Project Mail Call now has a Facebook Group. To view or join the group, click HERE. For total year-to-date statistics of Project Mail Call click HERE.
Many military units in Afghanistan continue to report spartan conditions, overcrowding and limited support. Many of the units are in remote areas and report that they have not been receiving mail. The force reduction that started in September 2011 has made conditions more difficult because some support services are being closed, which means smaller bases have less support than before.
Also, because U.S. forces are leaving Iraq by the end of 2011, all military post offices in Iraq closed on November 17. (however mail that is in the mail system by November 17 will be processed and delivered).
There will still be plenty of US military overseas that need our support.
The last packing session for 2011 was held on November 12, when 24 volunteers helped Project Mail Call pass a milestone of 61,000 pounds packed. The group packed 33 care-boxes weighing a total of 595 pounds supporting 623 military personnel in Afghanistan and Djibouti.
Besides a wide range of snacks, toiletries and entertainment items; the volunteers packed cooking utensils, seasoning and spices, Febreeze, protein supplement powder, blankets, sheets, towels, Santa hats, huge Christmas stockings, ceramic Christmas Mugs stuffed with packets of hot chocolate, blank Christmas cards, Christmas decorations and Christmas lights.
One box contained gag gifts with wrapping paper for the troops to use in gift-giving over the holidays, and two boxes contained school supplies for the military to give to Afghan school children.
We thank Carleen, Laureen, Pam, and Rhonda for acting as facilitators, and Pam and Jason for spending the 1.5 hours helping Ed at the Post Office. Jason also went the extra mile by carrying all the boxes up the hill to the SUV.
On November 9, brownies and moms from Brownie Troop 11437 at Mt. Bethel Elementary packed 5 boxes that weighed a total of 67 pounds, which were mailed to a Marine Chaplain in Afghanistan who will distribute the boxes among his 1,000 Marines who need support. Due to the approaching cold, the chaplain asked that in addition to our regular contents, each box include cans of chili, soup, tuna, chicken, Ramen Noodles and Hot Hands. This makes a total of 17 care-boxes that Project Mail Call have mailed to the Chaplain.
The girls also made customized greeting cards that they enclosed in their boxes.
We thank Debbie and Holly for helping out as facilitators, and staying two hours to help restock after the packing session in preparation for our final 2001 packing session on November 12.
On November 6 the Discovery Sunday School Class from Mt. Bethel United Methodist Church packed 22 care-boxes weighing 313 pounds. The boxes were mailed to 22 military units supporting 344 military personnel in Afghanistan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan and several ships at sea in the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.
Besides the usual snacks, toiletries and entertainment items, the boxes also contained sheets, towels, blankets, games, flashlights, Bibles, Christmas decorations and blank Christmas cards. The young people also made hand-made Christmas cards and notes of encouragement, which they inserted in their boxes.
We thank everyone who donated merchandise and financial support. We also thank Holly, Jason and Pam who acted as facilitators.
On November 4, Girl Scouts and moms from Girl Scout Troop 28269 at Timber Ridge Elementary packed 6 boxes that weighed a total of 88 pounds, which were mailed to two military units in Afghanistan.
Five boxes were mailed to a Marine Chaplain who will distribute the boxes to his Marines needing support and the sixth box was mailed to an Air Force Captain who will also share with his troop.
The girls also made customized greeting cards that they enclosed in their boxes.
We thank Debbie and Holly for helping out as facilitators.
The milestone of 60,000 pounds was passed during the October 29 packing session when volunteers from the Faith Mates Sunday School Class of Mt. Bethel United Methodist Church packed 28 care-boxes weighing a total of 517 pounds for 721 military personnel in Afghanistan, Bahrain, Djibouiti, Egypt, and ships at sea in the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman. The class was joined by other volunteers for the Mini Great Day of Service of Mt. Bethel United Methodist Church.
Besides a wide range of snacks, toiletries and entertainment items; the circle packed angel hair, bowtie and linguini pasta, large containers of animal crackers, Febreeze, country music CDs, protein supplement powder, Vitamins B and C, allergy and cold medicine, ThermaFlu, school supplies, doodle pads, measuring cups, LED flashlights, blankets, sheets, towels, Halloween candy, Santa hats, ceramic Christmas Mugs stuffed with packets of hot chocolate, blank Christmas cards, Christmas decorations and Christmas lights. One box contained complete ingredients for a Thanksgiving ham dinner, and another box included items for dogs in a K9 unit in Afghanistan.
