Tis the season for giving for our soldiers...

[lisacsco]

UPDATE 11/15/2007: Well now is the time to start getting together everything to send to the troops so it arrives by Christmas. They way we did it last year was with my Husband's 4X4 forum group was that everyone sent Wal Mart gift cards (or other stores) to us and we did the shopping. Walmart made it the easiest, everything from one store. So if you feel this is something you would like to be part of, contact me and I will send you an address. (I dont want to post it straight out, all my fans you know :)

I will purchase a really big Christmas card and everyone can send an email to me with a message to send to the troops (whether you donate a Wal mart card or not, your message goes in the card) They really love the cards and notes from home. I know we could all together and sent a ton of notes!

So guys and ladies, you get together what you feel you can and lets do something for our troops. All donations are private!

Thank you :)

I just realized this can be called Our 2nd Annual Gifts for Troops (unless I think of a cooler name...lol) Maybe this thing can GROW nation wide!!

Lisa :):):)







last year my DH and I got together with his bronco board forum (remember, i am typing 1 handed here) and together we put together a HUGE care package for the soldiers in the 302nd and it was sent over for them for Christmas. This was so exciting to me being a military wife

. I felt so proud that i was getting involved and to do for them boys!!

His 4X4 bronco board family sent us WalMart gift certificates and we went and bought everything we could that was on the list of request. got it all crated up and loaded it on a C130 for the middle east. the place was called Quatar, sounds like you would say guitar to pronounce it correctly.

We were talking about it tonight, and me of course wants to ask you guys here at our smokin meats family if you would to vote and see how many are willing to go for it and see if we can make this happen!!

 

[homebrew & bbq]

Sounds GREAT Lisa!!! My wife has been part of a couple of similar drives at the hospital where she works. The care packages are really appreciated.

Btw, hope you are feeling at least a little better and that the next few weeks don't drag on too long for you.

 

[bigarm's smokin]

Hey Lisa, I will help ever how you want, let me know.

 

[lisacsco]

I took Big T's advice and slowed down and rested. iam doing good (1`handed typing)..lol havent used a pain pill once today and usually by 4 - 6 hours i was jones for one,,,lol

i think we have 3 weeks to get this together so it can be crated and mailed to be there by Christmas.

I hope everyone wants to get involved!!

 

[starsfaninco]

Lisa and the rest of ya,
I just recently got in touch with a high school buddy that I lost touch with when I joined up in 91. Turns out he's active duty with the Texas National Guard and on his second tour stationed in or around Ramadi. I'd be honored to submit him and his group for consideration for this. I have requested his unit info and will be sending stuff whether SMF is the sponsor or not, but thought this might be a good starting point. I wasn't sure if you already had an outfit in mind for this, if so, then count me in as well.

KE

 

[lisacsco]

i cut and pasted this list from somewhere else since it was so helpful :)

FOOD and SNACKS:

• 
  Beef Jerky / Slim Jims
• COFFEE (Ground or whole; instant or drip), Hot Chocolate packets, Herbal teas
• 
  Instant Drink Mixes (Gatorade, Kool-Aid, Crystal Light)
• Pumpkin Seeds / Sunflower Seeds (salted)
• Tuna in foil pouches (no cans)
• Protein Powders / Protein Bars / Cliff Bars
• 
  *NO CHOCOLATE PRODUCTS accepted from MARCH to OCTOBER (it will melt in high temperatures!)
• 
  Hard Pretzels / Cheetos / Fritos / Chex Mix / Wheat Thins
• 
  Gum and Hard Candy (must be individually wrapped)
• 
  Granola Bars / Power Bars / Cereal Bars
• 
  Small Packs of Fig Newtons, Oreos, Cheese-Its
• 
  Trail Mix, Dried Fruit, Granola, Fruit Roll-Ups / Fruit By The Foot / Fruit Gummies
• 
  DRY SOUP: (Ramen Noodles / Cup-O-Soup: just add water)
• 
  NUTS: Peanuts, Mixed Nuts (salted)
• 
  MICROWAVE FOOD (Popcorn, Chef-Boy-R-Dee, Mac'n'Cheese...)
• 
  COOKIES / Girl Scout Cookies (with chocolate: Oct. - Feb. only!)
• Cheese & Cracker packs
• 
  Condiments, Spices; Sugar; Salad Dressing (no glass jars)
• 
  Oatmeal Packs (Instant: just add water)
• 
  Cereal (Small, individual boxes)
• 
  Rice Krispie Treats (Store-bought only)
• Caffeinated gum or candy (to stay alert)

