Care Packages and Thank-You Notes for our Troops in Afghanistan

self | 7-3-04 | patriciaruth

[patriciaruth]

Our troop support group finally found a way to send care packages to our troops in Afghanistan, and I've received a couple letters this week requesting goodies. We're pretty excited about finally making contact, and are inviting others who want to show support to join us.

If you can't afford to contribute money or goods, the troops also really appreciate letters, cards and notes, and request your prayers for their safety and peace of mind.

The first set of care packages and thank you cards and notes that we sent to Afghanistan for the Fourth of July were received with joy and you can read about them on the second half of our last thread, Write a Thank You Note to a Soldier in Iraq this Memorial Day Weekend

We've been collecting goodies and contributions toward the next set of care packages to go to Afghanistan. Our contact there will send them to the troops at the outlying fire bases, and has requested toiletries, movies, paperback books, snacks, and games for them.

Also, there are ongoing requests from a group of soldiers near Kirkuk in Iraq for items for the poor village schools and children in the surrounding area, specifically elementary school supplies and children's toys and crayons 24 to a box are a special project of theirs.

[patriciaruth]

that Kettle corn is in the popcorn section and it does come in microwavable bags.

YUM! I'm going to check it out after the holiday weekend.

THANKS everyone for the info!

[patriciaruth]

Ping for a good cause! Write a thank you note for our troops in Afghanistan this Fourth of July weekend and/or contribute to care packages.

One time ping. I'll try not to ping again anyone who doesn't respond.

[patriciaruth]

Pinging for a good cause. If you can help out now or in the future with thank you notes or contributions for care packages to our troops in Afghanistan, please let me know.

I'll try not to ping anyone again who doesn't respond.

[DCPatriot]

Tell me where to send, etc..

[AuntB]

Thanks for putting me on your ping list, patriciaruth. I'm going to gather a bunch of stuff. Should have some goodies left from my gift basket business that I retired from last year!!

I assume I'll find where to send it on this thread.

[Vesuvian]

Great idea, thanks for pinging me.

Happy 4th!

[patriciaruth]

I'll put you on the permanent ping list so you can follow our activities, unless you let me know otherwise.

Have a great Fourth of July!

[patriciaruth]

Pinging for a good cause, and to let y'all know what's happening with this group of troop supporters.

If you can write a note for a soldier, let me know. If you want to contribute, I'll give you the address. If you want on the main ping list just to keep informed of our activities, let me know.

Otherwise, if I don't hear, this is a one time ping and I'll try not to ping you again.

[pops88]

I sent care packages every week during Desert Storm. I'm currently broke though and only getting by thanks to the grace of God. Otherwise, I'd be helping. My internet connection right now takes precedence over postage. My contribution is to pray for the troops.

[Conspiracy Guy]

Ping me but I am currently pumping money and support into a local program.

[patriciaruth]

Keeping praying! We need prayers the most!

I'll put you on the permanent ping so you can follow our activities unless you say not to.

[patriciaruth]

Keep up your good work!

You can follow what we're doing for the fun of it.:-)

Cheers!
Patty

[patriciaruth]

Pinging for a good cause, and so you all can see what's going on with this group of troop supporters.

If you can write a note to a soldier, FReepmail me. If you want on the permanent ping list so you can follow our activities, bump the thread. If you want to contribute, let me know.

If I don't hear, I'll try not to ping you again, but I have gone through so many names now I may not be 100% accurate. :-)

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!

[O.C. - Old Cracker]

Our family would be honored to send a care package to one of our soldiers.

[POA2]

My bride and I would love to help in any way we can. Let me know what we can do.

We would more then definitely said letters of "thank-you" to our troops.

Where should we send them too?

[patriciaruth]

There are two ways you can send a care package.

1. Send the stuff to us and we will repack and mail it to one of our closely guarded APO addresses. (If you elect to do this, FReepmail me for restrictions and address in US to send it to.)

2. If you are a FReeper with a good history here, you can also write a note or letter to a soldier with your name and address on it, and your offer to send a care package. Put a self addressed envelop (no stamp, they have franking privileges) with a sheet or two of paper in the SAE and put this in with your note/letter. Then send these to me, I'll put in an envelop to "Any soldier" and I'll include it in a box going to one of the outlying fire bases. Then it's up to the soldier whether they respond to you with their APO.

Either way, you'll need to FReepmail me for an address.

Cheers!
Patty

[Conspiracy Guy]

Keep me pinged

[patriciaruth]

You're on the list!

Following the care packages is fun. We sometimes post letters and occasionally pictures from our soldiers.

[patriciaruth]

Just checking in to let you know we got The Jerk (Steve Martin) and Broken Arrow (John Travolta) for the request list from Bagram. Someone's checking into Lonesome Dove.

Still looking to get Office Space, Hidalgo, U571, Finding Nemo, Ants, Sea of Love, Chocolat, Three Kings, Hunt for Red October.

I've got a special little box I call the Chick FLick emergency airlift for the gals at Bagram, has Forever Young (Mel Gibson), Moulin Rouge (Ewan McGregor, Nicole Kidman), My Big Fat Greek Wedding, The Last of the Dogmen (Tom Berenger, Barbara Hershey), Grand Canyon (Steve Martin, Alfie Woodard, Kevin Kline) so far.

Mo1 sent the following to our man in Kirkuk:
school supplies for villages near Kirkuk10 packages of 150 sheets of line paper, 3 boxes of Modeling Clay that has 20 colors in each of the them, 10 boxes of 24 Crayola Crayons, 4 Pencil sharpeners, 2 boxes of 36 pencils, 1 box of 144 Golf pencils, 3 packs of 6 tubes glitter, 2 packs of eraser tops, 2 packs of 4 bubble mini tumblers, 2 books of 651 smiley stickers, 1 volley ball.(she thought it was a soccer ball--LOL!)
DVD moviesBlack Beauty, A John Wayne 2 pack of 11 of his early western movies, 2 pack with 16 episodes of the Beverly Hillbillies show, 2 pack with 8 episodes of Bonanza show

email from KIRKUK to Mo1 responding to her letting him know her packages and two packages I'd just sent were on the way.

Wow!!

That is quite a list of supplies for a group that felt that they could not make a significant impact. That is a great amount of school supplies, and if more people would be able to make similar contributions, we would make this a reality for all the children in Kirkuk.

. By the way, this is a great list of new movies that all of you are sending our way, I think the John Wayne pack will be an excellent addition to our library. Every night I have soldiers coming over to pick up movies and I know that their life is more comfortable than it would have been. Thanks for helping make this easier for a lot of people.

V/R,

Sincerely, C******

[It was humbling to realize when he sent us the list of movies that they had now, that of the 42 movies they have or will have soon, that we had sent 36 of them.]

[PGalt]

Thanks for your work. Please keep pinging me and send me your address so that I can send you some items.