Military Care Packages: Part II

[Venus193]

Anyone know a good place to get addresses?

Go to post #4 and click on the link.  Make sure to choose someone who has posted to that site recently.  You can even search by what people are looking for so if you have 100 sci-fi novels to dispose of, you can find guys who want them.

[Venus193]

Announcement:

On June 4th Bath and Body Works starts its month-long semi-annual sale with bargains up to 75% off.  That's a great boon to those of us who send stuff to military women.  If you send regularly to the same group you can stock up for the next six months.

[Venus193]

In the other thread someone mentioned that flesh-toned and clear nail polish are OK.  What's the word on French Manicures?

A store near my office has the Sally Hansen FM kits at $2 each.  If this is allowed I think these would do a lot for the morale of the 8 women in the group I support, as their assignment has just been extended by 3 months.

[afbluebelle]

French manicures are okay, you just cannot have a nail length that impedes with your job duties. 

I should have mentioned neutral colors, it basically cannot be unnatural (bright red, black, green, blue, etc.)  They are okay with a light brown or a sparkly topcoat as well.  But I am sure the young ladies will love the french manicure sets!

[Venus193]

That's what I thought.  I will be in that store at lunch time!

Edited to add:  Bought 8 of them and four jars of non-acetone remover pads.  I may send them next time because I have a lot to send this week already, but I think they will be pleased enough with the Yves Rocher floral body washes and Bath and Body Works creams.

[mrsbarrett]

All,
I just stumbled on this thread and I got really choked up because I didn't realize there were so many people supporting our deployed Americans. I recently returned from a deployment to Iraq and I can tell you that you all have great ideas. However, I just read the post letting everyone know that Bath and Body Works is having a sale. I love B&BW but realistically, it's the LAST thing us women are looking for. Sure the smell is nice, but the bugs like it A LOT and it's a nightmare wearing anything that has a scent. Every once and a while it's great to "girl up" but for day-to-day stuff, soap and lotions that are unscented are really the best bet. Also, batteries are very important. Most places do not have lighting for force protection reasons, so batteries in flashlights are in big demand because they get used so often - saves us from tripping over everything! A list of most-needed items: Gold Bond (or similar) medicated powder for our smelly, overused feet; disposable razors and shaving cream because water is a premium and we can only take 3-5 minute showers (when available); unscented wipes; FDS (or similar)  feminine wipes/spray/powder for obvious reasons; LIP BALM!!; bug spray; Raid (if possible); sunblock; and finally - something you've made!! We get all sorts of things people have made and they mean more to us than all the candy you could send. Schools send us pictures and cards that kids have drawn and we always put them up on the walls. Everything over there is brown - the ground, the landscape, our uniforms, the buildings, the cars - you love to see color every once and a while.

If you are interested in sending something to help the children of these countries, ask your "adopted" troop to send you the address of the Chaplain's office, civil affairs team or the local Provincial Reconstruction Team. The place I was deployed to provided school supplies to Iraqi children. I can't even begin to describe to you the look on these kids' faces when you hand them a backpack with school supplies in it. It's something I wish I could share with each and every one of you. It really hits home how much we as Americans take for granted. They need backpacks (small, inexpensive ones), pens, pencils, notebooks, rulers, pencil cases, construction paper, erasers, soccer balls, markers - pretty much anything you buy for your kids for school, they need. The only consideration to have is the supplies can't have any religious connotations. Disney is OK but keep an eye out for half-naked mermaids (Ariel) or princesses (Jasmine)! Some things they get are very iffy.

Again - thanks for all you've done! I would like to let you all know that the care packages you are sending are truly making a difference in our lives. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!

[Venus193]

Thanks, Mrs Barrett.

My adopted group hasn't requested batteries thus far, but I will e-mail my contact to ask about this.  They appear to be in an office building in a compound.  The things they write the most thank-you notes for are the snack cakes and candy.  I just sent a huge box of Drakes' products over the weekend.

Foot care products are on the shopping list.  I send disposable razors and baby wipes regularly, as I can get these in the dollar store.  The one thing that gives me anxiety is anything in an aerosol can, so I haven't sent aerosol shaving cream yet.  I sent some Axe deodorant a few days ago; if it doesn't explode in the plane I know that shaving cream is safe.

Thanks for the heads-up about Disney images; that's very important.

[DottyG]

All,
I just stumbled on this thread and I got really choked up because I didn't realize there were so many people supporting our deployed Americans. I recently returned from a deployment to Iraq and I can tell you that you all have great ideas. However, I just read the post letting everyone know that Bath and Body Works is having a sale. I love B&BW but realistically, it's the LAST thing us women are looking for. Sure the smell is nice, but the bugs like it A LOT and it's a nightmare wearing anything that has a scent. Every once and a while it's great to "girl up" but for day-to-day stuff, soap and lotions that are unscented are really the best bet. Also, batteries are very important. Most places do not have lighting for force protection reasons, so batteries in flashlights are in big demand because they get used so often - saves us from tripping over everything! A list of most-needed items: Gold Bond (or similar) medicated powder for our smelly, overused feet; disposable razors and shaving cream because water is a premium and we can only take 3-5 minute showers (when available); unscented wipes; FDS (or similar)  feminine wipes/spray/powder for obvious reasons; LIP BALM!!; bug spray; Raid (if possible); sunblock; and finally - something you've made!! We get all sorts of things people have made and they mean more to us than all the candy you could send. Schools send us pictures and cards that kids have drawn and we always put them up on the walls. Everything over there is brown - the ground, the landscape, our uniforms, the buildings, the cars - you love to see color every once and a while.

