Kelly Foreman
Receiving a package from someone special is always exciting, but for troops serving overseas, it’s a little piece of home.
Many people may think it’s a good idea to send some goodies to our men and women who are at war, but don’t know where to begin. One Richmond woman said it’s easier than you might think.
Lee Williams is a Richmond citizen and a member of the Greater Lexington Paralegal Association, an organization which provides resources to paralegals in Lexington, Richmond, Winchester and other surrounding areas. Since 2005, Williams and other GLPA members have adopted other paralegals who are in the military. They send them care packages and keep in contact with them until they come home.
“It is a very simple thing to do,” Williams said. “We have a military-issued list of what we can send to them and everybody has a copy of it. We donate to the box and when it’s full, we send it on. We always get responses that it makes them feel like Christmas and how thankful that they are that they have not been forgotten.
“I want to show other organizations how simple it is to make somebody’s day so much better.”
In fact, getting names of troops overseas can be as simple as making a phone call. The Kentucky Army National Guard on KY 52 has organized family readiness groups, which are primarily comprised of spouses and family members of deployed troops, said Sgt. 1st Class Kenny Willis of the 2123 Transportation Company.
“They keep all the families informed of how the unit is doing while they’re deployed so they can actually have easy access with e-mail,” Willis said. “They also have a mailing address.”
Many of the family readiness groups conduct raffles and take donations to purchase supplies and to pay for postage on packages to be shipped oversees. Anyone who is interested in finding soldiers can call the Kentucky Army National Guard at 623-1692 to get in touch with one of the family groups and get names of local soldiers who are serving away from home.
Willis recommended keeping boxes to 25 pounds or less. There are only a few items, such as alcohol and pornography, which are forbidden.
Williams, who also is the mother of a soldier, said it is difficult to describe the feeling of knowing others are showing their support, care and encouragement for soldiers who are fighting overseas.
“It’s a very feel-good, do-good thing,” she said. “It makes you feel good to know that you have done this for somebody whose situation is not like yours. There is not a time they get to walk away from their job.”
Putting together the care packages is a win-win situation, Williams said.
“We’ve had some people write back and say, ‘Thank you so much, I shared it with this guy in my unit and he hasn’t even received a card since he’s been here.’ It breaks your heart, but at the same time, you know, ‘oh yeah, they got our stuff.’”
If your family or organization wants to adopt a local soldier to send care packages to, call the Kentucky Army National Guard at 623-1692. Good items to send:
• Bubble gum
• Baby wipes
• Canned or non-perishable food
• Batteries in all sizes
• Pens and pencils
• Writing tablets, envelopes
• Toothbrushes and toothpaste
• Ziplock bags in various sizes
• Chapstick
• Lotion
• Newspapers, magazines and books
• Music CDs
• Movies on DVD
• Hand-held puzzle games
• Playing cards
• Non-chocolate candy
• Flat bed sheets
• Thank-you cards
• Pantyhose to keep dust out of weapons
Items you should not send:
• Any aerosol containers
• Perishable food
• Alcohol
• Pornography
Kelly Foreman can be reached at kforeman@richmondregister.com or 624-6694.