The 38 volunteers at the packing session also included Dan, the pastor of Combs United Methodist Church and Bowens United Methodist Church, who was visiting from Hazard, Kentucky. Dan is active in the Red Bird Missionary Conference, so he is a pastor to the entire Hazard community because he also ministers to many more congregations than his own church members. Ray teamed with Adrienne to pack boxes.
We thank Carleen, Laureen, Holly and Pam for assisting the packing session as facilitators, and Joseph for helping Ed at the post office.
In a very productive box packing session on October 22, students from The Walker School in Marietta, Georgia packed 25 large care-boxes weighing 417 pounds. The boxes were mailed to 25 military units supporting 431 military personnel in Afghanistan, Djibouti, and Iraq.
Besides the usual snacks, toiletries and entertainment items, the boxes also contained shaving mirrors, boxes of ziplock bags, blankets, sheets, towels, board games, nail polish, flashlights, Christmas decorations, Santa hats, and gag gifts with wrapping paper for the troops to use in gift-giving over the holidays. All boxes included packets of blank Christmas cards that the students donated, and 2 ceramic Christmas mugs stuffed with packets of hot chocolate. Also two boxes included dog treats, toys and blankets for two K9 units.
Project Mail Call very much appreciated Barrett's coordination of a large merchandise collection drive as an 8th grade project for The Walker School, which made a significant positive effect on Project Mail Call's merchandise inventory.
We thank Jason for helping Ed 1.5 hours at the post office and donating 3 cases of unused comic books for the military. We also thank Debbie, Holly, Laureen, Pam and Rhonda who acted as facilitators for the packing session.
The Brighton Living online magazine published a nice article about Barrett, and his coordination of the packing session. To see the article, click HERE.
The Marietta Daily Journal also published a nice article about Barrett's commitment to supporting the US Military.
Click HERE for a link to the homepage of the The Walker School.
The milestone of 59,000 pounds was passed during the October 17 packing session when volunteers from the Friends in Faith Circle (am) of Mt. Bethel United Methodist Church packed 17 care-boxes weighing a total of 315 pounds for 406 military personnel in Afghanistan.
The circle donated a large amount of Mach 3 razors, highly prized by military personnel. As a circle and as individuals, the ladies' very generous monetary donations greatly exceeded the mailing and merchandise expenses.
Besides the usual snacks, toiletries and entertainment items; the circle packed gospel music, protein supplement powder, sardines, a small Christmas tree, Santa hats, Christmas Mugs, blank Christmas cards, and Christmas lights. Five larges boxes also contained pillows and bedding, and one box included items for dogs in a K9 unit in Afghanistan.
Carleen and Holly assisted the packing session by acting as facilitators, and Tesa organized the packing session, provided refreshments and helped Ed endure the post office processing.
On October 11, Brownies and moms from Brownie Troop 10448 at Mount Bethel Christian Academy packed 7 boxes that weighed a total of 101 pounds, and were mailed to 161 military personnel in Afghanistan and Iraq. The girls also made customized greeting cards that they enclosed in their boxes.
Besides the usual snacks, toiletries and entertainment items; the boxes included special requests such as Cracker Jacks, Lemon Heads, pepperoni, blank Christmas cards, and Christmas lights. Most boxes also contained Thanksgiving and Christmas decorations.
We thank the Brownie troop for donating merchandise for the military, and we also thank Holly for helping out as a facilitator.
On October 10, the Diane Mickler Circle of Mt. Bethel United Methodist Church packed 17 large care-boxes weighing 358 pounds for 379 military personnel in Afghanistan and Uganda.
Besides the usual snacks, toiletries and entertainment items; their boxes included special requests such as country music CDs, school supplies, blank Christmas cards, and complete ingredients for Thanksgiving dinners. Two larges boxes contained ceramic Christmas mugs, another 2 were filled with toys, and many boxes contained Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas decorations.
In 2009 the Circle gained notoriety because they continued to pack boxes in the basement using flashlights after a storm knocked out electricity during their packing session.
The circle donated money to help defray mailing expenses. We also thank Carleen, Holly and Laureen for acting as facilitators.
