As Jenny's room started becoming filled to the ceiling of name brand products of shampoo, conditioners, deodorants, toothpaste, toothbrushes, and the big and most amazing deal was the laundry soap. She and I sat down one Sunday and chatted, we had to do something with all of the product. There was no way we could use it all ourselves! So we brain stormed about what we could do. We started talking about finding somewhere to donate it, and we left it at that for the day.
The next week, I see her and she is extremely excited, she had discovered where it all was going to go. She had discovered a website: www.anysoldier.com Not only had she found the website, but she had already found contacts with the soldiers in need, and taken ALL of the large flat rate boxes from our local post office. She had begun filling the boxes; and the boxes were stuffed full to the brim. Our goal is to fill the boxes full of everything we can. Why waste money on shipping costs, when it costs the same amount if we put in two products, or 50?
Currently we have over 30 contacts! What do I mean by contacts... What it means is, each contact is a troop leader or Chaplin, who we send boxes to and they distribute the products to people within the troop. Our 30 contacts that we have reach a total of 1,700 troops. So we are attempting to send as much as we can to support them.
The boxes that we are sending out are going to our troops who are in the middle of the desert. These troops are far from the PX's (basically a grocery store of supplies). So our soldiers in these places are going without the basics which we take for granted. The people whom are out there giving of their lives to keep ours comfortable, and also working for the greater good of helping other countries are going without? That is simply wrong! The way we see it is that it is the least we can do to reach out to them and support them in whatever way we can.
It doesn't matter if you support the wars, or support what our government is doing. This isn't about that. It is about giving our "neighbors" aid. They enlisted to the different branches of the military for many different reasons, but in the end it is all for the same cause, serving US! No matter how I look at it, it is more than the right thing to do!
Currently, we are sending out about 30 boxes a month, with still 30 or more just sitting and waiting to be shipped. Our goal is by 2012 to be sending out at least 300 boxes a month! Still just as full as we have been! It is going to be amazing to see how God blesses this and continues to move it forward! I will keep you all "posted" about what is going on!
*Drumroll*
ReplyDeletePapers went out today. We are officially in the application process for nonprofit status in Oregon!
Will let you know when I get the confirmation =)
Okay... so she says I did everything.
ReplyDeleteShe leaves out the critical detail of the research she did in getting the resources needed to do the paperwork. SHE was the one who brought books and a ton of ideas to the table... so I am hardly the brains behind the operation.
Renee is an amazing encourager, and she is responsible for keeping me on track most the time. It can be overwhelming standing amoungst dozens of boxes and bags of product, and it takes a lot of coordination to get it all together. Who gets what?
We have 36 contacts (one being her brother) and they have access to troops in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Japan, and the Philippines. We received dozens of letters and email from these troops expressing their appreciation. They are most encouraged by the idea that someone they don't know cares enough about them to send them a letter... and the care packages make them feel like it's Christmas.
If you have an opportunity to write a note to our troops, or can organize a group of people to write letters to our troops, we'd love to include them in the care packages!
You can email us at daughterbrown@gmail.com
Thank you!!
Love you Renee!!
Jenn