September give

Hey, everyone! September is already here and fall is heading our way! Time to think about cleaning out last years winter clothing. Our give for this month is kind of tricky. I originally wanted to do a Coats for Kids drive through the local schools. However, they only accept new coats, gloves, etc. I really didn't want to have to "buy" items every month for the give so I will leave the choice to each family. You can donate new hats, gloves, coats, snow boots, etc to your local school OR just go through the same items you already have at home and donate what you can to the DI or the local Youth Ranch. Either way, they are getting out there so kids can get them and that is the important thing. I know my budget has stretched as far as it can go with getting the kids in school, school pictures, etc. I do have many of these things that my kids have outgrown, but they still look nice and someone could still use them. So, like I say, the choice is yours. Also, last call for any toys for the Christmas Council. Ashley had a few loose ends she wanted to finish on her necklaces before we took them over and a few others asked if they could get something to us still. This will be the last week to get anything you want donated to Lois's house. Thanks for all your giving this year; I hope everyone else is enjoying it as much as I am. It really blesses me when I can focus on the needs of others instead of the wants of myself.

Family Reunion service project

Thank you to everyone that helped with the service project on Saturday morning during the family reunion.
Marshmallow guns

Wooden fences

Hair clips and necklaces
Bracelets

All of these items will be donated to the Christmas Council and we know that many people will appreciate and love the gifts that they receive. Thanks again for all your help.

August Give

I just wanted to remind everyone that August's Give is being held with the family reunion. We are asking that each family bring a new toy to donate to Toys to Tots. On Saturday we will also be making some items to donate to the Christmas Council. We'll see everyone at the reunion. Ashley

Our packages have begun arriving

The first of our military care packages are starting to arrive overseas! Mom sent her package on June 29th. I'm not sure what day they received the package, but she just received a thank you letter back!

It reads:

Thanks so much for the package you sent. The caramel corn and rice crispy treats didn't last long here with this group. We are a pretty small staff, but all love treats. We appreciate your support for our country and our efforts here in aiding the Government of Iraq. We are getting close to the end of our mission. We protect the Iraqi oil platforms in the Northern Arabian Gulf which provide the majority of that country's income, allowing them to rebuild. Out partners to the northwest are engaged in training the Iraqi Navy to do this job on their own, and we hope to turn it over shortly. We wish you the best.

Regards,

Doug Tharp
Operations Officer
CTF IM


Pretty exciting! I know there have been some other packages sent, so hopefully they will also arrive soon!

Don't forget that July is an individual give. Anything done for anyone else counts...and a little thing can be a big thing to someone in need! Sometimes just a visit with a lonely neighbor is just what they need. An offer to babysit for someone is always wonderful. Giving doesn't always have to cost money-sometimes it's time that it costs.

Also, the August give is Toys for Tots. Please bring a toy to the family reunion so it can be donated to a local charity and given to a child for Christmas. I believe that the Johnson Family also has some things we will be making at the reunion to give as well. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone at the reunion and I'm excited about the fun things that have been planned for us! See you soon!

We have an address!

Due to the lack of cooperation from military people, we have come up with a new plan. Cinda's friend, Sherree, has a husband serving overseas. He has agreed to let us ship the packages to him and he will distribute to the soldiers where he is stationed. He told Cinda that the ones who will receive the care packages are stationed on very small oil platforms for three months at a time. From the way it sounds, they are pretty much isolated from most everything and they would love to get something to break up the monotony of guarding these platforms. My mom (Lois) sent the first package off this morning. We wanted to see how shipping the first one would go because we keep hearing all sorts of differing opinions on how to do things.

Here's how it went:

1. Flat rate box ($12.50) sealed up tight

2. She had to fill out a customs declaration page. We heard that each item must be listed individually, but there is only room for 4 items. Mom combined things into categories- treats, hygiene items, food, etc. She then listed a quantity for each category and a value. She DID NOT list everything individually. This declaration page is basically your label so you will definately have to fill one out.

3. The address that was given to us is:

lcdr Doug Tharp
comufnavcent
pfc 901 box 24
fpo ae 09805-0001

4. The postmaster also told mom that the only things he knew of that could not be sent was liquor and pork. Most Muslims find pork offensive and the liquor is self-explanatory!