On October 8, the Agape Sunday School Class of Mt. Bethel United Methodist Church enabled Project Mail Call to pass another milestone for the US military - over 100,000 military personnel supported over the past 7 years. The milestone was celebrated with a 16-inch cookie.
The 14 large care-boxes they packed were mailed to 12 military units supporting 435 military personnel in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The class provided a delicious breakfast buffet and great socializing prior to the packing session.
Besides the usual snacks, toiletries and entertainment items, the following special items were packed as requested by the military units: pillows, bedding, board games,volley balls and nets, Halloween and Christmas decorations, pistachios, diabetic snacks, reams of computer printer, whole coffee beans, salsa and chips, and Captain Chrunch cereal.
The class paid for the mailing expenses of their care-boxes. Pam, Carleen and Laureen were facilitators for the packing session, and Laureen assisted Ed at the Post Office.
A new milestone of 58,000 pounds was passed during the October 1 packing session when volunteers from Georgia Perimeter College - Dunwoody Campus, packed 26 boxes weighing 334 pounds. Under the direction of Dr. Garrett, and coordination of Joseph, in 2010 the student body collected the largest amount of merchandise ever collected for Project Mail Call. They plan to conduct a similar collection in the Spring of 2012.
Doctor Garrett and her family deligently packed boxes alongside the students. Joseph and Joe accompanied Ed to the post office, where the boxes were mailed to 26 military units representing 405 military personnel in Afghanistan. This was the first time that a packing session mailed boxes to one country - Afghanistan.
Carleen, Holly, Laureen and Pam assisted the packing session by acting as facilitators.
On 27 September, Girl Scouts and leaders from Girl Scout troop 2113 at Timber Ridge Elementary School packed 5 boxes weighing 61 pounds. All of the boxes were packed for a chaplain in Afghanistan, who will give the boxes to soldiers who have not received any mail.
After refreshments, the girls packed snacks, toiletries and entertainment items in their boxes and then wrote personal notes for the soldiers, which they placed in the boxes. The girls were good packers and had very good manners, which is a great combination for such packing sessions.
We thank Carleen, Holly and Laureen for acting as facilitators for the session.
On September 24 twenty-eight people packed 36 care-boxes weighing 534 pounds on September 24. The boxes were mailed to 28 military units supporting 618 military personnel in Afghanistan, Bahrain and Iraq.
Besides the usual snacks, toiletries and entertainment items, the boxes also contained towels, blankets, pillows, sheets, games, ThermaCare packs and coffee makers. Two boxes included dog treats, toys, food and blankets for two K9 units, and 2 large boxes containing 60 school supply kits were mailed to a soldier supporting a school in Kabul.
Most of the boxes included blank Halloween cards for the soldiers to use, two boxes contained Halloween decorations and candy; and the first 2011 box of Santa Claus hats and a miniature tree was mailed.
We recognize Alec, who packed today and earlier this year wrote, produced and directed a play at High Meadows School of Roswell, raising $500 for Project Mail Call. Joseph, who also packed today, organized a collection drive at Georgia Perimeter College, which resulted in the single largest contribution of merchandise to Project Mail Call. His class will also be packing boxes in our basement next Saturday, October 1.
We thank George and Joseph for helping Ed 1.5 hours at the post office, and we also thank Carleen, Laureen and Pam who arrived early, stayed late, and acted as facilitators for the packing session.
On September 10, families from the Couples in Christ Sunday School Class of Mt Bethel United Methodist Church packed 14 customized care-boxes for 14 US military units in Afghanistan and Iraq, supporting 246 military personnel. The boxes weighed a total of 189 pounds.
Besides the usual group photo and personal notes of encouragment and appreciation, the children also made elaborate 'thank you' and encouragement cards, which they enclosed in the boxes.
We thank Couples in Christ Sunday School for donating $200 towards mailing expenses. We also thank Carleen Wesson, Holly Freeman and Pam Jenn for acting as event facilitators.
This was Project Mail Call's 170th packing session overall and the 30th conducted so far in 2011. Fourteen more are scheduled for 2011, the last being November 12.
On August 29, "The Power Packers" came together to pack 132 pounds of clothes and shoes for five military units in Afghanistan, and 52 religious books, devotionals and education guides for a chaplain who supports hundreds of US military personnel.
