Care Packages

In honor of Memorial Day, fashion retailer Draper's & Damon's is partnering with the USO to provide care packages to troops overseas, committing to a $25,000 contribution to Operation USO Care Package and collecting donations now through Monday at each of its 48 outlets. The care packages — stuffed with items such as prepaid phone cards, disposable cameras and toiletries — are distributed to soldiers participating in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Marianne Hess of Our Lady Queen of Angels church in Newport Beach is seeking community members to help her and other parish members put together care packages for soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. Hess has been working on the project for two years, sending a supply of 20 to 30 boxes each month to U.S. troops. She started by sending gifts to her nephew, Camp Pendleton-based Lt. Mike Deal. With Deal preparing to leave for his second tour, Hess plans to adopt the 40 Marines serving under him as well.

A Costa Mesa Cub Scout pack has collected food and toiletries for the marine regiment recently adopted by the city, which the scouts will deliver to City Hall on Friday. Scout Pack 711, based at Christ Lutheran School, is contributing the items for care packages given to troops and their families. It’s part of an ongoing effort sponsored by Costa Mesa to support the 1st Battalion 5th Regiment of the Marine Corps stationed at Camp Pendleton. Pack 711 is made up of first- through third-graders, most of whom go to Christ Lutheran School, according to admissions counselor Lisa Olson.

Miniature bottles of soap, toothbrushes in neon green, blue and red, toys, white-cotton socks and candy were heaped in rows and tossed into cardboard boxes as teenage girls went through the twisting, never-ending lines preparing care packages for the 1st Marines division troops in Afghanistan. Inside each care package, a red or pink hand-written card with cutout hearts and sticker Cupids decorating the front wished a Marine a Happy Valentine’s Day. National Charity League Inc. put together more than 2,000 care packages for the 1st Division Marines Sunday for its third annual Operation Valentine.

The city of Newport Beach and the American Legion Post 291 held a boxing party April 23 to assemble 145 care packages to be sent to the 1st Battalion, 1st Marines, the Marines adopted by the city of Newport Beach. "We only planned for 75," said Steve Spriggs, one of the American Legion organizers of the event. "But the citizens and the post members donated so much we nearly doubled that." Spriggs added, "If citizens would like to send a letter or care package on their own to the 1/1, please mail them to Maj. Bill Wischmeyer, H&W Company S-1, FPO, AP, 96426.

Where most people see mounds of cheap candy, Taffy Dalby spots a donation opportunity. The Costa Mesa resident makes an annual sweep of area grocery stores the day after Halloween to purchase half-priced sweets. Eventually, she sends the Snickers and Reese's Pieces along with other goods to deployed troops in Iraq. "The boys love their candy," Dalby said. On Saturday, as they do each month, Dalby and her husband, Tony Dalby, invite community members to their home to make care packages for American military personnel.

This community will never cease to amaze me. All it takes is one article and people come out of the woodwork with unprecedented support for their neighbors. It is commendable, uplifting and a tad daunting all at once. While I am encouraged by the dozens of e-mails and phone calls I have received asking for more information on how to send care packages to the troops, I must ask for a cease fire, as I have no magic solution. In the past two articles I wrote on the subject, I gave every piece of information I had on how to get care packages to our troops overseas.

Between packets of hot chocolate and tubes of lip balm, sixth-graders from Temple Bat Yahm’s religious school tucked personal letters into care packages heading this week to U.S. troops in Afghanistan. “I told them basic stuff, like where I live and what I like to do. I also tried to ask a lot of questions, too,” said 12-year-old Alex Roude, who attends school at Vista Verde Elementary. “I hope they write back,” Alex said. The students stuffed boxes of goodies for troops as part of the Newport Beach temple’s annual Mitzvah Day program.

Between packets of hot chocolate and tubes of lip balm, sixth-graders from Temple Bat Yahm’s religious school tucked personal letters into care packages heading this week to U.S. troops in Afghanistan. “I told them basic stuff, like where I live and what I like to do. I also tried to ask a lot of questions, too,” said 12-year-old Alex Roude, who attends school at Vista Verde Elementary. “I hope they write back,” Alex said. The students stuffed boxes of goodies for troops as part of the Newport Beach temple’s annual Mitzvah Day program.

