Looking for a great holiday service project for your school, workplace, place of worship, or organization? November is the perfect time to start rallying your group and getting them involved in Operation Shoebox, a program that gives back to America’s deployed military in a thoughtful and practical way.
Operation Shoebox was created to boost the morale of men and women stationed around the world by sending them care packages filled with personal care items, snacks, thank you notes, and other tokens of gratitude.
Your group can show their support to our heroes by collecting items for care packages. Here are just a few of the most frequently requested items requested by the troops:
Frequently Requested Items by Troops
Food and drink
Beef jerky
Cereal (small boxes)
Gatorade
Gum
Individually wrapped, heat-resistant candy
Instant coffee and coffee creamer
Instant oatmeal
Powdered drink mixes
Printed materials
Local newspapers
Magazines
Toiletries
Baby wipes
Heavy-duty tissues
Sunscreen
Toothbrushes and toothpaste
Tylenol (individual packs
Other
Batteries (all types)
Bug spray (must be packaged in zip-lock bag)
Cushioned socks
Mini flashlights with extra bulbs and batteries
Pre-paid phone cards
Small battery-powered fans with extra batteries
You can also include cards and notes, as well as pre-addressed postcards to yourself or your organization that you can ask the service member to return to you to let you know they received your package.
Mail your collected items to:
Operation Shoebox
P.O. Box 1465
Belleview, FL 34421-1465
Call 352-307-6723 for the address if you are sending your collections via Fed Ex or UPS.
Visit Operation Shoebox for a complete list of suggested items for care packages, packing tips, and other ways you can help.