We thank Carleen, Holly, Joan, Laureen, and especially Sally, who traveled all the way from Arizona to support Project Mail Call. The clothes and shoes were donated by Mt Bethel United Methodist Church's Consignment Sale, and the books were donated by the Mt Bethel library.
On August 20, The FunDraisers packed 23 customized care-boxes for 21 US military units in Afghanistan and Iraq, supporting 557 military personnel. Their boxes weighed a total of 407 pounds. With their efficient packing skills, you would never know that this was the FunDraisers first time to pack for Project Mail Call.
Besides the usual snacks, hygiene, entertainment items and sports equipment; the group packed basket ball shorts, a coffee maker, ethnic hair-care products, sheet sets, four pillows, and a large jar of Muscle Milk.
We thank the FunDraisers for donating $500 to Project Mail Call to help with merchandise and mailing costs. We also thank Carleen, Joan and Bill for acting as facilitators, and Kent for helping Ed mail the boxes at the Post Office. This was Project Mail Call's 168th packing session, and the 28th so far in 2011.
On August 13, thirty-three volunteers packed customized care-boxes and passed the milestone of 56,000 pounds packed for the US military. The 38 boxes weighed a total of 606 pounds and were mailed to 36 military units supporting 819 military personnel in Afghanistan, Greece, Iraq, Pakistan, and a ship in the Red Sea.
A large box of Bibles, study material, devotionals, music and Christian books was mailed to a chaplain in Afghanistan, and 3 large boxes of school supplies were mailed to a packer's daughter in Afghanistan. Unusual items mailed were smoked oysters, sardines, Nutella, Bisquick and pancake syrup, gummy bears and Thermacre Packs.
Pam and Carleen assisted as facilitators, and Ben, Stephanie, Christine and Steve spent hours helping Ed at the post office. (Note that no last names are used in this website)
On July 16, thirty-six volunteers packed 35 care-boxes that weighed a total of 523 pounds. The boxes were mailed to 31 military units supporting 586 military personnel in Afghanistan, Iraq and The Philippines.
Besides the usual snacks, hygiene, sports equipment and entertainment items, the group packed corn nuts, Double-stuf Oeros, bean dip and chips, Goldfish crackers, Spam, energy drinks, sports bras, Clorox wipes, Beefaroni, Fabreze air freshener, a coffee maker, skol, and Jack Link's Pepper Beff Jerky. One box contained 16 pounds of Seattle's Best coffee beans, and another heavy box was filled with crayons, colored pencils and coloring books for Afghan children.
We thank Carleen, Holly, Laureen and Pam for acting as expeditors, Alec for carrying the 523 pounds of boxes upstairs, and Laureen for assisting Ed at the post office.
On July 11, twenty-five volunteers from the Vacation Bible School of Mount Bethel United Methodist Church packed 10 care-boxes, most of which will be mailed to a Chaplain in Afghanistan who supports a battalion of over 1,000 Marines and sailors.
On July 12, another 22 Vacation Bible School volunteers packed another 8 boxes for the Chaplain's battalion, plus several other military units.
The total box weight for the two days was 239 pounds.
This was Project Mail Call's 25th packing session for 2011 and the 165th packing session over the past 6 years.
On June 25, the members of the Cobb County Republican Women's Club and other volunteers packed 30 care-boxes for the US military in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan and an undisclosed country.
The volunteers enabled the mission to pass a milestone of 55,000 pounds mailed. A total of 30 boxes were packed weighing a total of 537 pounds, and were mailed the same day to 30 military units supporting 796 military personnel.
Besides the usual snacks, toiletries, board games and sports equipment, the following special items were packed as requested by the military units: digital watches, T-shirts, freeze pops, boxer shorts, and plastic dinnerware. Also packed were boxes of school supplies for a unit supporting schools and another large box of toys, candy and children's books for patients at an Afghan health clinic.
We thank Susan and Hector for bringing the often-requested (and expensive) container of Muscle Milk, which the units frequently ask for to help build muscles during their frequent workouts. We also thank Ben for carrying all the boxes upstairs to the SUV. This is now the 6th year that he has supported the mission. Additionally, we thank Laureen for helping Ed at the post office, and Pam for her pre and post packing support.
Click HERE , to link to the Cobb County Republican Women's Club website.
The WinGS AM Circle of Mount Bethel United Methodist Church packed care-boxes on April 11. The circle's 14 boxes weighed a total of 226 pounds, and were mailed the same day to 12 military units in Afghanistan, Cuba and Iraq.
