Hello everyone,

I must say this site is very addicting!  I have discovered AS only a few short days ago.  I'll tell you real quick a little about myself or better yet the group i represent in case it might better help you understand my questions...

I am the assistant to the children's pastor at my church, and we have decided to start an outreach ministry with our children.  We are moving into the new year with teaching them the armor of God and how to be Soldiers for Christ.  Okay...so we thought...how cool would it be to begin our ministry with supporting our soldiers with love and care packages.

I have read over the site here...and understand the things you shouldn't and/or can't send...

My questions are to those of you that have a "few" care packages sent...lol...like Gran...and the many others of you.

Okay...so here goes.

Let's say i pick a contact that has 35 males...

Do you package each bottle of shampoo in its own baggie... and so forth?

Do you package each soldiers items in a bigger baggie or do you just let the contact hand them out as individual items?

Do you send more than one "travel size" item per soldier...(I'm thinking the shampoo is sooooo small)?

I know its about the heart....and not to fret over it all...

Now..I see that some of you send at least once a week....maybe even more....

Our group may not be able to do that....writing letters we can do more often than packages...but the children's pastor was thnking we send a package every 2 to 3 months....our hearts want to do more...but that is all we can handle (for now anyway).

I see some asking for movies...what are your suggestions on this...titles and genre?

Books...what have you sent or would send? 

Okay...so that is a few of my questions...only a couple more to go...

Should i write the contact person first...kind of a "hello" and see if they have any further details especially if they didn't list much on here?  Let them know who we are....maybe get a list of birthdays...

I love the ideas i have found on here...especially the toy ideas...i know the kids will LOVE that part...

Also...i would like to ask without offending....would a soldier be offended by getting a letter written with christian content...i'm not saying over the top stuff...but its hard not to write with some christian content.  Does this make sense?  I just want to make sure we are raising morale and not tearing someone's down.  Also, would it be rude to ask the contact person about this...or if they have an idea who would like to receive christian materials?  Don't want to get in trouble for sending unwanted material.

Okay....whew...hope i made it through that without upseting anyone....

I do plan on sending a camera and envelope so we can get pics of the soldiers....i know the kids would love to see the faces of those they'll be loving on...and if parent approved...we'll send a group pic of us.

Oh...one last thing...i saw on-line where someone took a white sheet and made a flag...the red lines where made with kids handprints in red.  It was adorable...is that something where we could send one to the whole group...or should we make miniture ones with fingerprints.  I wanted to attach something about how they have put an unfading fingerprint on this country...and it is forever change because of their service and sacrifice....and something about how they have touched our hearts and left a print that we will forever be grateful for....

I know we are going to be doing christmas cards as the first thing we send...it will be sent with snacks.

If you have any suggestions about food items....please share...I suppose my questions for food are somewhat the same.

Blessings,

JennyD.

I know that the soldiers will love hearing from your group!.....I would click on the "search" feature when looking for a soldiers to support in"where to send".   You can see who would like to receive mostly letters or pen-pals and type that into the search form..  There is nothing that says that you HAVE to send packages....soldiers love letters and it is wonderful if you happen to send a package.

I have been supporting the soldiers through this site since Dec.of 2006 and it has been one of the best things that I have ever done in my life.   I have lost count of the number of letters and packages!  There are many supporters here who have been using this site much longer than I....like Gran....LOL

As far as religious content in letters....I write what I want....I just try to stay a bit upbeat....though every once in a while I get serious in my letters...in other words, most all soldiers appreciate our prayers   You could even click on the Search feature to see who wants Bibles or religious materials.  There are many chaplains involved with AnySoldier.com.

I do usually send a letter of introduction before I send my first package.... there have been times when I have never heard from the soldiers that I write to, but I understand that they are very busy....most of the time I do (It is wonderful to get FREE MAIL!...deployed soldiers do not need stamps to mail their letters.)

Movie titles....that varies from group to group....many ask that you not spend too much...the used movies or bargain movies are fine....others ask for current titles.   Comedy is good to send...war movies...not so much, unless they request them...but action/adventure is good (They are mostly young people defending us, so that should be kept in mind.)

Mailing liquids,shampoo, etc....YES....double and triple bag it!!!!....and do not mix food with hygiene....cookies end up tasting like soap when mailed together!....one mailing box for food and one mailing box for hygiene.    Some have said that even mints sometimes taint the taste of the other food...

You can either pack separate bags for each soldier or mix it all up and they will sort it out themselves when it gets there...there are no rules on that....and do not feel obligated to send for each soldier....I send what I can....though sometimes sending baggies helps so that they can split up things.

The flag/banner with hand prints or fingerprints sounds great!

