel pins and bookmarks. But there I was, meeting people: junkies, a mother of a young woman arrested for prostitution twice in one day, and a lady who had been hit 50 times in the head. Even a man saying with a gun saying “No one will get hurt, I need money for my baby.” That isn’t what I had in mind when I began my 7000-mile trek. I called my trip THE ANGELS ALONG THE WAY GOODWILL TOUR and had a sign company put those words and my web site address (www.teamofangels.com) on my van’s rear window.
What lesson did a beautiful, young heroin addict waiting outside a detox center in Boston teach me about parenting?
How did a middle-aged West Virginian mother with a 19-year-old daughter serving 45 years in a federal prison show me what really matters in life?
How did Erma, a Disney employee from Epcot, help me put my marriage back together?
What do I think of the 30,000 letters and e-mails that I received from the 78,500 people who have my angel pins?
Why did I pass out thousands of my TEAM OF ANGELS pins to hospital emergency room patients, addiction centers, disabled veterans, 5000 soldiers in the Middle East desert, and grief support groups
What made me leave baskets and plastic bags filled with thousands of Angel pins in the bathrooms of highway rest stops, Pizza Huts, Cracker Barrels, Holiday Inns, toll booths and to folks with broken down vehicles on the side of the road?
Why do I keep a large basket of Angel pins on my front porch in Pennsylvania, with a sign that says: FREE ANGEL PINS TO HELP AND ENCOURAGE –PLEASE KNOCK IF YOU NEED MORE?