Care packages for our troops - does anyone have info links? Thanks!

We're planning on printing up info sheets to hand out at Thanksgiving. Our relatives always draw names for Christmas gift giving after dinner. This year we want to include our soldiers and have each family do their part.

http://booksforsoldiers.com/

Best wishes to you and your family for this undertaking.

:hi:

I second the motion. This site/group has been getting through the front lines with real success. woman vet

If so - thank you so much for your sacrifice and your service - I wish a very Happy Thanksgiving and I'm glad you are home!

:hi:

Donna

on edit: and welcome to DU!

Thank you Donna. Peacetime. USAF 1980-1986.

:hi: (there isn't a salute smiley)

You said "It's still in the service". Did you mean to tell me you are? lol!

1980 - 1986 . You made it sound as if your service to our country was somehow discounted because it was during peacetime. I was just telling you that your service isn't in any way discounted because there wasn't a war going on! Sometimes I get hung up in that cyrptic lounge-speak and I forget others don't always understand it.

Mea Culpa and, again, thank you.

It's seems many moons ago! Thank you once again.

it's the best site and they tell you exactly what's needed and how to package it and where to send it.

Soldiers in different branches of the service volunteer to be part of this effort. You can click on their names, see pics, see what they need, and how many are in their area. You can send to either male or female. I recommend this site to everyone. You can also send letters and emails.

http://www.anysoldier.com

A full page of links and information about resources for holiday gift giving and multiple programs including active duty, deployed and wounded solders.
http://www.sftt.org/cgi-bin/csNews/csNews.cgi?database=Unlisted.db&command=viewone&id=8

Phone cards through the Military exchange - citizens can buy these at better rates than most other cards for persons serving in Iraq and Afghanistan
https://thor.aafes.com/scs/default.aspx\

Gift certificates in amount you select to be provided directly to the soldier, who can use the gift certificates ever where they are because they are good in any military exchange. (you can do this if you know the soldier and address or if you want to do this as a donation if you don't know a specific soldier/address.
http://www.aafes.com/docs/homefront.htm

Found this news release from the Dept of Defense. Head's up on mailing during the holidays! This sucks for the lonely soldier!
woman vet


No. 1100-04
IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 2, 2004

DoD Stresses Troop Support Mail Policy

The Department of Defense announced today the continued suspension of the “Any Servicemember” mail program. Accordingly, the general public is urged not to send unsolicited mail, care packages or donations to service members during the holiday season.

During this time of the year, the number of donation programs increases and causes mail from families and friends to be mixed with mail from unknown sources resulting in delivery delays.

DoD continues to emphasize that names and addresses of military service members must not be distributed by the media, Web sites, companies, non-profit organizations, schools and individuals for the purpose of collecting letters of support or donations for mailing to service members.

Service members should receive mail only from those friends and family members to whom they personally give their address.

Military addresses should not be passed around by family members for use by donation programs. Unknown mailers could then obtain those addresses and mail harmful items to service members.

For these reasons, DoD continues to indefinitely suspend general donation programs from unknown mailers.

Americans, who don’t have loved ones deployed overseas, can still show support during the holidays by other means.

A list of these programs is available at http://www.defendamerica.mil

To guarantee mail arrives in time for end of year holidays, family members are encouraged to view the mailing guidelines at
http:// www.usps.com/cpim/ftp/bulletin/2004/pb22138.pdf

Cause you're actually putting the name of a soldier on the package who has agreed to distribute to soldiers in their unit. DOD will not have any way of knowing you're not related to that soldier.

Earlier poster listed the site link. That site also has a link where you can order a package that is put together by the mom of a soldier who's dad(they're also both ex-military) started this site that will be sent to a soldier you designate, or you can let her select. They have a nice cookie pack that is reasonable to send.

This is similar to what a lot of us did here at DU courtesy of DU'er SouthernCalDem who had a friend who's son was in Iraq for a time and to whom we sent packages to distribute to soldiers in his unit. I understand we kept them well supplied.

If you don't want to take the chance of sending a package at this time you can buy phone cards that are supplied to soldiers and wounded via the VFW. Operation Uplink.

http://www.operationuplink.org/

Thank you very much. I'm in the same boat as others, wanting to send a meaningful gift (books are best), but not having an address. I will check it out!