Gifts for U.S. troops: How you can help with the wish list

By Kyra Low • November 26, 2008 10:05 pm
Pat Ford (left) and Alexa Tavasci hold up some of the donations the Thomas Jefferson FBLA has collected for soldiers in Iraq.
Pat Ford (left) and Alexa Tavasci hold up some of the donations the Thomas Jefferson FBLA has collected for soldiers in Iraq.

Drink mixes, snack food, razors and soap.

Many people take these things for granted, but not the soldiers fighting in Iraq.

The Future Business Leaders of America club at Thomas Jefferson High School knows that.

The students are putting together Christmas packages for a platoon of eight soldiers — four women and four men — who are currently serving in Iraq. The platoon is based out of Fort Lewis.

FBLA president Alexa Tavasci came up with the idea and spent hours researching on anysoldier.com.

“I read a lot of really heartwenching bios before choosing,” Tavasci said.

The platoon that Tavasci chose is currently living in a trailer in Iraq, which they say is better than the tents they just left. The store there runs out of supplies a lot, so the platoon rarely has some of the basics.

For some in the Army, there isn’t family or loved ones back home who send letters, care packages or gifts. That is where anysoldier.com comes in.

Sgt. Brain Horn, an Infantry soldier with the 173rd Airborne Brigade, started the Any Soldier program. Horn was in Iraq when he came up with a way to care for his soldiers. He started a campaign of distributing packages that came to him with “Attn: Any Soldier” for soldiers who didn’t get mail.

Any Soldier took off from there — even after Horn returned to the United States. In 2005, the program was expanded to include AnyMarine.com, AnySailor.com, AnyAirman.com and AnyCoastGuardsman.com.

There are more than 2,000 Army contacts and more than 3,000 total contacts.

The program quickly won acclaim with prominent officials including President George W. Bush; MG Guy C. Swan III, Commanding General, US Army Military District of Washington; and LTC Jonathan Spencer, Inspector General.

When you send a package through anysoldier.com, it will be given to the soldiers who receive the least amount of mail. However, since the platoon Tavasci selected is so small, everything will likely be shared among the platoon.

The packages

For this year, the Thomas Jefferson FBLA has found donations mostly on its own. Club members hope that next year, they will be able to expand it school wide.

They have gotten donations of chips from Tim’s Cascade chips. FBLA members have been bringing in items such as Pop-Tarts, razors, soap, shampoo and tuna fish pouches. Canned items aren’t allowed, and the pouches are very easy to eat on the go. Baby wipes have also bring brought in, although more would be welcome.

“You can pack it around and wipe your face without using your drinking water,” FBLA supervisor Pat Ford said. “It’s nice to feel refreshed.”

Both Ford and Tavasci pointed out that no matter what your thoughts are on the Iraq War, soldiers deserve the care.

“Supporting our troops is different from supporting a war,” Tavasci said.

“We’d like to keep the political aspect out of this,” Ford said. “We are going to continue doing this even if it’s not wartime. There are always soldiers overseas. It’s important they know other people are care about them.”

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Wish list

Items on the soldiers Christmas “wish list” include:

Baby wipes/moist wipes

Drink mix pouches

Cookies: Chocolate chip and Nutter Butters

Chips: Doritos, Pringles

Candy: Skittles and Snickers

Tuna pouches

Nutri-Grain bars

Nuts, especially cashews

Pop-Tarts

DVDs: New or used

Tampons

Razors (for males and females)

Soaps (for males and females)

Shaving cream (for males)

Baked goods are not allowed; only store-bought food.

Letters, notes, cards or drawings would be greatly appreciated.

The Future Business Leaders of America club at Thomas Jefferson High School is writing letters to be shared among the soldiers.

The deadline for shipping the packages is Dec. 10, and the FBLA will be accepting donations on that day. The platoon is stationed in Iraq until next September, so the FBLA plans on sending more care packages throughout the year. They will be sending Valentine’s Day packages and Memorial Day packages. If any donations for the Christmas packages come in after the Dec. 10, deadline they will be held over for the Valentine’s Day packages.

Donations can be brought to Thomas Jefferson High School’s main office, 4248 288th St., Auburn. Please attach a note indicating that the item(s) are for FBLA. For more information, contact Mrs. Ford, FBLA advisor, at (253) 945-5634.