If you are interested in sending something to help the children of these countries, ask your "adopted" troop to send you the address of the Chaplain's office, civil affairs team or the local Provincial Reconstruction Team. The place I was deployed to provided school supplies to Iraqi children. I can't even begin to describe to you the look on these kids' faces when you hand them a backpack with school supplies in it. It's something I wish I could share with each and every one of you. It really hits home how much we as Americans take for granted. Here's the address for Operation School Supplies operating out of northern Iraq in the town of Kirkuk:

Operation Provide School Supplies
506th AEG Chaplain
APO AE 09359

They need backpacks (small, inexpensive ones), pens, pencils, notebooks, rulers, pencil cases, construction paper, erasers, soccer balls, markers - pretty much anything you buy for your kids for school, they need. The only consideration to have is the supplies can't have any religious connotations. Disney is OK but keep an eye out for half-naked mermaids (Ariel) or princesses (Jasmine)! Some things they get are very iffy.

Again - thanks for all you've done! I would like to let you all know that the care packages you are sending are truly making a difference in our lives. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!

MrsB, thank YOU.  You just don't know how much hearing from someone over there means.  So many of the people we're sending stuff to can't write back - for obvious reasons - they're trying to stay alive.  They can't be taking time to write letters, too.  They have more important things to do right now.  And, rightfully so.

But, hearing from someone like you means a lot.  The things we're sending DO matter.  They're not in vain.  Your words are a wonderful "thank you", and I'm so glad you posted.

And, thanks for giving us a "heads up" on what's really crucially needed there.  Any advice you can give us here really helps.

Again, thanks!  And, welcome home.

[Lisbeth]

Have you found a group to send to?  I haven't sent office supplies yet, but I found some lovely writing paper and envelopes to send to the women in the Baghdad group.

Unfortunately, not yet.  I'll do that by the end of this week.  I got delayed due to being selected for jury duty (the case is still going on...sigh)

[Venus193]

My sympathies.  I had to report about three years ago, so I may have to next year.

[hobish]

Venus,

When i started reading this thread i couldn't keep reading without crying. I spent a brief time in the military, and have a lot of family  who were in various branches.

Thank you for posting the tips about putting food and hygeine products in seperate boxes. I wouldn't have thought about that. Soap flavored brownies - yum!!   

i haven't sent anything yet. I've passed on to friends anysoldier.com, though, and more organized people have got stuff together.

You rock.

[Venus193]

Thanks.  In the almost six months I've been doing this I've had three groups go home safely, so I'm now down to one and I've been extra generous to them since finding out that their deployment has been extended.  I've gotten so many cards from different soldiers thanking me for the most mundane things we take for granted.  These are tougher people than I ever could have been and I respect them enormously for it.

I came up with a few additonal rules for myself, including not sending anything packed in glass (except for small cosmetic items like nail polish) because it needs too much padding and any hard candy I send has to be individually wrapped pieces, like Jolly Ranchers or bagged Life Savers.

The men's body sprays I sent arrived safely, so I am rethinking the shave cream.  I can get Barbasol in the dollar store, which is my best source for razors.

I have also just discovered that the flat rate Priority boxes don't save me any money.  I must live closer to the nearest base than I thought; I sent a box last week that weighed 26 lbs and the Priority postage was only about $14-15.  The box of men's soap that I sent weighted 22 lbs and cost $12.50.  I don't think I've been able to get more than 9 lbs into the flat rate box unless it was cans of tuna fish.  I therefore advise everyone to not only keep their postage receipts (as this is all tax-deductible), but study them on the non-flat rate boxes.  If it costs less than a dollar a pound to send anything, the flat rate box doesn't save you anything unless you put really heavy things into it, and bottles of shampoo just weren't enough.

[Lisbeth]

Now that I finally have time to do this (jury duty is over for the next six years), I'm wondering exactly how to go about it.

From what I've read, it sounds like you pick a soldier, put together a package, take it to the post office, and send it.

When you (generic) make up a package, how big is it?  Is it for one soldier or a whole unit?  If I know that, it'll help me figure out how much to include and where to send it.

[Venus193]

Check the person's page for how many people s/he signed on to help.  Send as much as you can, but don't send a HUGE box and try to keep the weight under 20 lbs.

I sent a 25-lb box last weekend with toiletries for 15 women, but you don't have to go overboard.  As the site says, it's better to send smaller boxes frequently than huge ones occasionally.

Smallish groups are best.

[Belle]

Just a note that if you send hard candies right now, there's a good chance they'll melt. (Hubby is over there right now and was telling me that even the hard candies are melting in the heat.)

On a lark, I sent a bunch of cheap waterguns over there, not even sure if they could use them. (They are in a desert, after all!) Apparently the guys loved them and went running off with them as soon as he pulled them out of the package.

And I second something that Mrs. Barrett said--Gold bond-type foot powders are always needed, as are, um, lessee if there's a polite way to say this, er, powders/creams for jock itch as well. (Nope, no polite way to say that.)