Besides the usual snacks, hygiene and entertainment items, the group packed board games, headband flashlights, and soccer balls, school supplies and stuffed animals for children in Iraq. The circle also donated merchandise to Project Mail Call.
We thank Gayle for delivering a large amount of merchandise that Timber Ridge Elementary School collected for Project Mail Call, and Holly, Carleen and Joan for providing facilitation support.
In addition, the Mt. Bethel UMC media video crew were onsite to videotape the event.
On April 9th, 22 volunteers packed 32 customized care-boxes and passed the milestone of 54,000 pounds packed for the US military. The boxes weighed a total of 434 pounds and were mailed to 32 military units supporting 840 military personnel in seven countries: Afghanistan, Algeria, Djbouti, Ethiopia, Iraq, Pakistan and Uganda. This was the first time we mailed boxes to Algeria and Uganda.
Besides the usual snacks, hygiene and entertainment items, the group packed headband flashlights, board games, sports equipment, and the first of the liquid ice pops, water games and water guns. It is already getting hot in South Asia, so the military loves to have fun while cooling off.
We thank Holly for bringing merchandise and helping Ed mail the boxes at the Post Office. This was Project Mail Call's 160th packing session, and the 20th so far in 2011.
The Red Hat Society of Mt. Bethel United Methodist Church met on April 5 to pack care-boxes for Project Mail Call. This was their fifth Project Mail Call packing session since 2007!
The ladies packed 6 large boxes of supplies weighing a total of 125 pounds. One box included marriage counseling books for the soldiers, soccer balls for Iraqi boys, and Beanie Babies for Iraqi girls.The boxes were mailed to 6 military units in Afghanistan, Iraq and Qatar. The ladies also brought merchandise for the military and paid for the mailing cost of their boxes.
On March 26, as part of the Great Day of Service of Mt. Bethel United Methodist Church, two Sunday School classes, (Faith Builders and Single Believers) packed 26 boxes for the US military. The boxes weighed a total of 468 pounds and were mailed to military units in Afghanistan, Djibouti, Iraq, South Korea, Iraq and a ship in the Gulf of Aden.
Besides the usual snacks, toiletries and entertainment items, the group packed sports equipment, board games, towels, BBQ spices, underwear, headband flashlights, miniature fans, and even water guns and 'Hot Tamales'!
The classes also brought merchandise and made financial contributions sufficient to pay for the mailing costs. Joan, Holly, Pam, Laureen and Carleen supported the packing session by serving as facilitators, and Wayne and Holly helped Ed at the post office.
On the morning of March 19, the Tom Day Open Door Sunday School Class of Mt. Bethel United Methodist Church packed 19 care-boxes for US military units in Afghanistan, Iraq and The Philippines. The boxes weighed a total of 357 pounds.
Besides the usual snacks, toiletries and entertainment items, the following special items were packed as requested by the military units: towels, wash cloths, blankets, pillow cases, board games and hand puzzles.
The class contributed merchandise for packing, and paid for mailing expenses of their care-boxes. Pam, Holly and Carleen were facilitators for the packing session.
On St Patrick's Day, "The Power Packers" came together in their 'greens' to pack 96 pounds of clothes and shoes for four military units in Afghanistan that support orphanages. The clothes and shoes were donated by Mt Bethel United Methodist Church's Consignment Sale.
A fifth box went to another military unit in Afghanistan that requested children's books, which they use for the 'United Through Reading Library' they created so soldiers, sailors, and airmen can read to their children back home. They video tape the service personnel reading the book and then mail the book and the video tape home to their child.
On the morning of March 12, The Northeast Atlanta Collectors Club packed 23 care-boxes for 23 US military units in Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Iraq, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, The Philippines, and ships in the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Aden. The boxes weighed a total of 440 pounds.
This was the club's third time to pack boxes, and their packing session enabled the mission to pass a milestone of 92,000 military personnel supported. Besides the usual snacks, toiletries, board games and sports equipment, the following special items were packed as requested by the military units: hair products, fingernail products, cleaning supplies, baseball caps, pillows, blankets, and microwave bowls. About 130 boxes of chocolate-based Girl Scout cookies were also included in the boxes, as we continue to send chocolate cookies and candy before the hot season starts in South Asia.
