The Care Package Project -- an Update

[Xanthia, Maker of fine Tin-foil hats since 2007]

I was at the Dollar Tree...AGAIN, sigh, I should really stay out of that store, when I saw Shower Flip-Flops.

So, what do you guys thing, shower shoes, they were only a dollar and I am sure they need them, cuz those showers Can be funky, and those shoes can only last so long.

Wanted to ask here before I stocked up on them, just in case it was a silly idea.  OH, and they were camouflage too, LOL.

[fklwmn]

I was at the Dollar Tree...AGAIN, sigh, I should really stay out of that store, when I saw Shower Flip-Flops.

So, what do you guys thing, shower shoes, they were only a dollar and I am sure they need them, cuz those showers Can be funky, and those shoes can only last so long.

Wanted to ask here before I stocked up on them, just in case it was a silly idea.  OH, and they were camouflage too, LOL.

I am going to vote for YES YES YES!!! the Marine always had to buy new shower shoes before he went on ship. Apparently athlete's foot  runs rampant on the ships. Though they may be able to purchase them in the ship store, I am thinking they can't b/c it was alway s a big deal for The Marine to get some before he went underway.

Not sure about the accommodations for those stationed ashore in Iraq, Afghanistan, etc... but I would think that they could use them too :-)

[DottyG]

I was at the Dollar Tree...AGAIN, sigh, I should really stay out of that store, when I saw Shower Flip-Flops.

So, what do you guys thing, shower shoes, they were only a dollar and I am sure they need them, cuz those showers Can be funky, and those shoes can only last so long.

Wanted to ask here before I stocked up on them, just in case it was a silly idea.  OH, and they were camouflage too, LOL.

I am going to vote for YES YES YES!!! the Marine always had to buy new shower shoes before he went on ship. Apparently athlete's foot  runs rampant on the ships. Though they may be able to purchase them in the ship store, I am thinking they can't b/c it was alway s a big deal for The Marine to get some before he went underway.

Not sure about the accommodations for those stationed ashore in Iraq, Afghanistan, etc... but I would think that they could use them too :-)

Slightly related, but YEA!  What you just posted means that what I put in my last package was a good thing - I put some athlete's foot cream in.  I don't know, it just seemed like a logical idea.  And, now I know it was!

[fklwmn]

I was at the Dollar Tree...AGAIN, sigh, I should really stay out of that store, when I saw Shower Flip-Flops.

So, what do you guys thing, shower shoes, they were only a dollar and I am sure they need them, cuz those showers Can be funky, and those shoes can only last so long.

Wanted to ask here before I stocked up on them, just in case it was a silly idea.  OH, and they were camouflage too, LOL.

I am going to vote for YES YES YES!!! the Marine always had to buy new shower shoes before he went on ship. Apparently athlete's foot  runs rampant on the ships. Though they may be able to purchase them in the ship store, I am thinking they can't b/c it was alway s a big deal for The Marine to get some before he went underway.

Not sure about the accommodations for those stationed ashore in Iraq, Afghanistan, etc... but I would think that they could use them too :-)

Slightly related, but YEA!  What you just posted means that what I put in my last package was a good thing - I put some athlete's foot cream in.  I don't know, it just seemed like a logical idea.  And, now I know it was!

The day before The Marine deployed we met one of his friends for dinks. She was telling me how athlete's foot spreads like wildfire on ship, just b/c of the close quarters.

I'll spare you the details of what ELSE she said spreads throughout the bunks. Let's suffice it to say, it would be a difficult one to explain to the spouse when you get home!

[Venus193]

Shower Shoes:  I haven't seen those at my local dollar stores, but absolutely.

If you use the Search feature on Anysoldier to locate who wants them, you'll find a list of 78 people.

Isn't it amazing what you can find in dollar stores?  I've found washcloths at 50 cents, bath poufs at 4/$1.00, and scented Avon Skin Creams for $1 each.

BTW, I got a thank-you e-mail from the Marine to whom I had sent the poker set.  Turns out he's from the Bronx, so he's a "homeboy" to me.

[Venus193]

New Update:

The MWR officer (female) in Kuwait to whom I sent the Entenmann's wrote to me that I was the first person to send that and the first to send cappuccino mix!  If you are sending snacks to a mixed gender group, keep items like those in mind.  The next box I put together for that group will also include some espresso bricks ($1 each, and they're good) and a large container of cinnamon.

I finally heard from someone in Afghanistan, so my boxes are getting there.  I just ordered a copy of Alborada to send to her.  Those come with optional English subtitles, so she can share this with her English-only colleagues.

Two people have e-mailed me so far; the rest have send snail mail.

[Lisbeth]

I'd like to participate too.  I've been ultra-busy with tax work, but if we're on for this weekend, I'd like to talk about ways I can participate.

[Venus193]

Excellent.  I just found out that the China Grill is not open for lunch on Saturdays.   Let's recheck the NYC meeting thread and figure out what's happening.

[Lisbeth]

It occurs to me that something they probably could use is paper goods of various sorts.  Is that something we could collect for them?

[Venus193]

Are you referring to bathroom tissue, stationery, gift wrap, or school supplies?  I know that all those things come up in the searches.

The only thing about that sort of stuff is that larger boxes become problematic both in terms of postage and the sorting and handling when they reach the bases.  School notebooks and stationery are heavy and therefore should probably be sent in flat-rate boxes, as mentioned earlier.  Everything else is bulky enough to lead to large boxes.

On the other hand, if I were my friend in NC with an SIL in Iraq, I'd be sending him weekly packages of Scott or Marcal.

[Lisbeth]

I was referring to all kinds of consumer paper goods, but as you say, anything that's too big and bulky isn't really practical.

Maybe smaller size stationery boxes (about the size of cigar boxes) could work?

Or perhaps supplies like pens, pencils, and erasers?

[Venus193]

Absolutely!  Staples probably has some on sale.

I have to go there next week for the boxes needed to send more snack shipments.

[Lisbeth]

How many packages of these supplies do you think would make sense?
I'm thinking maybe one carton of pens, one of pencils, and some boxes of erasers and other small supplies, but I have to admit that I haven't done this before, so I'm really not sure. Bad me.

[Venus193]

Send whatever you can.  Most websites recommend sending what you can fit in a shoebox and sending packages frequently, as this system works best for the recipients' morale (and the senders' backs). 

I've used 14" cube-shaped boxes and while this works well if you're sending snacks to a group, it's a bit too large for anything else.  Boxes that size get heavy, especially if you can pack like I do and leave not a cubic centimeter of air inside.  Priority mail to the nearest military base seems to cost about a dollar a pound, so if you can get 9 pounds or more into a flat-rate box, you're ahead of the game.

[DottyG]

A lot of the soldiers are still taking classes (some online, some there at their location - not sure exactly how).  So, things like pens, paper and stuff like that are appreciated, from what I've heard.