Miniature bottles of soap, toothbrushes in neon green, blue and red, toys, white-cotton socks and candy were heaped in rows and tossed into cardboard boxes as teenage girls went through the twisting, never-ending lines preparing care packages for the 1st Marines division troops in Afghanistan. Inside each care package, a red or pink hand-written card with cutout hearts and sticker Cupids decorating the front wished a Marine a Happy Valentine’s Day. National Charity League Inc. put together more than 2,000 care packages for the 1st Division Marines Sunday for its third annual Operation Valentine.

The City of Costa Mesa has launched a holiday care package drive to welcome home its adopted Marine Corps unit for Christmas, and is seeking donations. The 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment is due home before Christmas from a tour in Afghanistan. The city is seeking donations of nonperishable items, as well as tax-deductible monetary contributions and gift cards for purchases of perishable foods, which will go toward supporting the returning Marines and their families. Suggested nonperishable donations include: stuffing mix, canned vegetables, canned fruit, Jello, coffee, tea, cocoa, non-refrigerated juice, soft drink mixes, such as Crystal Lite, powdered creamer, boxed sugar, packaged cereal, pancake/waffle mix, syrup, cake/dessert mix, snack items such as beef jerky, canned or packaged nuts, dried fruit, granola bars, popcorn/kettlecorn, Pop Tarts, Protein bars, Slim Jims, and sunflower seeds.

A Costa Mesa Cub Scout pack has collected food and toiletries for the marine regiment recently adopted by the city, which the scouts will deliver to City Hall on Friday. Scout Pack 711, based at Christ Lutheran School, is contributing the items for care packages given to troops and their families. It’s part of an ongoing effort sponsored by Costa Mesa to support the 1st Battalion 5th Regiment of the Marine Corps stationed at Camp Pendleton. Pack 711 is made up of first- through third-graders, most of whom go to Christ Lutheran School, according to admissions counselor Lisa Olson.

Marianne Hess of Our Lady Queen of Angels church in Newport Beach is seeking community members to help her and other parish members put together care packages for soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. Hess has been working on the project for two years, sending a supply of 20 to 30 boxes each month to U.S. troops. She started by sending gifts to her nephew, Camp Pendleton-based Lt. Mike Deal. With Deal preparing to leave for his second tour, Hess plans to adopt the 40 Marines serving under him as well.

Melissa Nordlund and her husband have no children, but for the last two months, the 36-year-old Costa Mesa resident has been stockpiling baby wipes. After reading an article about the lack of bathing opportunities for soldiers in Iraq, Nordlund felt compelled to act. She founded Operation Babywipes, dedicating her free time to collecting baby wipes, which often sell out in military supply stores, and other hygiene products to send abroad. "I don't have any family or friends in the military, but it really grossed me out that they can't shower, and I felt so sad for them," she said.

Volunteers packed about 200 boxes with toothpaste, stationery, drink mixes and Girl Scout cookies on Thursday as part of Costa Mesa's third celebration to support the city's adopted Army company, now serving in Iraq. The reason? "Just anything we can do to help them since they're doing some hard work over there," said Johan Gout, who brought his 6-year-old daughter Raleigh and a bag of trail mix, beef jerky, batteries and shaving items to the packing party. The city adopted D Company, 2-25 Aviation Regiment, in September and has sent the soldiers two shipments of care packages.

After a distinguished career as a state legislator and state education secretary, Marian Bergeson is still flying high. Well, she was Friday, anyway — the Newport Beach resident went skydiving to celebrate her 82nd birthday. It wasn't her first time. Bergeson jumped from a plane as a state Senator one year when budget talks hit a snag, she said by phone last week. "I always said I was going to do it on my 80th birthday, but that sort of slipped by," she said. "I'm making plans to do it again on my 90th, so that shows my native optimism."