Flight Pundit

Remembering the warriors during the holidays…this is awesome:

CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq (Dec. 13, 2005) — The holiday season can be a difficult time for service members who are away from their families. Many organizations send care packages to deployed military personnel to help them cope with the strain that comes along with being separated from their loved ones.

Packages from Home, based in Glendale, Ariz., is one such organization sending packages to deployed Marines and Sailors here this holiday season.

“The mission of Packages from Home is to provide food, personal care and recreation items to our troops,” said David A. Whitten, director of marketing and media relations, Packages from Home. “We are a non-profit charitable organization formed for the sole purpose of providing these items at no cost to the troops.”

Whitten said the organization was formed by a deployed soldier’s mother, who provided needed items for her son and his comrades.

“Packages from Home began as a mother’s labor of love for her son, a soldier with the Army’s 1st Infantry Division,” said Whitten. “Kathleen Lewis’ son Christian was deployed to Iraq in March 2004. As any good mother would do, she began sending care packages to her son on a regular basis. She received a phone call from Christian, and was thanked for all of the comfort items from home, but she also found out that her son was the only soldier in his squad receiving packages from home. At this point, Kathleen decided to adopt his squad, [and] she began shipping packages to the men in his unit.”

Whitten said Lewis, her friends and neighbors gathered for “packing parties,” and sent more items to her son’s squad.

“As the small group of volunteers kept sending packages, more and more people began to get involved,” said Whitten. “In October 2004, the small organization received a call from a local a.m. radio talk show host.”

Whitten said the talk show host invited Lewis to be on his show to talk about her cause.

“After the appearance on his show, her phone lines lit up,” he said.

People flocked to support Lewis’ cause, and they volunteered to donate money, items and their time for the troops, said Whitten.

The group of volunteers, volume of items and donated money grew fast, so Packages from Home registered to become a charitable organization.

“We are an all-volunteer group,” he said. “None of us are paid, [and] no one receives compensation of any sort.”

“Since March 2005 we have averaged shipping 1,000 packages a month to our heroes,” said Whitten. “To date, we estimate we have shipped close to 18,000 care packages to our troops in combat areas of operation.”

Packages From Home website

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