I just heard back from my care package Soldier ..Thanks SoCalDem

[proud patriot]

I'm so ..Happy Right Now , I actually have a tear .

He sent a picture , and told me about himself .
My whole family feels so Honored to be supportive
in this way.

I'm so relieved that the packages are making it
to him . Just sent off my third care package last
week .

Once again Thanks SoCalDem for the opportunity
to make a difference .

:loveya: :hi: :bounce: :hi: :loveya:

[Loyal]

1. Thank you so much for doing that!

I've participated in events here donating toiletries to soldiers! I know it feels good, too.

I never want to hear a winger say again that we're unpatriotic.

[SoCalDem]

2. That's so great to hear..

When I get back from my trip, I plan to start a thread where all the care package senders can weigh in, and share what they have gotten out of the experience.. I want to print it out for Jimmy's Mom & Dad to read.. Who knows, maybe they will send it on to him to share with all the guys :):)

It makes me happy to be able to do something concrete to help these kids.. and that's what they really are.. someone's kids.. They don't want to be there any more than we want them there..:(

They just want to do their time and get home ...in one piece :)

Thanks PP.:):)

[proud patriot]

Great

I'll give my experience to that thread when you start it .

Thanks again SoCalDem...You are the Best :loveya:

[Mixxster]

18. SoCalDem

Do you still have some soldiers who haven't been contacted yet?

[SoCalDem]

19. I think they have all received a box, but it's an ongoing thing

and since they all share, I don't really think they could get too much..:)

PM me if you would like names & addresses.. I am not posting them publically..:)

[SoCalDem]

20. late night kick for mixxster

:)

[RamboLiberal]

3. Cool proud patriot I just sent 2 packages 2 weeks ago

to 2 soldiers. I heard back from the 1st soldier late Aug and he was sent another package out of the 2. 2nd I sent to another soldier. And will be sending 1 this week to a third soldier. Some coworkers contributed.

In a couple of weeks you can be sure I'll be anxiously checking the mail everyday.

Can you tell me first name and last initial of soldier you got message back from? Or PM me the name. Just curious if one of the soldiers I sent to as well.

I was anxious all weekend when I heard their unit had a casualty. Name wasn't one of the soldiers on list SoCalDem sent me. But still sad that one of the guys from the unit was killed. I think about these guys everyday.

[proud patriot]

4. OMG ... I didn't know that happened

..Sad.. :-)

[SoCalDem]

5. Mary is bringing some of the pics that Jimmy sent

I will try to get them posted befor I leave.. somebody save me the link to them, so I can find it when I get back :)

[Brian Sweat]

6. How did you send the package?

What did you put in it?

[Scairp]

7. Wow

I am involved in an "Adopt a Soldier" program as well. How to send? Well, I used some bubble wrap and a lot of peanut in a good shipping box. I put enough peanut that nothing should be moving all the way over there. Use a big enough box for both the packing material and the items. You can PM me Brian, if you need anymore information.

[Brian Sweat]

9. I wasn't interested in the packing information

:eyes:

I was more intested in the shipping information. Is there some organization I can contact?

[SoCalDem]

10. Post office is the only way I know of, because of the APO

Boxes are smallish and usually run around 6 or 7 dollars, IIRC

[jumptheshadow]

15. The boxes are smallish?

Whoops, we sent a slightly larger box. It cost between $10 and $11 at the Post Office. A local mailing store wanted to charge me $95 so I walked the few extra blocks to the P.O.

I hope the package isn't too big and that it gets there.

We sent: Visine, deodorant, shaving cream, razors, toilet paper, toothbrushes, toothpaste, mint wood floss picks, Tic Tacs, shoe pads, individual packets of Motrin and Pepto Bismol. Tuna, mac and cheese, Pringles, cashews, peanuts, cheese crackers, pretzel mix, cheddar cheese combos, Tootsie Roll pops, Oreos (hope these last two make it okay), Cracker Jacks, graham crackers, gum. The NFL scouting report, a boxing magazine and a Rolling Stone. And for fun, we sent a little plastic toy robot that unscrews to become a bubble blower.

[SoCalDem]

16. someone here actually sent a FORTY SEVEN pound box

:evilgrin:.. The poor guy probably outgrew his uniform when he finished all the goodies.. :)

They can be big or small, but most people sent smallish ones..:)

[proud patriot]

17. I sent some bubbles too

LOL ...not sure if they'll use it for washing or blowing bubbles ,
but I thought it would be fun too ..

[Scairp]

11. Well..

Sorry. I can't read today for some reason. Try this link for info. This is the organization that I went to to adopt a troop in Iraq.

https://www58.safesecureweb.com/operationac/dw_pages/opacnews.htm

[Scairp]

12. I feel I should explain about this lady

The lady who started this "Operation Air Conditioner" has a son in Iraq. He said it was too hot to even sleep and could she send him a small window AC unit? So, she did. That got all of the other people in his unit to want one (of course) so she started collecting donations and shipping them over. That became the "Adopt a Soldier", mostly for the holidays, but I sent a care package and am just waiting for a response from my soldier. This lady, Frankie Mayo, doesn't care about politics or if the war was right or wrong, so I hope that anyone visiting her site won't blanche at the message about Limbaugh. She would accept help from anyone if it gets the things to the troops. Right now she is getting static from some people in the Defense Dept. about her AC program and also the adopt a soldier program. I have emailed her and received a response previously, and she is a nice lady commited to helping our troops in Iraq. I hope that some of you will consider signing up for her adopt a soldier program, because the cutoff for getting a package to the troops for Christmas is Nov. 27th. You fill out the form on her site and then they you send you a letter in the mail with the soldier's info, so it takes a little time.

[SoCalDem]

14. Our soldiers are from the unit of a dear friend of mine's son..

I have known Jimmy (her son) since he was about 8 yrs old.. He was stationed in germany and was about to come home, when he and his unit had to go to Iraq.. Once there , they were told that they would not be there ong, and then about 2 months before they were supposed to come home, they were told they would be there until Aug 2004..

Mary (his Mom) told me about how she almost fel;t guilty sending him stuff since some of his fellow soldiers did not even get mail, let alone packages, so I mentioned it here and before you knew it, we had people falling all over themselves to "adopt" these guys..

Jimmy sent his mom the names and I divvied them up here..

Just last week, Mary told me how thrilled Jimmy was to recieve a box from someone in Kentucky:)

[SoCalDem]

8. Here are some other threads that detail what people sent

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=103641 http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=276771 http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=262672

[proud patriot]

13. Thanks for those links

:hi: