While we eat homecooked meals with family and sit on our couches watching TV with friends, our soldiers are in the desert heat, sand in their food, getting shot at, watching friends die, keeping watch all night & marching at dawn. The least we can do is send them care packages.
Let's honor their service by supporting them until they all come home.
In the past year and a half (5/08-11/09), thanks to your donations and help assembling packages, we've put together over 180 care packages! That's 180 soldiers in the middle of a war who got a little love from us folks back home.
Please don't forget our troops and our veterans--they still need our support.
Contact me at: rebecca@rebeccakushner.net (617) 524-6842
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Cape Cod Cares for the Troops www.anysoldier.com Operation Gratitude |
Our packages are being mailed by Cape Cod Cares for Our Troops , founded by 16 year-old Dylan DeSilva when he was only 12. If you know someone who is serving overseas, give me their address and I'll make sure we send a package to them.
- spread the word in your workplace, house of worship, school, neighborhood -- soldiers are still fighting and need our support
- run a donation drive -- collect goods or cash (that you can use to buy goods); www.anysoldier.com lets you pick a unit to send a package to, and the unit tells you exactly what they need.
- ask -- your merchants/employer to donate items; your friends to come to a FUNdraising party ("Salsa for Soldiers" "gifts for soldiers, not me") Get creative -- put a notice in a newsletter, ask your dentist for toothpaste samples, ask a hotel manager for toiletries samples
- raise money for shipping -- ask UPS or Fedex (or your company) to ship the packages; the post office has free boxes if you're mailing to soldiers; it costs $15-$50 to mail a box, depending on size
| toiletries food items (granola bars/nuts/trail mix) |
| powdered drinks (sports drinks/hot chocolate mixes) |
| hotel/airline (toiletries samples, washclothes) clothing company (wool socks, t-shirts) hardware store (batteries, duct tape) |
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Typical items you can put in your care packages--
- a letter from you
- (Letters are the most requested item! Thank them for their service; don't discuss politics, the war, or controversial topics; write a chatty letter about your daily life)
- misc*
- (bootlaces, sunscreen, moleskin, anti-itch cream, bug lotion, footpowder, Q-tips, over the counter allergy and cold medication, aspirin, tissues, batteries (AA, AAA, D), duct tape)
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entertainment items - (gently used music CDs, deck of cards; books;magazines--cars, sports, foreign policy, history, travel, The Economist; pens, pencils, pads of paper)
food & drinks- (food: granola bars/power bars, beef jerky, crackers, cookies, dried fruit/nuts in single serve packs; drinks: tea, single-serve packs of coffee, lemonade, Gatorade, hot chocolate mixes)
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gifts for Iraqi & Afghani children - (stickers; crayons; rulers; pencils, pencil sharpeners, & erasers; toys--beanie babies, birthday party favors, matchbox cars)
hygiene items*- (wet wipes, toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, chapstick, deodorant, razors, hotel toiletries samples; pads & tampons)
*Why do soldiers need soap, toothbrushes, and bootlaces? Because the army doesn't supply them--soldiers have to buy them at the PX (hard to do on the front lines).
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NO chocolate (in granola bars/ cookies)it melts in the desert heat Make sure expiration date is 5 - 6 months from now all food/drink items must be in single-serve bags no big bottles (12oz shampoo) 4-8oz are ok (sunscreen, bug lotion) full size toothpaste & deodorant are ok no liquids (juice) |
| Anna Conrad (driving packages to Cape) | Kristen Hafferty (every assembly, donation drives) | |
| Joyce Harvey (every assembly, misc. donations) | Ashley H. (drive coordinator) | |
| Deborah McDonagh (drive coordinator) | Sharon A. (drive coordinator) | |
| Rev. Chris Jones-Fuller (drive coordinator) | Linda C. (cash donation) | |
| Cynthia Z. (misc.) | Kato Kajubi (misc., letter) | |
| Office of Dr. Theroux, DMD (candy drive) | M. Collins (drive coordinator) | |
| Steve Nelson (misc. (including cards)) | Mildred Herman (assembly, cards) | |
| Romy C. (drive coordinator) | Sylvia Elena and Isabella (candy) | |
| Marie Francis (misc. (anything I needed)) | MA Div. of Hlthcre Qlty (donation drive) | |
| Pam R. (candy drive) | Heidi Z. (candy drive) | |
| English H.S. JROTC (donation drive) | Badger and Maya (letters) | |
| Boyden Elem Schl, Walpole (candy drive) | Vincent Sheehan (drive coordinator) | |
| Jennifer V. (assembly) | Marcia Szkolka (drive coordinator, cards, letters from friends) | |
| Greenwood Elem Schl, Wkfld (candy drive) | Barbara Litwin (candy) | |
| John McDonagh (candy drive, assemblies) | Jean Marino (misc.) | |
| Laschi Hairstylists/Day Spa (candy drive) | Jean Marino (misc.) | |
| Angel and Paul M. (misc., memorabilia) | Angelina Ford (letter, memorabilia) | |
| English H.S. JROTC (donation drive) | Badger and Maya (letters) | |
| Pediatric Dentistry of Salem, NH (candy drive) | Zina Beverly (assemblies) | |
| The Flagship Dental Group (donation drive) | Family of Women (cards, letters) | |
| Sri Nidhi (cash donation) | T. Tran (drinks, misc.) | |
| Annie A. (misc) | Patricia Ferrell (toys) | |
| Anonymous (misc.) | Anonymous (letters) |
More Donors...
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