Class project (Mrs. Cabrera’s 3rd grade)

In honor of Veteran’s Day, Mrs. Cabrera’s 3rd grade class is collecting items to send to the troops in November!

Items we need:

• Candy/gum (individually wrapped)
• Beef jerky (Slim Jims are a favorite!)
• Instant drink mixes (single serving size is preferred) – Crystal Light, instant coffee, etc.
• Portable snacks like sunflower seeds, trail mix, granola bars, raisins
• DVDs & Games (board games or video games – several units have PlayStations, Xbox’s, Wii’s, PSPs).
• Paper & pens for writing letters, doodling, or even keeping a journal
• Personal hygiene for men and women (shaving, toothbrushes & toothpaste, baby wipes, antibacterial wipes, deodorant, lotion, lip balm, etc)
• For the women – manicure/pedicure kits, nail files, nail polish, skin care products
• Cash donations are also welcome! Packages are sent via USPS Priority Mail, and while there is a special rate ($10.95 per box) for shipping to military addresses, we always end up sending several boxes because the flat-rate boxes just aren’t very big.

Items may be brought to Mrs. Cabrera’s classroom. A donation box for cash donations will be in the classroom, as well (PayPal donations can be sent here: PayPal donations). **You do not need to have a PayPal account** We’ll be packing and shipping the boxes on Saturday, December 6. Please turn in your items or donations before then. For more information (or to help out), send me a message!

Update (Nov 12):

So far we’ve already collected over $100 for this project! Amazing! We are very excited, as this means we will be able to send more boxes than we thought!

Why send care packages?

We often talk about how hard it is for the troops to be away from home, their families, and the conveniences of life back here at home. Little things that we take for granted mean a lot to them – hot running water, fun things to do, snacks, even clean socks at times! Most important, though, is knowing that somebody back home cares about you and your well-being. Letters, cards, funny pictures; these all go a long way to brighten someone’s day!

Putting together care packages for the troops is the pet project at our home. We love to go out and shop for little things to send, draw pictures, write notes, then pack everything up and ship it! Who doesn’t LOVE getting presents? Especially when you’re in a strange land & are feeling a little homesick. We don’t just send fun little presents, though – the men and women troops also need pretty practical stuff like toothpaste and deodorant. For many of them the nearest store isn’t very nearby at all, and they rarely get an opportunity to actually go. They work long hours in dangerous (or downright depressing) conditions. What little downtime they DO get should be spent doing something enjoyable, relaxing; something to help them recharge and feel like themselves again.