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Boxes For Soldiers: 'The call was answered'

| 14 Dec 2017 | 02:37
    Provided photo Boxes For Soldiers put out the call for items to be included in holiday care packages for our troops serving overseas. Donations came pouring in to our collection locations. Over the course of the week after Thanksgiving, volunteers helped sort, pre-package and package up the boxes. The care packages were shipped as of Dec. 6. The grand total of packages was 227 boxes. Pictured here are some of those packages be ready to mail at the Warwick Post Office.
    Provided photo Boxes For Soldiers put out the call for items to be included in holiday care packages for our troops serving overseas. Donations came pouring in to our collection locations. Over the course of the week after Thanksgiving, volunteers helped sort, pre-package and package up the boxes. The care packages were shipped as of Dec. 6. The grand total of packages was 227 boxes. Pictured here are some of those packages be ready to mail at the Warwick Post Office.

What a wonderful community we have. Boxes For Soldiers put out the call for items to be included in holiday care packages for our troops serving overseas, and the call was answered.
Donations came pouring in to our collection locations, including the Albert Wisner Public Library. Over the course of the week after Thanksgiving, volunteers helped sort, pre-package and package up the boxes. The care packages were shipped as of Dec. 6. The grand total of care packages was an incredible 227 boxes.
So many people provided assistance and support along the way- we couldn’t have done it without them. Every donation was appreciated, no matter how big or small. We’d especially like to thank the following people:
• Ron Hennel and Warwick’s American Legion for their support and for providing a location to store and pack items.
• Tony Vela of Vela Advertising, Warwick, for creating the Boxes For Soldiers logo and advertising materials.
• Albert Wisner Public Library's Rosemary Cooper, Kathleen Georgalas and Teresa Vela-Hayes for their wonderful support of our mission and for serving as a collection location.
• Dr. Owen McShane for his generous donation of dental supplies.
• Park Avenue Elementary (Warwick), Chester Academy (Chester) and Scotchtown Elementary (Goshen) teachers and students for writing letters that were included in the boxes.
• Christina Taylor’s Sanfordville Elementary kindergarten class for its donation of candy.
• Tammy Rhein of the Orange County Department of Mental Health and O.C. Department of Social Services, as well as her boy scout pack for soliciting donations on our behalf.
• Paul Gatt and the knitters at Stewart Air National Guard base who provided 100 hand-knit hats for inclusion in the boxes and who provided packing assistance.
• A platoon of volunteers who helped sort, pack, carry boxes, solicit donations, fill out Customs forms and more. Your work was essential, no matter how large or small the task.
• Donors who made cash contributions to help defray the cost of shipping the care packages.
• The businesses that served as a collection point: Farmers Insurance offices in Chester and Middletown; Anew Dawn Hair Studio, Middletown; Capelli Sport Center, Florida; Chester Fit Body, Chester; DKI Restoration, New Hampton; Gurda, Brady Law, Middletown; Woodbury Senior Center, Highland Mills; Farmers Insurance, Saratoga Springs.
• Greg Landolfo and Mariah Fortune for the donation of the cardboard boxes and packing materials.
• Larry Neumann and the amazing people at the Hudson Valley Veterans Task Force who do exceptional work every day on behalf of our veterans.
• Bo and Meaghan Kennedy for their support, including carting away our recyclables.
• Warwick Postmaster Jose Velez and clerk Josie for making a special effort to process the boxes in a timely manner.
Our 227 care packages will be distributed to soldiers who might not otherwise receive a package this holiday season. Please know that your donation will be much appreciated by the soldier who opens an unexpected package filled with goodies of all sorts.
What started as one soldier’s act of kindness toward my deceased son Kevin has touched more lives than we could have imagined. Thank you all.
With gratitude,
Kendall Kless
Rob Bowen
Warwick