Mrs. Meredith Kelly- Chairwoman
WELCOME TO "OPERATION STARS & STRIPES"
Update May 2, 2008
To Our Troops!
Our thoughts and prayers are with you and we will not forget you. You live in our hearts everyday and we want to thank you for everything you are doing. It is a sacrifice to be away from your family and friends and we will never forget that. Let us know what you need and don't be shy in asking us for support. We are here for you 24/7, 365 days a year until you come home!
A big "Thank You" goes out to Village President Dave Visk, Trustee, Kathy Bergman and all the Board members who found an empty building for Operation Stars & Stripes to move into just a few blocks from my home. It's even closer to threPost Office! We lost our packing place in October of 2005 and I have been packing at home since that time. I am excited that I can now get in volunteer groups again to help get out alot more care packages. The house is over run with donations and it's hard to keep organized. I should hopefully be moving in next week. This a prayer answered!
My nephew returned home from Iraq a week ago after his 2nd deployment and we are all so happy! Welcome Home Tom! Hopefully, I will get to see him this fall when I make my trip to N. Carolina.
On March 7th , we began our 5th year of support. Donations contiue to come in which is a godsend for our organization. Without all of you we could not continue. I want to thank all of you for your generous donations and for sending us the names of those deployed. I do get backed up on occasion but promise to send packages to all of the addresses and requests I receive.
Remember to keep our men and women in your thoughts and prayers every day!
Meredith
Our organization is supported by General Motors/SPO, Bolingbrook, Illinois, UAW Local Veterans Committee #2114, UAW Local #2114, Region 4 UAW Veterans Women's Round Table and the Region 4 UAW Veterans. This program was started to show our support to the many men and women serving in the Middle East. We felt it important for them to know that besides family members and their friends that "Americans stood United with them, and there are people back home who cared about them.
On March 7th, 2003 we began sending "care boxes" to our military personal serving in Kuwait,Iraq, Afghanistan, Cuba and the Horn of Africa. Care packages have also been sent to S. Korea and Kosovo. Thanks to our many public and private donators,our non profit program has been very successful. With the new deployments of Troops just around the corner we are asking for your help to continue our support.
This program is not about supporting or not supporting the "war", nor is it about being a Republican, Democrat or Liberal. Our mission is to show support for our Troops.
To date, Jan 2008, we have sent over 4000 boxes of toiletries, socks, can goods, snacks and treats. In addition to our weekly "care packages",we have shipped four microwave ovens, 14 coffee pots, 2 crock pots, two mini refridgerators, 2 heavy duty voltage converter, hot plates, cases of linens,towels,toys and school supplies. We have also sent 20 pairs of Tactical gloves, 12 pairs of leather work gloves, ACU shorts and 8 under armor T-shirts. Our latest items were a Suunto X9i -m GPS watch for a communications unti in Afghanistan, and a media computer keyboard for a Combat support hospital in Iraq.
To our Combat Support Hospitals we have been sending boxer shorts,t-shirts, socks, quilts, afghans, laprobes, 80 pairs of flip flops, a wheel chair and toiletries for the wounded as well as items for the Staff. In July 2004, we sent cases of laprobes, quilts,t-shirts,baseball caps,wheelchair and walker bags to our wounded at Walter Reed Hospital in conjunction with "4 the Troops" program run out of Los Angeles, California. Since that time we have also sent to Ft. Lewis in Colorado and Bethesda Naval Hospitals and are currently sending boxes of the same to the the Army Hospital in Lanstuhl, Germany.
We would really appreciate your support and help to get as many "care boxes" out as possible. Each box weighs approximately 15-20 pounds and the cost of postage runs $18.00 to $25.00 per box.
If you have any questions regarding "Operation Stars & Stripes" or would like us to send a care package, please feel free to contact me Meredith Kelly at
johnmeredithk@aol.com
Any cash donations can be sent to:
"OPERATION STARS & STRIPES"
C/O CHARTER ONE BANK
4231 JOLIET AVE
LYONS, ILLINOIS 60534
All donations go to the Troops to purchase items or used for postage. Our group is 100% volunteer and no one receives payment for services rendered.
Please feel free to send us the names of your loved ones serving, and we would be honored to send a care package free of charge.
