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Troops overseas getting small piece of home for the holidays

BY CARL ORTH

SUNCOAST NEWS ASSISTANT EDITOR

Published: December 3, 2008

NEW PORT RICHEY - Thousands of miles from home, soldiers can start to feel a little lonely away from their families during the Christmas holiday.

So a package from Operation Shoebox volunteers in West Pasco can be a welcome sight to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to Victoria Barley of the West Pasco Community Service Council.

From June through September, the council had been collecting donations, Barley explained.

Some 6,000 pounds of goods were dropped off at collection sites from Tarpon Springs to Hudson.

Then the mad dash, preparing hundreds of packages to be mailed, came last week, Barley said. The deadline to get the boxes into the mail so troops would get them in time for Christmas was Nov. 26.

Barley even had to dodge a few raindrops before dropping off the last load to the post office.

The nonprofit professional community group last year sent 6,000 pounds of items to soldiers. The organization received many letters of gratitude and even a U.S. flag from one of the soldiers, CSC member Becky Bennett said previously.

The donations included heat-resistant candy, mouthwash, toothbrushes, toothpaste, instant coffee, powdered drink mixes and beef jerky. Other items included canned fruit, small boxes of cereal, tuna, ham, eye drops, foot powder, brushes and hand lotion. In addition, there were disposable razors, shampoos, soap, sunscreen, batteries, white cushioned socks, sunglasses and small board games.

"Our mission is to supply each service man and woman with a Shoe Box full of love," CSC leaders wrote on the group's Web site. "Handwritten letters of gratitude for serving our country - priceless."

For more information about Operation Shoebox or Community Service Council, contact Becky Bennett at 727-452-4693 or go online to www.communityservicecouncil.org>.

CSC meets monthly at Seven Springs Country Club in New Port Richey.

Carl Orth can be reached at 727-815-1068 or corth@suncoastnews.com.