Care Enough to Send a Care Package?

Caring fellow Americans send thousands of care packages each week to Iraq to fill the needs of soldiers who are fighting there. It is especially important to show extra support during the holidays for these men and women who will be away from their families. “They are probably very lonely,” says junior Jackie Barthuly. And it doesn’t take much to put a package together.

There are many people that have misconceptions about sending care packages. They think the items that are needed will be hard to find and the shipping will be unaffordable, but that is not true. The items that the soldiers are in need of are just basic ones that here in America we take for granted everyday, even an item as simple as a pair of socks. “[Socks] are not always available or easy to find for [the soldiers],” says Josh Dumke, a Navy diver chief.

The items that are most often requested for by the soldiers are beef jerky, powdered drink mixes, individual-sized packages of cookies and crackers, hard candy, Ramen noodles, (that’s just the food items that are requested!)

They also ask for other items that will keep them busy for long periods of time, including DVDs, CDs, books, crossword puzzles, and current magazines. They also ask for items such as school supplies and beanie babies to be sent so they can give them to the Iraqi children who don’t have anything. That way you can make a child’s day and rid your closet littered with those little animals.

Contrary to popular belief, some soldiers say to avoid sending toiletries. “I know that everyone thinks that soldiers need razors, bar soap, shaving cream, tooth brushes, and tooth paste, but truth to tell there are thousands of these items just lying around Iraq,” says a former deployed soldier, David Fufftus.

You also have to be careful not to put the prohibited items in your package, including alcohol, pornography, items containing pork, and anything home baked. But why does it matter if the food items contain pork? “Eating pork is considered disrespectful,” says Josh Dumke.

All packages go through a screening process before they are given to the soldiers. If any of these items are found in the packages they will be taken and properly disposed of.

When people go to the post office they usually prepare themselves for the amount of money they are about to spend. However, they have flat rate boxes at the post office, which are only about $8, no matter how much or how little your shipment weighs.

Though the person sending the care package might not always receive a “thank you” back right away, the sender has to understand that soldiers are very busy and might not have much time to sit down and write a thank you letter. One tip that many have found helpful is to put in the care package a pre-addressed envelope with a few pieces of paper and also a pen in it.

Letters are just as much appreciated as packages are, so if you’re low on cash you can send a letter for the cost of a postage stamp. And the best part about writing a letter is that you get to talk about yourself most the time! The soldiers like to hear about you, your hometown and other fun facts about your life. For example, you could write about your dog, what school you go to. . .anything really.

Soldiers are appreciative. “Hey guys! I got a package! Check out all this stuff!” says Fufftus, giving one example of how soldiers react when packages arrive.

by Kelsey Mentek