My nephew Thomas was deployed to Afghanistan in January of 2009.
My nephew Matt was deployed there too but was killed by a roadside IED
on June 1, 2009.  Melody and I originally started Treasure Our Troops afterour
habit of sending care packages to our nephews grew into sending care packages
to as many soldiers as we could.

Thomas gave us a basic list of things they liked and we sent as much as we
could.  While shopping for duct tape to make sure the packages would be
securely taped I saw this neon pink tape on the rack.  Now there are a few
things you should know about me.  I’m the one who gave Thomas’s mother (my
sister Chris) and father a gumball machine for a wedding present.  I even
filled it with gumballs.  And when Chris and her younger sister Syndy
graduated high school I gave them each a box with $20 worth of pennies
inside.  I really hated having to unroll all those neat rolls of pennies
but it gave them something to do after the graduation party.  So as you
might guess the pink tape went right into the basket.

After talking to Melody I decided to go through with the idea of putting a
strip of pink tape around each box I sent.  Melody purchased neon green
and thus our color scheme was set.  So off go the care packages.  Thomas
and Matt never told me how they really felt when they saw the first boxes.
 They also never told me what their fellow soldiers had to say about the
pink tape.  But feel sure there was some discussion about it, until they
opened the boxes.  Thomas and Matt would take what they wanted from the
boxes and share the rest with their fellow soldiers.  When I found out
they were doing that I decided that from that point on each box (or two if
needed) would contain enough for each soldier to get something.  Thus my
living room became a shipping zone.

And they didn’t just get food or drink mixes.  They got fabric flowers
that turn in the wind and plastic pink flamingos to put outside their
tents.  They got paper race cars to build and race, games, puzzles,
crossword puzzles, decks of cards, yoyo’s and America’s favorite 50’s toy,
the slinky.  Melody and I had decided to send out three separate sets of
boxes per month.  One would contain a good meal the boys could enjoy,
another would contain items for a snack night and the last would be the
birthday box for whoever was having a birthday that month.

Sgt. Mann had a birthday in May.  And birthdays shouldn’t be just spam or
beanie weenies.  So we sent a pizza party.  We sent individual sized
Boboli crust and pizza sauce.  We send a dried cheese that was a mix of
mozzarella and other cheeses, cans of peppers and olives and canned hams
and pepperoni and cans of pineapple.   And it wouldn’t be a real birthday
party without whistles, party plates, napkins and other decorations.  We
also bought an iPod nano and filled it with music, including songs from
the cd’s produced by To The Fallen Records that are by active duty
military members and veterans.  Check them out at tothefallenrecords.com.
These guys have been there and done that.  Their songs show their respect
for those who are serving alongside them or after they retired.

But then the economy went south and we found it more and more difficult to
be able to fill and send boxes.  So we are asking for your help.  On our
front page you can find a list of the items the troops need or ask for.
If you can’t send a care package write one of them a letter.  We cannot
release their names without their permission but you can address the
letter or care package to the following addresses.  For the cost of a
postage stamp you can make a soldiers day.  If you can afford to please
send a package, please do so.   I can assure you it will be greatly
appreciated.  If you’d like to donate money to help build care packages to
send please email us.  It takes approximately $30 to $35 to fill and send
a box.  God Bless all of you who can help and remember a letter is an
awesome thing to receive.

Trish