The Alpha Alumnae Chapter of Zeta Tau Alpha (Mary, Erin and Alison's sorority), packed 19 boxes on March 5. The boxes weighed a total of 368 pounds that were mailed to military units in Afghanistan, Djibouti and Iraq. This was the fourth time the chapter packed boxes for Project Mail Call.
Besides the usual snacks, toiletries and entertainment items, they packed sports equipment, bedding, towels, toys, cookery and even chopsticks! And of course, they packed many boxes of chocolate-based Girl Scout cookies.
We thank Laureen and Holly for their help as packing session expeditors and restockers. We also thank Pam and Susan for filling out customs forms.
Zeta Tau Alpha (ΖΤΑ), a women's fraternity, is the third largest National Panhellenic Group, as well as an international sorority.
On March 4, Girl Scout Troop 24251 delivered Girl Scout cookies and packed 8 customized boxes weighing 94 pounds for 134 military personnel in Afghanistan and Iraq. The troop passed a milestone during their packing session when the total number of military personnel supported by Project Mail Call passed 91,000.
The girls had a relatively short time to pack, but were energetic and industrious so that each packing team was able to pack 2 boxes each. In addition to snacks, food staples and toiletries, the 13 volunteers packed flashlights, cooking seasonings, and plastic silverware, which several military units requested to spice up their meals.
Brownie Troop 2859 attended a Project Mail Call packing session on March 1st, and learned about what the US military does, the environments they are in overseas, and why they need our support.
While Mary read the soldier's letter, the troop members took turns finding each item in inventory the US Marine requested for his military unit. In this manner, the Brownies learned what the military is in need of and why they need it. Each Brownie also wrote and decorated unique notes of support and donated toiletries and snacks.
With this packing session, the Brownies passed another Project Mail Call milestone of over 3,000 volunteers attending packing sessions.
On February 26, 24 volunteers packed 30 boxes and passed the milestone of 52,000 pounds packed for the US military. The energetic group's boxes weighed a total of 522 pounds, and were mailed to 30 military units supporting 736 military personnel in Afghanistan, Iraq and The Philippines.
Besides the usual snacks, hygiene and entertainment items, the group packed silly string (for detecting trip wires), headband flashlights, window cleaner, pillows, blankets, spices for cooking, pots and pans, cooking utensils,and patriotic knic knacs. Marianne saw we were short on blankets after the packing session, so she went to Big Lots and bought 28 blankets to replenish our inventory!
In response to 4 military units in Afghanistan that support orphanages, Mandy, Jake, Pam, Mary and Ed packed 10 large boxes of toys, shoes, school supplies and stuffed animals. It took several days to pack the boxes, which weighed a total of 213 pounds.
Most of the toys were donated by Operation Homefront, a charity that provides emergency financial and other assistance to the families of US service members and wounded warriors.
The second event on February 9 was held in the afternoon when the Keepers of the Faith packed 6 care-boxes weighing 84 pounds. The boxes were mailed to 6 military units stationed in Afghanistan and Iraq, supporting 129 military personnel. Each girl brought merchandise, five hand-made letters, and special sacks of valentine candy and fruit. They also paid for the mailing costs of their boxes.
This was the 5th year in a row that Keepers of the Faith packed boxes for Project Mail Call, going back to 2007. At the conclusion of their packing session, the girls prayed individual prayers over their boxes. Keepers of the Faith is an organization for home-schooled girls, with programs that provide a solid framework for establishing and maintaining a Christian learning environment. For more information about Keepers of the Faith, click HERE.
On the morning of February 9, the Dorothy Summerour Circle of Mt. Bethel United Methodist Church packed care-boxes for 13 US military units in Afghanistan, Iraq and The Philippines. The boxes weighed a total of 185 pounds.
This was the fourth time the circle packed boxes, every year since 2008. Two milestones were passed during the session; surpassing 50,000 pounds of merchandise and 90,000 military personnel supported. Besides the usual snacks and toiletries, the following special items were packed as requested by the military units: Starbucks coffee, brand salsa and chips, pony tail hairties, Lava and Gojo soap, apple sause, ravioli and a 5-pound can of coffee.
The Walton High School PTSA Community Outreach organization has been supporting Project Mail Call for several years by packing boxes, paying for mailing expenses of the boxes they pack, and donating large quantities of AAA and AA batteries. On February 7, the group packed 13 boxes weighing 176 pounds for military units stationed in Afghanistan and Iraq. The students were very diligent, with most teams packing 3 boxes during the 2-hour session.
