Give Troops Some Joy For The Holiday

Ornaments, greeting cards, candy canes and toys will be added to the usual list of snacks and toiletries included in each box sent overseas to U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Volunteers are asked to arrive between 11-11:30 a.m. to register; packing will begin at noon and will conclude by 2 p.m. Girl Scout and Boy Scout troops are encouraged to participate; all youth groups must be accompanied by adult leaders.
The VFW building is at 600 Washington Ave.
Volunteers are needed to help pack and tape boxes for shipping, as well as affix address and U.S. Customs forms to each package. Participants are also invited to write letters to the soldiers and Marines and place them in the boxes being shipped.
Packers will select items from 50 bins containing snacks, toiletries and personal items; special items to be included in this shipping are thousands of boxes of donated Girl Scout cookies from troops in the Rolling Hills Council and stuffed animals from several donors.
Thousands of cards and letters with greetings from school children throughout Central New Jersey will also be included.
Lunch and refreshments will be provided.
Volunteers who attend are asked to please bring items included on the shopping list, which can be found on the Operation Shoebox New Jersey web site -- www.opshoeboxnj.org -- by clicking on the "Items Needed" link. Donated items will be sorted and included in this shipping.
Volunteers are also asked to help defray the cost of shipping each package sent overseas. Postage for each package shipped via the United States Postal Service is $8.95 (Flat Rate).
Operation Shoebox New Jersey is a registered non-profit New Jersey corporation; all donations are tax deductible.
Also needed are the names and addresses of service men and women who are serving in the Mideast which will be added to the shipping list.
Help Operation Shoebox New Jersey celebrate two years of service, and help honor the sacrifices of U.S. troops serving overseas; since February, 2005, volunteers have shipped over 12,000 packages to U.S. military personnel.
Pre-registation for groups and individuals is requested; please fill out the pre-registration form found on the web site's "Contact Us" link.
Call (908) 698-0333 for further information.