Help shoebox items needed for our troops
 

SHOEBOX is a volunteer group in The Villages that is near sending its 1.000,000 care package to our soldiers.

In great need of material for holiday gift bags and material for other times of the year as well.

Please drop off any donations at Betty's at 3123 Bafi -- off of Fenwick Loop which is off of Pinellas in Sanibel--gray cottage on the corner. If you prefer, any donations can be dropped off at Lake Miona on Monday around 12-1:30...take material to the Shoebox Sewing Room for Betty.

Hobby Lobby and Joanne's sell fabric and have coupons as well every week for 40%-60% off that may be used for material as well.

Thank You,
Rosemary

What items do you need?

She asked for Christmas fabric to make stockings.

They meet regularly on Mondays, and they collect money to pay for shipping. I am not sure exactly what goes in the "shoeboxes".

I know there is a list for such items as deodorant, candy, wipes, etc.

Don't most all troops have access to a Post Exchange where all the items are bought very inexpensively?

This response has taken this Forum to a new low.

No, it is an honest question.

I agree. I think the poster was asking an honest question and Sprinkler Buddy answered it. Let's all look for fabric and gift bags to to donate. I have been involved in this type of effort before, and its a wonderful way to help out our troops.

When I sent my nephew goody boxes on several of his tours of Iraq and Afghanistan, I included rubber balls, yoyos, motorcycle and car magazines besides the suntan lotion and misc. items. He recently told me that the one thing he remembered the most were the "gummy" candy alligators I sent him from the Russell Stover store in Wildwood. He got the greatest laugh out of them. The "toys" were appreciated since they gave them to some of the children and made friends with them.

Operation Shoebox needs a lot of items and especially support from Village friends. They do a special job keeping our soldiers morale up under strange circumstances that we can never imagine.

Great tips. Thanks!

If you really want to know what they need and what they do, please stop by Lake Miona on Monday afternoons and see what it is all about. I have never seen such a well organized, caring group of people spending a few hours every week just to bring a little bit of sunshine to our selfless men and women in the military. Thanks Operation Shoebox!

re access to items for Troops
 

Donations can be dropped off there as well on Mondays around 12:30 to 1:30...monetary donations are always accepted to defray the cost of mailing...and yes, we have to pay for mailing.

When a family member wrote home.from war...he did so on the cardboard from a Meals Ready to Eat package they use...he did not have paper or a card...can't describe how that felt when we received it...sealed with electrical tape.

Look at the 2013 pay charts. An E-3 earns $21,450 per year. An E-3 does not need to buy dress blues. There are lots of civilian families in Florida earning less than $21,450 per year.

so Buggyone,what is your point?

Basically, I would say my point is the quoted poster has his information wrong.

An enlisted soldier does not have it too bad in terms of earnings.

The only reason a military member would have to pay for his own meals is if he is Already receiving extra $$ in his paycheck for rations.

Most service members receive extra $$ for going to the Middle East- Hazardous Duty Pay and are paid extra if they are married and $$ for each dependent.

In the last year I spent in US Navy, I made more $$ than after I got out, went to college and got my first civilian job. It took me 2 years to make what I was making in the Navy.

Just sayin'.

and so Buggyone from your earlier post that soldiers can use the post exchange to purchase items inexpensively,is there anything wrong with Operation Shoebox donating items to them? I'm just asking and not making any judgement on your position.

It's a good organization. If you would like to donate your time, money, material than do so. If not, that is ok too. It's that simple!

Operation Shoebox is the best run organization I have every donated my time to.
an yes it the 'homespirit' that makes it so wonderful. The notes that are added are just the beginning of how appreciative we are of there service. after that the bags are filled with the things that we take for granted ..Baby wipes are at the top of that list. An am sure everyone knows why!!.. anyone who thinks that making 21,000$ a year is alot of money for the sacrafice that these service members make, never had anyone in the service..We can use teabags an material and donated money for postage..

That may be the Navy...but other branches are different...and things may be different than when you were in the Navy...our country had cut back on many things due to the economic situation.

All the best and our sincere thanks for your service...Peace, R.

Sorry, I was speaking of a service member in the military about over 13 years ago, I should have specified not in 2012. I do not know what an E 3 is but do know that at that time the person paid for the dress blues.

Yes, it is sad that there are families earing less than that all over our country. Challenge for anyone to live on.

Peace, R.

Gompers is right about the rations pay and the hazardous duty pay, and the dependent pay. Do not forget the soldier does not pay housing on post and gets housing allowance if off post. All branches are the same for pay benefits.

The $21,450 I mentioned was for a Private First Class with less than 2 years of service. Not bad pay for a person who has only graduated high school, is it?

If Villagers want to send packages, I have absolutely no problem with their project.

I choose donating money and food to local food pantries as my project.