TOILETRIES: NO HOTEL SAMPLES!
(Note: Some troops have allergies & need Brand Name toiletries which list all ingredients. The military issues toiletries to our troops, however troops often miss their favorite brand of shampoo or soap. Our goal is to send troops reminders of home & items they miss ... not free samples.)

• 
  Baby wipes (travel size)
• 
  Liquid Hand Sanitizer (travel size)
• 
  Body Wash, Liquid Soap, Facial Cleanser, easy to store away than bar of soap
  
• Shampoo /Conditioner (travel size)
• Hair Gel (for female troops to pull hair back)
• 
  Combs / Brushes, Bobby Pins
• Eye Drops (i.e. Visine)
• Nasal Spray
• 
  Deodorant (travel size)
• Razors (disposable: "Intuition" or "Mach 3" type)
• Shaving Cream / Shaving Soap (in boxes or tubes; NO CANS of Shaving Cream, please!)
• 
  Cotton Swabs (i.e. Q-tips)
• Band-aids, Gauze Pads, First Aid Kits
• 
  Lip balm / Chap Stick
• 
  Baby Powder & Foot Powder (travel size)
• Loufa Sponges / Buff Puffs / Washcloths
• 
  Tissues (individual packs; travel size only)
• 
  Sunblock, SPF 45, Zinc, Vitamin E, Aloe Vera Gel
• 
  Bug Spray / DEET / Skin-So-Soft
• Hand & Body Lotion / Moisturizer (travel size)
• 
  Mouthwash (travel size)
• 
  Toothpaste & Toothbrushes & Dental Floss
• 
  VITAMINS (multi-vitamins are always needed!)
• 
  Breath Mints / Breath Strips
• Lozenges / Cough Drops
• 
  Nail files / Emery Boards / Nail Clippers
• Feminine Hygiene Products
• 
  Cotton Balls
• 
  Tylenol, Motrin, Advil or Aspirin Packets
• Moleskin
• Shoe Insole Cushions (gel kind is best)

ENTERTAINMENT and SPORTS:

• 
  Batteries: “AA†"AAA" and “C†are the most requested
• 
  DVD Movies (new or used)
• Xbox Games (new or used)
• PS2 Games (new or used)
• Music CDs (new or used)
• Portable CD players / head phones
• 
  Small homemade gifts - little comforts of "home"
• 
  Pens & mechanical pencils
• 
  Stationery & Envelopes; blank cards to send home
• 
  Double-sided tape
• 
  Day planners / Small, Pocket Calendars
• Crossword Puzzles / Word Search Books / Math Puzzle books / MAD LIBS / Logic Problems / Sudoku
• Magazines (We have more than enough magazines at this time. Thank you!)
• Paperback Books in EXCELLENT CONDITION (We have enough books at this time. Thank you. - WE CANNOT ACCEPT OR SHIP HARD COVER BOOKS!)
• 
  Yo-Yo's, Dominoes, playing cards, poker chips, dice
• Board games (UNO, Othello, checkers - travel size is great, too!)
• 
  Nerf footballs / Whiffle balls / Mitts / Sports equipment
• 
  Frisbees / Hackey sacks
• Electronic handheld games
• 35 mm disposable cameras
• Flash Drives, Thumb Drives for laptop computers

OTHER:

• PHONE CARDS [pre-paid]: (Click HERE for Where to Buy and What Types of Phone Cards to Buy from Third-Party Vendors)
• Linens: Pillow cases, twin sheets, towels (green & tan)
• T-Shirts: Cotton green & tan under shirts (Sizes: M, L & XL)
  [Note: The DOD banned "Under-Armor" shirts due to its material being potentially flammable & bad reactions to open wounds.]
• Laundry Detergent: (only approved types:)

