SUPPORT OUR TROOPS: AMERICAN ROOTS ARE GRASS ROOTS.

American Roots Are Grass Roots Supporting Our Troops
By KarenO’Toole

It is always a good time to remember our servicemen and women with a care package. This could be a family project to teach children the importance of thinking about others adn seeing wha theirlives are like. also,  If you and maybe a neighbor or friend join in and put together a care package for a service member, the VFW could provide you with an address to mail it to.  There is a postal package rate that isn’t too expensive that takes a couple of weeks. Item ideas are: cookies or candies in a tin, a movie or CD(their might well be a player for it on base), Letters from kids or yourself, paperback books, a card deck, acrylic photo holder,a twin-sized quilt with a letter. Buy one at a church bazaar for reasonable money if you do not quilt yourself. Include a picture of yourself and friends who put together the package.

Also, current magazines,  luxurious bars of fancy soap, safty pins, stationery and a set of pens. Pillow cases would brighten up a soldier’s stay.  Send several: one to have and some to share with comrades. Maybe a sewing circle can embroider “We Honor You” on the edge. Fabric paint will work too and takes less skill and time.

They don’t have to be huge boxes, just thoughtful and practical.  Include a self addressed envelope and ask around from the soldiers about the kinds of things that would be useful and appreciated, maybe hard-to-get things like dried chilies for the New Mexico troops. Maybe sewing kits or small scissors or nail files would be good.  Just thoughtful things to go in boxes a couple of feet square.  

NOTE: There are church groups, sewing groups, local crafty people who can make decorated boxes and tins in which to send cookies, candies or cashews and nuts that don’t cause cavities.  A package of dried fruit, good luck tokens such as a prayer cloth *or red, white, and blue flag pins are small enough to be packed in a care package with other goodies.  Don't forget nifty things like, hand-held games, books of crosswords and other puzzles, Water color set or artist's oil chalks and a sketch pad or two.  A Journal or a robe or huge fluffy bath towel might make the stay a little more enjoyable.  Maybe a silk flower bouquet of Red, White and Blue flowers to cheer up the barracks could be carefully packaged and sent, especially to a female soldier.
Altoid tins could be painted likewise and reused when the candy is gone. Just don’t send things that go boom, like hair spray cans or liquids in glass, or perishables such as fresh fruits.

* SHOW CARING WITH A PRAYER CLOTH

Make a Prayer Cloth by writing your prayer for them in fabric paint or indelible pen on a cloth, attach a ribbon to hang it by like a picture. Include it in your care package to have them hang it where the wind can carry  the prayer.   Or even make a book marker Prayer Cloth to keep as a constant reminder of our support. Plain or fancy, the message is clear and constant, like our support of those heroic people. ???