Military Care Packages

cjacobs · April 2003

Hello,

Does anyone have any information on any local (Atlanta) organizations that are sending Care Packages to our military troops?

I have called several organizations and military bases to include:
Fort McPherson, Fort Benning and The American Red Cross and the information I have been given is that they are only accepting monetary donations because they have been overwhelmed with other donations.

My employer would like to donate food items and practical items to our troops and then have a local organization ship the items to our troops.

Any ideas or suggestions?

JKlink · April 2003

Try your local Red Cross -- they organized a great project in our area (IL).

Camlan · April 2003

I believe that since the anthrax scare, the military is not allowing packages or even letters to be sent to "Any Solider, Sailor or Airman." Unless you have the name and mailing address of an individual, you can't send care packages. You might be able to find a local organization such as the Red Cross that can help you overcome this hurdle. The Red Cross around here isn't doing anything that I have been able to find out.

You can donate money to the USO (United Servicemen's Organization), which is sending care packages to service people. It's $25.00 a package and you can include a personal message if you want. The contents of the packages are based on surveys of service people and what they want over there.

Our company has asked everyone who works here to contribute the name and mailing address of anyone they know who is serving in the conflict. We are collecting things to make up care packages to send to these people. They will be rather large packages and we are going to ask the recipients to share the contents with those who might not be getting any mail from home.

Cammy

Yahoo · April 2003

Try "adoptaplatoon.org" It is an organization started by mothers of enlisted men & women - your company may be able to "adopt" some of our troops. God Bless America & our troops!

jimlegal · April 2003

Try the Department of Defense! They probably have information on how to get donations to our troops. Good luck.

sonny · April 2003

Perhaps there is something you can do locally at one of the bases to help the families who are left behind?

ladyzuesse · April 2003

Having been involved in the first war, I must tell you that the best thing you can encourage your er to do is write a check to the USO for the amount they were going to spend.

There are a myriad of security risks to sending anonymous packages and even with well meaning friends, when multiple servicemembers get large packages, remember, they have to lug this stuff around with them. There is no home base where they can store their stuff, and anything nonessential will most likely be chucked for mission essential equipment and that precious roll of charmin. I carried a none too small bear with a beanbag in it's "patootie" around for two months until I came across a little kid to give it to. Would rather have had that space in my pack for an extra tshirt or pair of socks.

Volunteer time with local deployed families (babysitting, lunch for a stressed out wife), give blood, donate money to purchase phone cards (calls from the middle east are not cheap) Anything but sending packages that some tired Marine has to lug all over a battlefield. If you have friends/family overseas, then get everyone together to decide what to send - and choose carefully - then space small packages out every few weeks. Sometimes mail will arrive all at once because of time lags. The postal service doesn't have regular delivery on the seventh sand dune on the left - so expect delays and the occasional missing package.

Semper Fi,

Tammy

TALLEY · April 2003

Thanks for the advice, Tammy. My husband and I were just discussing many of the same things last night. A member of our Boy Scout troop has been deployed and everyone has been trying to figure out the best things to do. The phone cards are a great idea!

blw · April 2003

I would like to send phone cards to my sons over there. Here is my naive question...Will any phone card work for calling from Kuwait/Iraq to the US? Tks, Barbara

ladyzuesse · April 2003

There are international numbers for placing overseas calls to the US with prepaid cards - you connect to the local operator and they connect you to ATT or MCI or whoever. We used whatever cards the exchange sold (I think they were AT&T)

But I might suggest contacting MWR (Morale, Welfare and Recreation)or the detachment of the unit that is still stateside (there's always someone left behind at base to guard the fort and process paychecks) because it's been over 10 years since I was there, and I just can't remember well enough. Sorry that my memory is on the fritz.

Tammy

blw · April 2003

Thanks Tammy. I appreciate the info!

cjacobs · April 2003

To all of the reply's,comments and suggestions, thank you! You have provided me and probably everyone that have the same questions with valuable information.

Thanks again..

Military Care Packages

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