I’m hoping for 5 or 6 volunteers to send one or two care packages for Christmas to our adopted base at Kandahar or to another one on the Pakistani border.
I have in mind that we would send cocoa (hot chocolate) mix and candy canes. Postage for a 12x12 box would be 12.95.
In the past hot chocolate mix sold for $1 a box of 10 envelopes but this last year I haven’t seen it for less than $1.49. One can get 10 or 12 boxes in a care package, or more, especially if you open some boxes and stuff the envelopes in some of the other boxes.
Candy canes of the regular size come in boxes of 20 or 12 that can only be economically sent from the East Coast where a larger care package box can be filled and mailed at lower postage than elsewhere in the country. For those of you in other parts of the country you can take the canes out of their boxes and put them in your 12x12 box layered between sheets of bubble wrap. And I think you can easily get 8 boxes of 10 into your care package. Boxes of candy canes sell for $1.00 to $1.50 a box.
Or you can put in both cocoa mix and candy canes cushioned with bubble wrap together in one care package.
I have a lot of movies and books already purchased that I am sending, and also going out to get ornaments for a Christmas tree for the base on the Pakistani border. I have put out a request to a faithful donor to buy and mail a tree from the East Coast, and should hear from him by next week if he can manage it.
My local Marine will be leaving Afghanistan in December and not be there for Christmas. Godspeed to him and our deep appreciation for his service.
I hope we can get some volunteers to get these care packages out before Thanksgiving or soon after, and also donations to me to cover the cost of the movies, books and ornaments and postage are always appreciated. I am never too proud to shill for our troops in the war zones.
Please let me know if you can help with Christmas for our troops.
Happy Thanksgiving to All!
Correction: candy canes come in boxes of 10 or 12 not 20 or 12.
I have two or three items purchased and plan to send them wherever you want me to send them. Unless I hear otherwise, I will send them to the same place as I mailed the last boxes.
I will buy some hot chocolate mix and a couple of boxes of candy canes.
I can get 2 or 3 boxes mailed next week.