Books....varies by groups...bestsellers...a common request that I see is NO ROMANCE NOVELS...LOL....I sent some that I had on my bookshelf at home...Never Cry Wolf (true story about a scientist researching wolves in Alaska), 90 minutes in Heaven, etc.  I often see requests for fantasy.

I am sure that others will have many suggestions....you can also type in a topic in the forum box at the top and search for other posts on most any topic that you could think of !!!

Well, thanks for supporting our troops!

Jenny,

Hi and welcome to one of the most addicting sites on the internet.  Thanks for supporting the guys and gals in any way you choose to do. 

The only time we ever send a letter before sending a package is if there is a crucial question about something they request and we have to know before we send.  Otherwise, since sometimes we never hear back from them, we just pick someone that we can easily pack for, and enclose an introductory letter along with a pen and postcard in a baggie, and make sure that our email address is in the letter since we get more email responses than letters most of the time unless the contact is female, as they seem to like to write more than the males do.

We rarely send one of each thing for each person listed on the contact's numbers unless it is a snack bar or something else that is specifically requested as being needed.  The reason for that is that we can't see what others are sending to them, and if someone else is sending them an item that they prefer over what we send, it may just sit around until they run out of their favorites.  We personally have never packed the hygiene bags as a kit for each person because we buy some regular sized items on sale and with coupons and other items we buy as travel sizes, so they don't always match up.  Something we have found convenient, though, especially for the medical units is the dental kits with toothbrush and travel toothpaste in a zipper bag that we get at Dollar Tree often. Oh, and about the small shampoos - have you noticed how little hair some of the guys have?  Now there are bottles that are labeled body wash / shampoo, which I like to send.  Sometimes they just need something to tide them over until they have money or until their PX gets resupplied.

There are more than a couple of thoughts on the food items.  A few actually ask for items to throw into a pot and do their own cooking, but more often than that, you will find requests for protein or energy bars or the microwave bowls or cups of pasta or soup that they can heat and eat, and snacks like honey buns, Rice Krispies Treats, crackers and cheese or peanut butter, etc., like you would feed a 12-yr. old child or take camping.

If you send prayers and blessings, that is all good, but mentioning a lot of deeply religious details isn't the best thing in most cases.  Sending bulk religious materials is discouraged unless sending to a chaplain who can distribute as he sees fit, but character-building or self-help material is often asked for, just not specific religious training.  That could definitely offend some, and might send the message that they aren't good enough to receive your gifts.

You can send just one small box if you choose, and alternate sending snacks and hygiene items, and maybe send more often than if you send one or two large boxes each time.  The size of the package isn't what matters - it's mail from someone who thought of them and sends them love.

oh my....thank you both so much for your responses. 

Gran....thank you so much for the details...it really helps...so often you want to just go all out for them....and it can seem overwhelming....also you deal with not wanting to leave anyone out...but how to accomplish it all. 

I do believe we are going to gather all the items we can for hygiene and snacks...and do as you say....send a bit at a time...that sounds like the best solution.  I think we are going to start with sending them christmas cards and snacks.  I saw the idea of summer sausage, crackers and such...we just want the soldiers we choose to get a card.

I never thought of sending larger items and letting them give accordingly.  It sounded like bigger sizes might not be a good idea.   I have noticed a couple we were looking at had specific items requested...and others said they weren't for sure what they needed...and just mentioned hygiene products and magazines...so i have seen both ways in my searching.

This may sound silly...but do you send regular size items and travel size in the same package? 

I do appreciate you answering the religious question...while i am a Christian....and am willing to share my faith...i am not about offending anyone...I don't think we planned on sending anything in bulk as far as that....i had already read that was a no no...when i say religious material....I'm talking...the "Chicken Soup...." books...or if someone asked for a study guide i could buy at the local christian store...so it would be a general item...just something "feel good".  We surely do NOT want our soldiers to feel unworthy....quite the opposite actually... I suppose what i was worried about was someone getting offended by someone casually mentioning faith....i wouldn't encourage any kind of "preaching" in the letters...we love them however they are...

Now...i have read some that say they don't have any way to cook...in your experience...does that mean no microwaves or frides? 

What i am visualizing is filling up a box with various kinds of snacks...and just letting them have a go at it....we'll try to stay with individually wrapped at first...until we get to know our troops...and their likes...

do you usually get feedback from them on what they liked ...and what they might look forward to?  or do you get all that from this site...(which is awesome).

well...i'm thinking a big bag of trail mix and baggies might be an option....

soooo...also...would sending a camera and seeing if they could take pictures of themselves for the kids be a good idea?  I know the kids are still at a stage that they like concrete thinking...and pictures would help them to put a face to the support...I think it will make an even stronger impact on our kids if this is possible...i would do as someone suggested and send a bubble envelope with it so they could send it back...

I don't think it is needed to go into detail with the soldiers...but i want to say it here...in teaching our kids to be soldiers...i want to show them that when a soldier...for Christ....or for your country...there is sacrifice....just as Christ gave His life for us...our soldiers are willing to give theirs for us too....i want our kids to understand that just like with Christ...men and women show love by giving their all for our freedom...they lay down their life for us...

We should not take for granted the love and grace that is bestowed upon us.

I wanted to extend my thanks to all of you that give all you have and more for the soldiers!!!  May you be blessed and all the lives you touch along the way.

You know, you and the children will really be blessed by what you're doing and you are also teaching these children a valuable lesson about giving to others.

I buy most of the hygiene items I send, both male and female at Dollar Tree.  I can walk in there with $20 and walk out with 20 items, and I love that.  It really helps me budget.  I use a food saver to package the drink mixes because it gets the air out and they don't take up so much room in the boxes.  Those are always $1 a box at Dollar Tree.  I use tape around the tops and then pack shampoo/body washes in baggies.  The only issue I have with that is getting the air out of the bags, so I will sometimes use the food saver for that too. 

I try to send to each of the units I support once a month, but whatever you can do will be greatly appreciated and there are several who have requested letters from children.  I'll go back and find the one I have in mind in particular and send you an IM with his name.  I have four units and once a month is about all that I can do.  I send one box of hygiene and one box of snack stuff, unless it's a huge unit (I have one - 120/30) then I will send them a couple of boxes of each and I send full sized stuff.  I think they only time they need the travel sizes is when they're outside the wire.  If you choose a unit with females, the really large sizes are good along with some empty plastic bottles for them to share.  You might also consider the small tootsie rolls to use as packing bubbles.  If the guys don't want them, there are always children around who will love them. 

I always send an introductory letter, usually a day or two before the boxes, then enclose another letter in the box, along with a packing list.  This also serves to give me a record of what I've sent and when I sent it especially since I intend to support these units throughout their deployment. 

Good luck with your endeavor and God Bless You for this.

Every time I go to do a private message, I'm just not sure it works, so I'll just post this.  Check out Sgt. Matt Hayes.  He said that he would like to be "buddied up" with a class, so this might work for you and your group of kids.

Jenny,

We send combinations of sizes, often using small tubes of lotion, shave gel, or Blistex to fill remaining spaces after packing the main items.  As has been said, if we find good buys on large bottles of good products like lotion or shampoo, etc., we will buy a 3 or 4 pack of the travel size bottles and include those because it is only a rare clearance that you will find a good price on travel sizes, but it is often that you can find coupons and sales on large sizes.  We bought large bottles of Pert Plus for Men recently at almost give-away prices when buying on sale with coupons, and will pack them up with the empty travel size bottles.

A couple of places to get travel sizes are Minimus.biz and AllTravelSizes.com, and sometimes they have specials they will send you notice of if you subscribe to their emailings.  Generally, they offer free shipping on certain levels of purchases.

Any kind of morale lifting or personal help literature will be welcomed by someone.  The troops are like the general population - all sorts of people, and many of them are into increasing their education in general about all kinds of things, as well as improving their minds.  Some have asked for relationship books since deployment is so hard on relationships and families as well as getting along with their unit members who aren't always in the best mood.

thank you so much....it is nice to get such detailed advice...Gran...i appreciate you making it more clear for me...wasn't trying to be a dunce on it....just trying to get this all figured out.  i saw those sites when i googled....just haven't really checked them out.  I will be checking out the sales on the regular size items...and coupons of course...I LOVE clipping coupons...and i haven't done that in quite some time...so this is a good excuse to get back to my crazy enjoyment.

My husband doesn't really know what to think at the moment...i just keep telling him..."i'm so excited...i can't wait to get these soldiers boxes going...."  he just gives me a blank look....it might be he's pulling out the mental calculator and wondering what figures i'm gonna say i HAVE to have....lol.  He fully knows where my mercy and compassion can take me.

i think i'm a future AS junkie...hehehe.

blessings.

Jennyd! Welcome to the best thing since chocolate!!!!! U will soon learn that almost everyone on here will help you out in some way. I've been a junkie for awhile and it is so great! You'll never be bored, and don't be afraid to ask, there are NO stupid questions when it comes to supporting our troops!!!! So shop till you drop, pack till you lack and sit back and smile. Like Gran said you might never hear back from anyone you write to but knowing you brought a smile to those who defend our freedom makes it all worth it..... Glad you're on board, happy packing......