Letting troops know we care

Day in and day out, there are men and women deployed in combat zones who open a “care package” from home. Week in and week out volunteers for Coastal Bend Troop Support, Inc, sort items, fill boxes and send these packages from home to let the troops know we care.

Coastal Bend Troop Support volunteers can be found every Wednesday and Friday from 1:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m. busy in their new home at 621 Market Street in Rockport. This location has space for the numerous storage bins and ample tables needed by the many volunteers who give their time to send these monthly reminders of home.

Carla Reed, the President of the organization, plans, orchestrates and fetches to keep these care packages on their way. The 501c3 nonprofit public charity was formed on Feb. 4, 2010 and all who are involved are volunteers.

Jimmie Kelly is one of the original volunteers. As the “List Keeper” she keeps the addresses updated and completes the custom form and label for each box. All contents must be included of the form and label. She is also the photographer for the group and maintains the Facebook page.

Taylor David Jetter began volunteering in 2010 while he was in high school and provides the “muscle power” to carry the boxes as they need to be moved from one area to another then to the car for transporting to the post office.

 

“It’s a good cause.” Taylor Jetter.

During the month, volunteers are filling plastic storage bags for kits to be included in the monthly boxes. The food kit includes snacks, a hygiene kit holds the small “hotel or motel” personal hygiene products which were not used during someone’s stay, the health kit includes items such as foot powder, foot cream and sunscreen and the stationary kit might hold magazines and letters from volunteers, school children and the public.

“We try to think of what they might need.” Carla Reed

A special Christmas box will be shipped in October so volunteers are already shopping for gifts to include. Carl Hophner, a veteran himself, helps fill the boxes and seal them. Mid-July he was packing boxes of Girl Scout cookies which are being sent in addition to the regular monthly box.

Coastal Bend Troop Support packs and mails boxes monthly to 120 – 150 individuals. Troop names are given to the group by friends and family members from the whole Coastal Bend area. That person receives the care packages until his or her deployment ends and they return home.

Items are donated or purchased with donated funds. Postage costs are approximately $1500 monthly so every donation is welcomed.

Snack items which are always needed are;

• Beef Jerky, tuna in the pouch
• Breakfast bars, energy bars
• Nuts, Sunflower seeds, corn nuts
• Peanut butter crackers, cheese crackers
• Gum, regular and sugar free
• Drink mixes with electrolytes for 16 oz. bottled water

Names of deployed troops can be submitted on the website,  http://www.coastalbendtroopsupport.com by going to “sign up” or by e-mail.

Information about donations is also on the website or can be mailed to:

Coastal Bend Troop Support, Inc.
C.B.T.S.
PO Box 742
Rockport, Texas 78381

OR

JUST STOP IN ON WEDNESDAY OR FRIDAY AFTERNOONS.

SAY, “HI, HOW IS IT GOING?”

TAKE THE ADDRESS AND INFO ABOUT SOMEONE.

ASK HOW YOU CAN HELP.

OR

GIVE GENEROUSLY!