Operation Care Packages
By Harry Porterfield
December 8, 2006 - For four years now a group of volunteers in Joliet
have been sending care packages to American troops in Iraq and
Afghanistan. They were hard at work Friday making sure the troops had
gifts for holidays.
www.operationcarepackages.org
In a few weeks these packages will be reminding troops overseas that
folks back home really care. This is Operation Care Packages, started
three years ago by Debbie Smothers.
"The war first started, and my brother went over and told me about
three of his teammates that wouldn't get mail. It was just kind of a
light bulb moment, and you start thinking about everybody else that's
not getting mail," said Smothers.
Operating out of the Will County Farm Bureau building in Joliet, the
organization expects to ship 5,000 packages to service men and women
many who don't receive any mail.
"There is other way that I can help them except write to them and just
keep them in our prayers," said Donna Chellios, volunteer.
Care packages include a miniature tree, cookies, snacks, CDs, phone
cards and letters of support from school kids.
"Our kids can run to the local stores and get what they need, but they
can't just go and get little things that they need," said Trisha
Ruzzini, volunteer.
Volunteers work year-round sending out care packages using a list that
began with three and now numbers 1,200 names and is growing.
Even though Operation Care Packages is a not-for-profit activity,
certain expenses are necessary. Each year the volunteers have to raise
at least $60,000 for postage.
"We sit places almost every weekend doing 50-50 raffles, fundraisers,
selling jacket patches, military flags," said Smothers.
"Our troops need to be remembered wherever they are in the world, and
we have our freedom because of them," said Ruzzini.
Donations for Christmas are still being accepted.
ABC7 NEWS TEAM
Harry Porterfield, Feature News Reporter, ABC 7 News
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