TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Club Collects Gifts For Troops Overseas

ADVERTISEMENT

By D'ANN LAWRENCE WHITE, The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 17, 2007

Updated: 11/15/2007 08:11 pm

BRANDON - There was a void in Brandon resident Donna Johnson's holiday season that she couldn't ignore.

Four years ago when her son Senior Airman David Johnson was deployed to Afghanistan with the Air Force she felt compelled to do something to share the holidays with the men and women risking their lives overseas.

She broached the subject with her fellow Brandon Junior Woman's Club members. Some, including Fran Manali, knew how Johnson felt. She has a son in the Marines stationed in Iraq and another in the Army in Okinawa, Japan.

After giving the matter some thought, the club decided to launch Operation Holiday Support.

Starting in October and running through the end of November, the club is collecting items for Brandon area servicemen and women stationed in Afghanistan, Iraq, Japan, Germany and other overseas military bases. The club will send the items, along with letters from Brandon area students, in time to reach the troops for the holidays.

"We just want to boost their morale and let them know that the community is thinking of them," Johnson said. "Last year, we mailed over 300 packages. We received a lot of e-mails and letters from soldiers thanking us, telling us how much they appreciated them."

Among those sharing messages with the military personnel are students at Earl Lennard High School. Guidance counselor Dave Garrison began urging students at the school to write letters and send them through Operation Holiday Support after his nephew was sent to the Mideast on an Army deployment. Since then, several area elementary schools have followed Lennard High's lead.

"The soldiers are really touched by the letters the kids write," Johnson said. "We urge classes to get together and write letters and put together shoeboxes of items to send."

The women also are accepting the names of other servicemen and women stationed overseas who would like to receive packages. So far they have 15 names.

Residents who don't want to shop for individual items can sponsor a shoebox for a soldier by donating $8.95.

The club also is looking for sponsors to help with the cost of postage.

Checks can be made payable to the Brandon Junior Woman's Club, P.O. Box 66, Brandon FL 33509.

"My son gave me an idea of some of the things they'd like to receive," Johnson said. "Some are silly and playful, like Santa hats and candy canes, and others are more useful, like gel insoles and mouthwash."

Other items requested were black socks, shaving gel, hard candy, prepackaged snacks, envelopes and writing paper, disposable cameras, Advil or Tylenol, cold or flu tablets, toothpaste, Clorox wipes, inflatable pillows, travel games, cotton swabs, nonreflective sunglasses, lip balm, deodorant, Febreze, beef jerky, AA batteries, throat lozenges, eye drops, power bars, Pop Tarts, dryer sheets, peanuts, dried fruit and DVDs.

WHERE TO DONATE

Residents can drop off items at the following locations. The Brandon Junior Woman's Club will begin mailing packages at the beginning of December. For information, contact Donna Johnson at (813) 244-4758 or donna07bjwc@aol.com.

•South Shore Group Inc., 16637 FishHawk Blvd., Suite 103, Lithia

•Berg & Wheeler Law Firm, 217 E. Robertson St., Brandon

•Tassel's, 3239 Lithia-Pinecrest Road, Valrico

•The Pottery Patch, 2551 E. State Road 60, Valrico.

Reporter D'Ann Lawrence White can be reached at (813) 657-4524 or dlwhite@tampatrib.com.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT