The American Red Cross have been collecting snacks and toiletry items for troops and veterans for many years. They started as holiday program and then started sending items to deployed National Guard soldiers year round many years ago. The USA has a number of troops deployed and many are in rural areas across the world, and the American Red Cross uses those donations to help build morale of the brave men and women serving overseas. They can’t just run to the store to pick up basic necessities, so the Red Cross is there to help. It lets the troops know that the folks in Virginia are thinking about them.
Spokesperson for the Service to Armed Forces Committee of the American Red Cross, Patti Wilson explains the process:
Many of the snacks being collected until next week will go to support troop movements at local military installations in Virginia. We have Red Cross volunteers posted across installations in several locations to support thousands of service members during troop movements. As a service member processes through the line, he/she is given a holiday card, coffee, hot chocolate, bottles of water and a snack. Most of this activity happens overnight.
Much of what is collected the snacks being collected until the end of next week, December 16th.
Items you may wish to send are,
Some of the most requested items include:
Rice Krispy treats
Slim Jims
Beef Jerky
Cookies/Crackers
Pop Tarts
Granola Bars
Gum
Canned meats/tuna
Bagged chips/pretzels/popcorn/peanuts
Give what you can, and you can drop off the items at the American Red Cross Center in Roanoke at 352 Church Ave. SW.
Go to Redcross.org for more information.