5. The post office ships them to Virginia, where the military picks them up and delivers them. They don't actually go through customs. Mom said the whole process was very unpainful. I am going to ship our other two boxes within the next few days....fingers crossed!

Update

Just a quick update- I have still not received any names and addresses from the website that I was working through. Through a suggestion, I called the recruiting office and got nothing. I called Mountain Home Air Force Base and was given a higher-up name, but I have not heard back from him as of yet. I am still working on some things, so please keep working on your packages. I will get names out as quickly as I get them. The best thing to send them in is a flat rate shipping box from the post office. The boxes are free and the shipping is about $12.50. After we get them addressed, they will go to a place in Virginia, where the military picks them up and sends them overseas. I am told most packages will arrive to their soldier in about 3-4 days. There is a big list of ideas for the packages in the previous post if you are having trouble thinking of what to send.

We are going to switch around the July and August gives. July will now be an individual give. Anything you want to do for anyone is awesome. Help a neighbor in their yard, do some free babysitting for a new mom, donate money to a specific charity, etc. The main thing is that we do SOMETHING! All the little things really add up! Don't forget to document what you did on the blog! It really encourages others to do something. If you don't remember the login or password for the blog, let me know and I will get it to you...we really want everyone to participate!

The August give will be the Toys for Tots drive. The Johnsons are going to incorporate the give into the reunion so I will let them get the details out. We always do some sort of service project in conjunction with the reunion and they thought it would be fun to combine the two. I'm super excited to see what they are coming up with for us!

Also- a huge thank you to everyone who came and helped Grandma in May. I'm told that everything got done from the list. I know she really appreciates the labor of love that went into the give!!!

June Give Details

Hi, family! It's been awhile since a post...hope everyone is doing well!

Our June give is to put some care packages together for our military. I have contacted a site that provides names of service men/women to individuals who wish to give. Hopefully, they will get me the names and addresses soon. I have requested 15 names so we have our work cut out for us. I think the easiest way is to assign each main family 3 boxes.(Grandma can work with Janell). Also, if your family is very large, maybe some could help the Jensen family or the Ahern family as they are smaller groups.

Here is a list of things that you should NOT send:

pressurized items (shaving cream, etc.)
chocolates (they tend to melt)
pornographic material (no brainer)
liquor (it's illegal in some countries)

I will check with my local post office and see if there are any other restrictions. This was all the web site listed.

DO SEND: (you do not have to send everything on the list. Just pick a few items)

instant coffee, powdered Gatorade, powdered hot chocolate, kool-aid (presweetened), tea bags, slim jims, crackers and easy cheese (triscuts and ritz are great), single serve bags of chips, candy (M&M's are good, anything that won't melt), Little Debbie snack cakes, bubble gum, rice krispy treats, dry cereal (individual serving size), Kraft Easy Mac, microwave popcorn, jerky, granola bars, power bars, dried fruit, chex mix, canned soup, tuna, spices, summer sausage, oatmeal, salsa, lollipops, marshmallows, instant soup, fast food condiments.

clorox wipes, baby wipes, razors, shampoo, conditioner, soap or body wash, mouth wash, deodorant, t-shirts, socks, or underwear, a big, fluffy towel, eye drops, chapstick, lip balm, sun block, Avon Skin-so-soft, lotion, dental floss, baby powder, foot powder, combs/brushes, cotton balls, liquid hand sanitizer, breath mints, contact lens cleaner, nail files

batteries, a stress ball, stamps, paper, and envelopes for writing home, phone cards, paperback books or magazines, disposable cameras, puzzles, film, journals, yo-yos, squirt guns, frisbees, dart boards, small flash lights, hackie sacks, jump ropes, electronic hand-held games, post cards from your home state, handmade items, radio head sets, portable CD players, mini fans, jokes and comic books, balloons, hats (baseball), bandannas, socks, blankets, bug spray, single sheet sets, miniature balls (footballs, baseballs, etc), homemade CDs with songs

For females: feminine hygiene products, hair bands, hair clips, nail polish, nail clippers, q-tips, small mirrors, body sprays, hair gel, perfume, lotion

Gather your items and as soon as I get some names and addresses, I will post the shipping details!
Thanks and good luck!