Scouts supporting servicemembers

[featherbear 10]

I'm not even sure if this is the right category for this... but, I was wondering what ways your units have found in this regard? I know of a unit in our district that "adopted" a Stryker unit in Iraq, for one example.

 

My CS unit has been involved with these:

~Packing care packages for a nonprofit organization that does this on a large scale for soldiers overseas

~collecting hand-made cards from local grade schools to send to many deployed servicemembers for Christmas

~care packages to Landstuhl Army Regional Medical Center through the Wounded Warrior Hospital Fund, http://www.woundedwarriorhospitalfund.org

 

We've worked with one or another of these every year for over three years now. The Cubs love sending gifts to soldiers so far from home, and they really light up when they get a reply from a unit commander, letting them know what effect their kindness brought.

 

I know there must a lot of opportunities like this out there for Scouts to participate in. I'm wondering what similar projects you have found for your units to participate in? How did it it go?

 

YIS

[Trevorum 24]

The CO sponsoring our troop is a local host for Operation Interdependence, a DoD program that sends "care" packages to service people overseas. The packages include toiletry articles, candy, small luxuries, etc. and are much appreciated by those far from home. Our scouts have participated in the bag stuffing several times. It's an excellent program. See http://www.oidelivers.org/.

 

At the troop meeting two weeks ago, our scouts wrote personal notes to be included in the next shipment of bags. The SPL had prepared sheets of "troop stationery" (laser printed with the troop logo and CO's address) which looked really sharp. I am sure that the men and women who recieve these thoughtful personal notes of thanks from our scouts will value them.