Operation We Care sends packages to military
(June 4, 2010) Delmarva reached out recently and gave the equivalent of a warm hug to residents who are away serving the United States.
Operation We Care, a project spearheaded by the Eastern Shore HOG Chapter, packed up 226 care packages to be sent to area military personnel serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
More than 80 volunteers — many of them family members of loved ones either currently or formerly on the mailing list — filled Powellville’s fire hall to pack donations collected in Easton, Md. and Chincoteague, Va. and all points in between.
Collection points such as Minuteman Press in Salisbury, Harley-Davidson of Ocean City, Mr. Baldy’s Restaurant in Chincoteague, Maggie’s of Snow Hill and Clear Channel Communications in Salisbury funneled the support from Delmarva to the volunteers who stuffed boxes with goodies from home.
Working through the Ocean City Post Office on 71st Street, the more than 200 packages will be shipped halfway around the world using the USPS’s flat-rate military boxes at $12.50 each. All monetary donations to Operation We Care are spent on shipping costs. Donations come from private individuals, family members and civic groups like the Ocean City Lodge 10 of the Fraternal Order of Police. The FOP, many of whom are veterans, donated $2,400 to help get the boxes to the men and women in the field.
Each package contained at least one box of Girl Scout cookies, donated by the Chesapeake Bay Girl Scout Council. Members of Troop 688 decorated all 226 boxes with hand-drawn artwork and messages of support before they were packed.
All focus now turns to the Nov. 14 “packing party,” which will get more packages to the troops in time for the holidays.
A list of suggested donations is available at www.easternshorehog.com and donations are accepted year-round. Anyone who knows of a local member of the military who is deployed or is soon to be deployed may contact Jeff Merritt, coordinator of Operation We Care, at 410- 713-8940 or jemerritt314@yahoo.com.