Bold Powder Cheer Liquid (all versions)
Cheer Powder (all versions)
All Powder (all versions)
Surf Powder (all versions)
Woolite (all versions)

• Small Flashlights (battery operated)
• 
  Air Fresheners
• Socks: Black, Olive Green & White (cotton and/or wool)
• Patriotic knick-knacks, USA flags, flags from your state, bandanas, baseball hats, football jerseys, banners.
• 
  Generic sunglasses
• Alarm Clocks (Small in size; wind up or battery-operated)
• Black or Green duct tape, small tool kits, dust masks, carpentry tools, Fly swatters, fly paper, mosquito netting, bug repellant in plastic pump bottles only (NO AEROSOL CANS, PLEASE!)
• Religious booklets, small bibles, inspirational readings
• 
  Small toys & school supplies for Iraqi & Afghani children
• Small portable heaters & fans (110 voltage okay)
• Coffee Makers (110 voltage okay) & coffee filters!
• Microwave Ovens (55 lbs max; 110 voltage okay)
• Winter Hats & Blankets (Yes, it snows in the winter over there!)
• 
  K-9 items: Dog treats & toys, dog shampoo, flea collars
  (Note: our canine units have special requirements and restrictions. Please work with our Corporate Office if you wish to donate items to the dogs. Thank you.)
  
• CARDS & LETTERS - The troops love to hear from all of us - Mail brightens their days! These are the MOST IMPORTANT items we can send the troops & we can never have too many, so please keep writing! Consider making a patriotic banner or poster to send in one of our care packages!

 

[lisacsco]

KE,we will keep your friend in mind :) you get the info together and we will who else chimes in!!

lisa

 

[richtee]

batteries... Hmmm I'm gonna look into this... they say a 6 volt lantern type battery has 24! AA cells in it. I'm gonna get one and crack 'er open. If true, I'll send a poopload of AA's!

 

[hawgheaven]

Hey Lisa, count me in! I'll be glad to help out!

 

[cajun_1]

..........Bump ......To the top.............

 

[lisacsco]

bump again

 

[cajun_1]

.......................Bump>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

 

[Dutch]

Since there is an intrest in this, I'm making this topic a *sticky* post.

 

[cajun_1]

Dutch .... Thanks Again

 

[deejaydebi]

Lisa -

Good job! Are we sending stuff your way from the SMF or what?

 

[lisacsco]

That is what I was hoping...my DH's 4X4 group last year sent him wal mart gift cards and we went and bought as much as we could from the main list and sent it over. Shopping that day went so fast and I wished we had a million dollars. we collected over 700.00 and we filled a BIG crate. I am glad I was there, I made the 700 stretch alot further then he was going with it...lol plus it was easier to mail the gift card to us and not the actually gift.

So I thought to try it here and see what people thought and if anyone were interested, and thats about as far as we have gotten. One member said he had some soldiers in mind over there to send it to and I said keep them in mind and will decide between them and if anyone else has another group or 2 or 3 to choose from!!

We could make our own group SMF or combine with the 4X4 people, but I would like to hear from Jeff about any legalities and to make sure we do things right. With the military it was easy, now that we will hope for a second group, that might mean something to a lawyer somewhere :):) This could really grow to something big after a few years!! well, bigger, it is already big!

So everyone, lets hear what you have to say, we have 3 weeks at the latest!!

 

[lisacsco]

oh yes, THANK YOU Dutch!!

 

[lisacsco]

StarsFan...

Why dont you find out what these men would like to recieve, send them a copy of the list I posted and they could go from there. Let me know :)

 

[richoso1]

Lisa, you have my vote of approval. If you're accepting monetary donations towards the items to be shipped, all I need is an address. Proud to help our men in action.

 

[lisacsco]

I believe by next week I will put up an address and and then we will be good to go! If no one else has anyone they would like to be considered for the package we will go with StarsFaninCO suggestion.

Spread the word about this post!

Lisa