 |
Program sends supplies to Iraq, Afghanistan
| | | By Ryan Culver, Staff Writer | 11/03/2004 |
| |
|  |  |
A soldier grows a reminder of home in the barren desert after his parents sent him a packet of grass seeds.
| |
Throughout American history, leaders have emerged to dedicate their
life to a cause. Martin Luther King Jr. made a commitment to a civil
rights movement; he had a dream of a better America and he was free to
pursue that dream. Ronald Reagan had a plan to end the Cold War and he
had the support of the American people; by following his plan, the Cold
War ended and the world became a safer place.
Americans are at another point in history where a commitment to freedom
can lead to peace and security in this world. Regardless of whether
people agree with the reasons for sending our troops out to fight,
American troops are out there now providing freedom for us and they
need a commitment from the American people to support them in their
fight and bring them home safely.
A local grandmother of twin U.S.
Marines, Margaret Coles, decided to organize a program to ship personal
care packages to Marines serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Coles said
she was brainstorming her idea early in the morning about six weeks ago
when she decided care packages were the best thing she could do to help
support the troops.
"I felt, when these boys were activated, I
wanted to ensure their safety, so I helped [by sending packages],"
Coles said. "I felt if I gave back, God would keep [the troops] safe."
Her plan started with a bottle of Tabasco. Coles said the troops put
Tabasco on everything, but people cannot send glass bottles through the
mail so it is hard to get to the troops. She called the McIlhenny
Company, makers of Tabasco, and they informed her they have special
packets (like fast food restaurants have for ketchup) to send through
the mail.
"It is extremely important that we show our support [at
home] because the troops are keeping the peace here by taking the war
over there," said Beda Travis, a Houston fire fighter whose husband is
serving in Iraq.
"It is easy to take things for granted, and when
someone you know leaves their life [at home] to go protect our country
[abroad], you feel the nostalgia and their commitment to the country,"
said Robin Mueck of Heritage Texas Properties.
"I feel an
appreciation for what these people are doing for us, to protect our
country and our freedom," Mueck said. "When it is someone you love who
leaves you, I think it is the appreciation I feel for them for me to be
purposeful, and certainly very committed."
Travis said her husband
told her it is very primitive in the desert. "There is only a certain
amount of time [per day] they have electricity," Travis said. "And they
have no running water. We have to do what we can from here, and the
care packages and the letters are doing our part to support them."
As Coles gathered more information about how to send care packages, she
decided it would be nice to organize all she had learned and share it
with the world. Now, a few weeks later, she has a Web site,
www.singforpeace.com, loaded with instructions and tips for collecting,
packing and mailing care packages to Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Web
site notes that people should be aware that this may be the first time
some of the troops have been away from home, and they might be
homesick. Familiar items from United States are very useful as well as
personal notes to help the soldier feel closer to home.
Certain
items are not recommended for the care packages. Chocolate, pork,
magazines with nudity, religious items, tobacco, aerosol containers,
glass containers, flea collars, homemade food and other perishable food
items should not be sent to soldiers.
Good things to send are
cookies, coffee, fast food condiments, beef jerky, disposable cameras,
cotton socks, facial tissue, lip balm, eye drops, deodorant, bug lotion
with Deet (non-aerosol), sunscreen, magazines (no nudity), newspapers
and books. For a more extensive list of popular care package items
check online at www.singforpeace.com.
According to the Web site,
the most important item to send is a letter of encouragement. It is
important to let the troops know we care about them and support what
they are doing. The Web site also reminds supporters to think "travel
size" when they select items to donate. Another good tip is to send
plastic cutlery along with any food you send.
The program is much
more than merely instructional. Coles has set up donation drop-off
points around Houston and has a mail-in form on the Web site for people
to send monetary donations. All of the money donated goes towards
purchasing supplies and postage for the packages.
Public drop-off
locations for northwest Houston and Harris County are Ana's Linens near
the intersection of FM 1960 and Veteran's Memorial and the Houston Fire
Department Station 96, 7409 Willowchase Blvd. at Mills Road.
The
postage is the largest cost for the packages, and also the program's
greatest area of need. Shipping rates are available at
www.singforpeace.com if you want to mail a care package, but the
average cost for care packages in a United States Postal Service box
(size 7) is $20.
If you are interested in sending multiple care
packages, the USPS will mail you boxes to pack the supplies in, just
call them at 1-800-275-8777. A customs declaration must also be
attached to any package you wish to send-listing items as "prepackaged
food items" and "personal toiletries" should be sufficient. USPS will
also print labels for you if you are sending multiple packages, just
call 1-800-610-8734. There is a different postage rate for mailing
books, so ask for the book rate if you are only mailing books.
Coles said she would be more than happy to do the hardest part of
sending a care package to a soldier: the work. "If [concerned citizens]
submit a name and make a donation, I will do all the leg work," Coles
said.
Matthew McMenimen, Public Affairs Officer for 1st Battalion
23rd Marines, said the troops are pretty excited when they receive
anything from home.
McMenimen said soldiers also appreciate mail
from strangers, or people outside their immediate family, because it
"motivates them and helps reinforce that they are doing the right
thing."
Travis said, "[My husband] says it is like Christmas
[when he receives care packages] because [they contain] much-needed
items plus a few surprises, and pictures from home ... familiar faces
are invaluable."
"When you can make a very small sacrifice of time
and material things and package it to send to someone who lives in the
desert fighting for you and has nothing," Mueck said, "It makes you
realize how unimportant all the frills in life are.
"It is so easy to make a difference, even if it is a small project, collectively [the projects] make a big impact."
Beda Travis' son and his class at school will be making Christmas cards
for troops in Iraq and Afghanistan in a few weeks. If these children
can band together during the holiday season to make sure our troops
know they are not forgotten, then there should be no reason our
community cannot do the same.
| |
©Houston Community Newspapers Online 2004
| |
|
|
