Christmas Care Packages for Troops

13 days left before the fundraiser closes - I have everything I always buy for the care packages purchased and ready for packing. However, I have had very few donations of items to help fill the boxes out. For the past 8 years, I have managed to have enough "stuff" donated that it was difficult to walk in the Soldier Room for all the boxes and bags. All the local papers ran my article including a list of things needed, along with my phone numbers and my work address where items can be dropped off. I put flyers out at the Board Office and Jack took flyers to work and handed them out. I have plenty of candy for the stockings, thanks to my friend Gayle, and a handful of small fun items that can be included as gifts, thanks to my friend (and boss) Judy. I have plenty of word puzzle & Suduko books. No gloves. No sock hats/beanies. No Hot Hands handwarmers. No Little Debbie-type snack cakes in Holiday themes. No hand-held electronic games. No batteries. I have $119 and change left in the Troop Account besides the money I've set aside for the postage for 36 boxes - I'll probably buy handwarmers and as many gloves as I can with what I have left to work with. Meanwhile, I can only say I am disappointed in our community. I expected a little more particpation in such a worthwhile cause. Especially with our proximity to Ft. Campbell, and knowing how many troops from Ft.Campbell are currently deployed and how many are preparing to deploy soon. I'm still plugging along, and come Hell or high water I WILL get 36 Christmas packages sent out. It could be the last year for this project, though.

Time keeps slipping into the future...the clock is ticking down on this project. Today's mail brought 3 phone cards and a $20 donation from Ron & Ashley in Hawaii. Since Ron has "been there, done that" at least five times (and every time, we sent him care packages), he knows what will be a hit with our Warriors. I really appreciate the Warriors and Veterans who have helped with this project. I guess since they've been in the same boots our deployed warriors are in, spending holidays away from their families, missing out on so many special moments that the rest of us take for granted, they understand the importance of what I'm trying to do. Your average citizen just doesn't "get it." Sad, but true...

Received a $50 donation today from Julie & Richard Fudge. Julie also shared the link to my page on facebook and asked her friends to consider helping with the project. I really appreciate my friends being willing to help out! I got a $30 check from Lanelle Craig when she came by the office to drop off a big tote bag full of travel-size Scope mouthwash, and added that to the $12 check my friends Doyle & Sue Pritchard sent to make a $42 deposit to the troop account this afternoon. The Pritchards have set up a monthly automatic payment of $12 - every bit helps!

My friend Gayle Carlaw brought a bag of items for the Christmas project, and some hunting & fishing magazines to include in care packages, to my office this afternoon. Right after she left, my phone rang and it was someone wanting to know if I still needed stuff for care packages. She listed off some items she has; it's all more general items than Christmas-y stuff, but it's all stuff I can use. She said her son had been deployed four times before he left the service, and she knows how much the care packages mean to our troops. She said she will be bringing things to me sometime before Thanksgiving week, which is the deadline I set for donations. That allows time to get boxes to our guys and gals before the holidays hit.

46 days left to meet the goal for the Christmas Care Package project. There has been one donation on the fundraiser page, three donations in person, for a total of $750 toward the goal of $1200. If we don't meet the goal, that will just mean fewer packages going to our troops. I'll do what I can with what I have to work with, regardless. God's got this.

I received a check in today's mail from a couple in Pleasant View, $100 to help with the Christmas project for our troops. I also got an e-mail from a visitor to this page who is going to help with items for packages. She said she has Santa hats, travel mugs, tabletop Christmas trees, holiday decorations and other things that she will bring to the office this week. She also said she would like to help sort items and pack boxes when it's time. I think that's awesome! Big thanks to the Hesters and to Ms. Carlaw - we couldn't do this without y'all!

I got a $100 check in the mail today from Ms. Betty Cannon to help with postage for the Christmas project. Another lady called this morning and asked for my address so she could send a check, as well. We're getting closer to goal...

Since my last update, our friends Jim and Bonnie Roach, who are currently in Afghanistan, have ordered 36 fleece throws for the Christmas Care Packages - after donating $500 to help with the postage. Our youngest son Shawn and his lady Debra just donated $125 to the cause as well. All three newspapers in Cheatham County have run the story - the I-24 Exchange ran it as a letter to the editor without the list of items requested; the South Cheatham Advocate ran it as an article, and the Ashland City Times ran it today as a guest column, both complete with the list of requested items. I have had one phone call as a result of someone reading the letter to the editor and wanting to know how to help. The lady said she would send a check to help with postage; I will update when/if I receive it. I sent the article to the Joelton Shopper, as well, but nobody has acknowledged receipt of it and they only publish every two weeks, so I won't know if they published it or not until the next issue comes out on the 25th. I've put it out there; now all I can do is wait and see what happens. Hoping and praying for the best...

I got the first official donation for the Christmas Care Package Project today, but since it was handed to me in person, it will not show on the total on the fundraiser page. Judy Bell gave $50 to help provide a little happier holiday season for our deployed Warriors. Thank you, Judy! Your generosity is very much appreciated!