Thanks for the ping and your ping-list.
The major take-home is: the holiday mailing season IS OPEN (and won't be around long).
AND to get up and mail NOW!!!
I published because I came close to sending packages in the summer...but got conflicting
details on the mechanics of the operation.
But, with the holidays approacing, I decided to "break down the door", e.g., I just
ignored the one page on the US Post Office website that says mail over 12 ounces
was not being delivered to Iraq...but apparently this does not apply to what goes
into the APO/FPO system.
And it took some time to accept that the APO/FPO system is sort of alike a Domestic system,
even though the goods are going overseas.
If you don't have a name and address, here is an idea for ya!
SOS: Support Our Troops Operation Gratitude: Sending Care Packages To
U.S. Troops"
Toogood Reports via FR
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/991246/posts : "When troops are out in remote places, they don't have access to
: news on a regular basis and rumors abound," says retired Army
: National Guard Brig. Gen. Michael R. S. Teilman, who now heads the
: Bob Hope Hollywood USO. "They hear about protest marches, the
: president getting lambasted, and they don't know if there is going
: to be a backlash when they get home, like there was after Vietnam."
: It's no wonder the troops are confused, with negative coverage in
: the media exceeding positive coverage ten to one, and the patriotic
: fervor of 9/11 quickly slipping into the apathetic languor that
: preceded that defining moment in history. Despite the negative media
: coverage and political bickering, Americans overwhelmingly support
: their individual troops and one woman in Encino, California is
: determined to make sure they receive that message loud and clear.
: Carolyn Blashek, ex-lawyer/teacher and proud mother, has personally
: sent almost 600 care packages to soldiers in the Middle East. Filled
: with toiletries, snacks, games, movies and personal letters of
: support, these packages have a huge impact on the lives of these
: soldiers. Although steadfast in their loyalty to their country, one
: soldier's uncertainty shows between the lines.
: "All the soldiers here are very happy to receive letters and
: anything that is a sign of support for our effort," writes the
: thankful SPC. "You at Operation Gratitude have made a difference in
: our lives and we are grateful as well. We are determined to
: accomplish our mission here even more, because we know America cares
: about us. God bless America."
: Boosting morale. That's what motivates this human dynamo, Carolyn
: Blashek, to keep sending packages and letters of support overseas. A
: product of the Vietnam Era, this 48 year old, two-mile-a-day-runner
: tried to join the Army Reserves after September 11, but was politely
: turned down for being about a decade over age. Undaunted, Carolyn
: signed on as a volunteer at the Bob Hope Hollywood USO where she
: lent a sympathetic ear to anxious troops headed overseas. Her
: encounter with one young man was soon to change the course of her
: life. About to return to Korea after attending his mother's funeral,
: an Army officer wished to speak to a chaplain. Unable to find one on
: short notice, the officer asked if he could talk to Carolyn instead.
: "His mother had just died, and his wife had left him years ago,"
: Carolyn said. "He said he didn't have any other relatives. Then he
: just broke down, started crying and said, 'I don't know if I will
: return alive, and it won't matter to anybody.' After he left, I
: wondered how many other servicemen and women feel that they have
: nobody. And if that's the case, where do they find the strength to
: survive the difficulties they face in battle?"
: Out of that void came the birth of Operation Gratitude (a 501(c)(3)
: non-profit corporation).
: Aided by donations from local businesses and other interested
: parties, Carolyn sent her first four packages to a predominately
: female Army unit based in the Kuwaiti desert, desperately in need of
: feminine hygiene products, toiletries and encouragement. From that
: initial four-box-a-month order, Operation Gratitude now sends
: 160-175 boxes a month to grateful troops. As with any successful
: endeavor, this one has changed over time. In the beginning, the
: front line troops needed basic things like shampoo, lotion and
: toothbrushes. Now that base camps with commissaries have been
: established in most areas, Carolyn is receiving more requests for
: entertaining items such as DVDs, books and the all important
: morale-boosting letters.
: Many of the soldiers are now asking for items to give to the Iraqi
: children and families who have befriended them in their distant
: outposts. They want candy, clothing and toys for the children and
: they want to share American foods with the Iraqi families who treat
: them to dinner in their own homes on a weekly basis. If there is
: anything that frustrates Carolyn about this business, it's the lack
: of media coverage for the positive things that are happening in
: Iraq. Without fail, she says, the soldiers have been welcomed with
: open arms and hailed as liberators rather than occupiers. They have
: become part of the lives of the citizens they are liberating, often
: attending community events and ground-breaking efforts such as
: democratic elections and the formation of schools. Unsure of their
: support at home, the soldiers find much solace in the appreciation
: of the Iraqi people.
: Despite it's inflated size, Carolyn still works out of her own
: living room, dining room and recently commandeered college-bound
: daughter's bedroom. This way, she says, she can still keep personal
: control of the project. An expert at procuring and packing the
: requested items, her most difficult challenge is meeting the cost of
: postage. At about $25 per package, the numbers add up pretty quickly
: and donations of any size are greatly appreciated. Carolyn finds
: the time to send a response to each and every donor and helper. It's
: this personal touch that really sets her apart from many other
: organizations. It's all spread by word of mouth, she explains. "Due
: to security issues, the military requires that I address each box to
: a specific service member in a specific location. I get these names
: from company commanders, chaplains, fellow soldiers, relatives and
: friends. I always welcome more names and can receive that
: information through my website,Operation Gratitude. Give me a name
: and a request and I'll see that they get a package."
: It's that simple. And it is the thought that counts.
: For more information contact: Operation Gratitude Carolyn Blashek
: 16444 Refugio Road Encino, California 91436 USA
: Telephone: 818-789-0123 Fax: 818-789-0563 E-Mail:
cblashek@aol.com : or
opgratitude2003@aol.com : Website:Operation Gratitude
:
http://www.opgratitude.comThanks for your service! Thanks for your pint list.
See Operation SOS above!
Thanks for the heads up Tonk. Bookmarking for future refrence.
Tonk, do you know the URL for the FR thread on the change in zipcodes? I think it would be helpful to post that information here, especially for those who might use VOA's list to grab an address - but I think everyone should verify the Zip!!!
Thanks in advance.
