Marine Corps Care Packages- 2011 Holiday Season

Hey everyone! I want to send a couple care packages out to some deployed Marines this holiday season and am just putting this out here if any of you all want to pitch in and help make a couple kick ass care packages. One of them is a friend of mine from when I was in (he was just a boot back then and is now a Gunny)and his platoon which is deployed to Okinawa right now. The other, I contacted another friend from back in the day. He is out now but did a couple tours in Iraq. He got me the address of a Marine that he actually recruited and is deployed right now.

Obviously, I probably can't get this done in time to actually get it in their hands by Christmas, but I can hopefully get this to them by New Years. Either way, they will all by stoked! Gunny Q. is going to get me a list of stuff they need/like in Okinawa, so he knows something is coming his way. The other young Marine, will have no idea a big package is coming his way.

I've never done anything like this before, so I'm not really sure how to go about it. Right now, if you are interested in pitching in, message me and I will get you my paypal or figure something out. Of course, I will keep track of everything, take pics of receipts, items, packages and etc... so we make sure this all goes to the troops.

Admin, if this is the wrong spot or out of line, just let me know. Thanks
Chris

You can also paypal me at chris@stovertileanddesign.com (be sure to include your name and username)

Make sure to include a bunch of gummie bears ;)

Socks are usually the favorite from what I recall when I sent a care package to Jason when he was deployed.

Chris gonna send you a few bucks in the snail mail. I'll get it out in the mailbox today. Thanks for doing this!

Any idea when you plan on shipping it out? I'll be up there for Christmas and could drop off a few items or some $. Or maybe we can work the paypal thing out. Let me know.

What base is it going to? In the desert or Japan?

Thanks Lance! Yeah, I guess socks would be a good one. I think the local surplus store would have socks that would be appropriate.

Bekah, I'm hoping to get it shipped before Christmas. I forgot about my paypal, I'll post that in the first post.

Troy, one package is going to Okinawa and one is going to Afqhanistan (not sure where in Afghanistan)

Try to figure out which base in Asscrackistan is. A lot of them have well stocked PX's with socks and things. Holiday decorations and home baked good are good for well off bases where soldiers have local shopping and amazon.com access(Japan would be the same). The crappy small FOB's are were socks, hand warmers, long johns and things will be more appreciated.

Yeah the Oki Marines are pretty well taken care of, so it's more to just get them some fun stuff from home. The Afghaniland Marines are an infantry unit so I'm not sure where they are exactly or if I'll be able to find out due to opsec. I'm basically going to go about it as them being at a FOB. If not, then they will still be able to use the stuff we send them. Heck, when I was stationed at Pendleton, I would have loved to receive some baby wipes and hand warmers LOL!

I kind of know one of the chicks who work at the local surplus store. I'm going to go in on Monday and see if they can hook us up with some boot socks and hand warmers (or at least get me a good deal on them for the troops).

I'm also going to contact a couple of the local jerky companies and see if they can hook us up too.

Bump! Between Lance, Bob, HBMurphy, and some facebook friends, we are now up to $230, my parents kicked in some beef jerky and nuts, and other friends have promised to drop off food tomorrow. :clap: :clap: :clap: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :bowdown: :bowdown: I am truly blown away with everyone's generosity. Everything above doesn't even include what I'm planning on adding myself!

I will be shopping tomorrow and thursday, so if anyone still wants to donate, you can use the paypal address posted above or message me if you want to snail mail it. If we end up with too much for 2 packages then we will do a 3rd package (it won't be hard for me to find another address)

My paypal is chris@stovertileanddesign.com

My mailing address is

Chris Stover
P.O. Box 124
Morro Bay, Ca 93443

be sure to message me as well so that I know what my budget will be when I hit up costco tomorrow
Thanks!!!

Done. Thank you.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by 4x4mike

Done. Thank you.

---

:thumbup: Thanks Mike!

Have a decent stash of food donated by my parents and a few friends, a big stack of magazines (motorcycles, classic cars/trucks, trucks, etc...), and a big stack of letters and pictures from a second grade class. On top of all that, I'm heading off to costco right now with $345 that was donated (that doesn't include what April is going to get at TJ's tomorrow as our donation). Thanks everyone!

If anyone pitches in tonight or tomorrow, I'll probably put that towards the shipping.

Thanks again and happy holidays!

costco run!

still have $10 left to put towards shipping or see if I can get some handwarmers somewhere

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1...-53-56_398.jpg

thanks for doing this chris! it will really make a difference for a lot of people!

we wish we could donate so bad, but we are almost charity cases ourselves these days.

if you can, write on one of the inside flaps of the boxes:

We wish we could thank you for your service in person, or at least supply some sundries to make it more pleasant. This Holiday season we can only wish you the very best: a safe passage through your tour and on your return home, and offer our thanks in mere words and eternal gratitude. May your holiday away from home be blessed with close friends, good chow, and the knowledge that you are loved by a great many people.

-The Hamilton Family



thanks again chris!

Will do! In fact, email that to me ( chris@stovertileanddesign.com ) and I'll print it up. If any one else wants to write a letter to add, email it to me as well and I'll print it up and include it. cool thing about that, I can print one to go in each package that goes out. :)

Everything I have on hand right now!
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1...4617475096.jpg