How to Send Care Packages to American Soldiers
Sending a care package to an American soldier provides him with mementos from home, needed toiletry items, entertainment items for down time and snack food. You don't need to know someone in the military to send a care package; many volunteer organizations match soldiers with interested package donors. Sending a care package takes a few minutes and does not need to be expensive. It's a thoughtful way to support troops serving overseas. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Gather items for your care package. Volunteer Guide suggests sending toiletries (since soldiers need to buy these with personal money), non-perishable food items, magazines and books, DVDs and other entertainment media.
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Find a soldier to send the package to. If you know soldiers serving overseas, you can skip this step. If you don't know anyone personally, you need to find a specific soldier; the military will not deliver care packages that are addressed generically. Several volunteer groups match donors with troop members, making this step easy (see Resources).
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Place your gathered items in a shipping box. Wrap delicate items in bubble wrap.
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Close the box with shipping tape. Use plenty of tape, since the package will be traveling a long way.
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Address the package with the soldier's name and the Air/Army Post Office (APO) or Fleet Post Office (FPO) address. You will know this information if you're sending it to a loved one, and if you've used care package resources to find a soldier in need, you'll be provided with that information.
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Mail the package from your local post office. Pay mailing fees.
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Tips & Warnings
If you want to send a package but are short on time, donate $25 to the USO and they'll put together a $75 care package for a randomly selected soldier (see Resources).
References
Resources
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