We thank Pam and Jenna for acting as session expeditors during this packing session.
On February 4, 2011 the Risk Management Department of Cox Enterprises packed boxes for Project Mail Call as part of their Team Building Program. The group packed 15 boxes that weighed a total of 218 pounds. The boxes will be mailed to 9 Army units and 6 Marine units, all of the boxes going to Afghanistan, except for one box destined for Iraq.
The manager of the group wrote a check to Project Mail Call that more than covered the merchandise and mailing costs.
We thank Holly for her expeditor support and Pam for her Customs paperwork.
We also thank the Cox team for inviting Mary and Ed to join them for pizza at The Mellow Mushroom. It was a special treat to spend time with the team and enjoy some great pizza!
A major milestone was passed on January 22, when the total amount of merchandise mailed by Project Mail Call passed 50,000 pounds. The Hightower Trail DAR and Girl Scout Troop 2583 joined individuals and familes to pack 53 customized boxes weighing 771 pounds, which are now on their way to Afghanistan, Djibouti, Iraq, Pakistan and The Philippines.
In addition to snacks, food staples and toiletries, the 36 volunteers packed coffee makers, pots and pans, kitchen utensils, board games, bedding, sports equipment, and also toys, clothes, shoes and school supplies for orphanages and schools that the US military is supporting in Afghanistan.
We thank Pam, Carleen, Laureen and Holly for being expeditors, and Gayle, Dave and others who restocked after the session. Ed also greatly appreciated Eric who carried most of the 771 pounds of boxes up the stairs to the SUV, and Pam Jenn who filled out customs forms and helped Ed endure the 2.5 hours at the post office.
We would be remiss if we didn't recognize the literally tons of merchandise that Gayle and Dave have donated over the years. They are able to do so because of diligent attention and work collecting ink cartridges, toners and office supply store receipts, which they use together with coupons to obtain large volumes of valuable merchandise. Please consider donating used ink cartridges and toners to Gayle and Dave, who may be contacted at [email protected].
On January 16, Brownie Troop 11427 and their moms, came to learn about Project Mail Call and pack a box for a soldier in Afghanistan. After reading the soldier's letter, each girl, in turn, found items in Project Mail Call inventory until the box was full. With her primary teaching background, Mary makes a fun game out of every aspect of the picking and packing process.
Each girl also brought merchandise with them that the military commonly asks for, and each wrote multiple letters and cards, all of which were included in the box.
On January 9, twenty-eight Girl Scouts and dads from Girl Scout Troop 2597 delivered large volumes of merchandise, including huge amounts of towels, pillows and paper back books. They also brought 229 letters for the soldiers, enclosed with candy in envelopes. This brought the total of letters sent to soldiers to over 10,100 over the past 5 years. The scouts packed 14 boxes weighing 196 pounds destined for military units in Afghanistan and Iraq. Many boxes contained 2-pounds of the 300 pounds of summer sausage Project Mail Call had purchased at WalMart on sale for $1 for each 2-pound sausage.
For a video of the troop's packing session, click HERE.
The first packing session for 2011 was held on January 8, 2011, when girls and their fathers from Girl Scout Troop 2598 delivered merchandise and packed a dozen customized care boxes. The 171 pounds of snacks, toiletries and other merchandise are destined for military units in Ethiopia and Iraq, and very remote locations in Afghanistan.
The troop's packing session was the first to use the expanded Project Mail Call picking shelves and packing tables installed the previous week. The mission workspaces now have 480 square feet of picking shelf area, and 120 square feet of packing table space, within the 1,200 square feet of Project Mail Call basement work spaces.
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PROJECT MAIL CALL,
I am looking for an email address to the Dorothy Summerour Circle to thank them for the package they mailed to me and my Marines. I don't use Facebook or twitter..is there a regular email address I can use?
Thanks for the support!
Posted by: Jeremy Spriggs | 03/18/2011 at 03:09 AM
Jeremy, the easiest way to contact the circle would be to address your letter as follows:
Dorothy Summerour Circle
Mt Bethel United Methodist Church
4385 Lower Roswell Road
Marietta, GA 30068
Posted by: Ettel | 03/30/2011 at 01:11 PM