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Treats for the troops

The Commuter

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Director Sharon Crary (left) and Nancy Sacks combine personalized cards with packages

By Alethea Skinner

“Supporting the troops is more than slapping a sticker on the
back of your car!”

Spoken by Director Sharon Crary, these words are demonstrated in her leadership of the Oregon/Washington branch of Give 2 the Troops (G2TT), a nonprofit organization that sends care packages to deployed troops.

On Oct. 15, they hosted one of two October “packing parties” at their Albany location. While only four attended this party – Crary, Nancy Sacks, Larry Schmale and Marilyn Girdler – they created the energy of a dozen as
they packed boxes for a troop from Dallas, Oregon.

Like Crary, Sacks and Schmale are also parents of active duty service personnel, and their commitment indicates that they also understand the true meaning of troop support.

After setup was completed, Schmale and Sacks formed an
assembly team and bagged candy, toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss,
mouthwash, hand sanitizer, lip balm, cards, stationary and a handwritten
note.

For Sacks, step-mom to a newly-deployed Navy SEAL,
packing parties are the way to learn what to do when while her stepson
is deployed. She says she finds it helpful to be with others who have
already had the experience.

Girdler has no family members deployed but she participated in this packing party because she “just wanted to do something.” While others bustled around her filling bags and boxes, she sat carefully composing thank you notes as if writing a cherished family member or friend.

The driving force behind the Oregon/Washington branch,
however, is Crary who said she always believed in supporting the
troops, but the most she actually ever did to support them was “send
something” to a friend’s son. She needed to do something
else. That something else appeared in the form of a request from her son,
Preston, when his unit deployed to Iraq.

Suffering from the sweltering desert heat and longing for
something cold, he thought a frozen drink machine would be a solution;
his chaplain agreed. “My mom can get you one!”
her son assured him, and the request was made.

By the end of the month Crary had contacted the Washington
branch of G2TT. As a result, four ICEE machines were shipped to
different locations – one a donation from the ICEE Company.
Operation ICEE Treat was born; Crary had found “something
else to do.” For two years she managed that operation since the follow-up request was for more drink mix.

When the director of the Washington branch retired after five
years of service, Crary, by then a seasoned member of the team, was
asked to take over. In doing so, they packed and moved the operation to
Oregon.

According to Crary, she accepted the director position
because she felt the operation needed to remain on the west coast and
brought it to Oregon because so many troops deploy from this state.
Crary also says said she wanted G2TT here as a way for local parents
to get support they need.

“When your child is deployed, you feel so alone, isolated and helpless.” Working with G2TT, parents get that support. It really is a good organization; they do things well and they don’t send shoddy things,” Crary said.

In fact, Crary sends nothing that she would not send to her son.

“Packing Parties” are driven by unit request. “We ship whatever they request,” Crary said, “which has even included wrestling mats, baseballs and gloves, and golf
equipment.”

The smallest unit they supported consisted of six
sailors who requested items for a local orphanage where they
volunteered.

Crary said, “We sent boxes of baby items to that unit, and a primarily female unit Received magazines and books for women, chick flicks, and other ‘girlie’ things.”

While the nationwide branches of G2TT receive
support from across the country and around the world, the Oregon/
Washington branch boasts of having received donations from as far away as Chicago -“Starbucks sent coffee.”

Still, Crary makes the G2TT Oregon/Washington branch a part of
this community.

As long as troops are deployed, donations and assistance
will be needed and Crary says there are several ways everyone can help.
Donations can be made at the US Army Recruiting Center and Mid-
Willamette YMCA.
Oregon State University students will join the students of
Washington State University and University of Washington, who have
already held donation drives, by hosting their own drive during the
week of Veterans’ Day.

“Do what you can do,” Crary says. “Whatever your hot button is,
do that. Write notes, pack boxes, host a fundraiser or donation drive. Or help financially – every box that is shipped must be paid for.”

Crary also said no one should feel badly for “only signing a piece
of paper.” One such piece of paper “paid the $200 cost of shipping
boxes to 125 troops.” Recent shipments from
Arizona and Petaluma, California, combined with local contributions
(11 boxes of much-needed books from Friends of the Library and
1500 theater-sized boxes of candy) necessitated the rental of additional
storage space.

The Oregon/Washington branch is currently searching for a new facility, hoping that someone with a vacant building needs to make
a charitable contribution this year, Crary says.

The G2TT Oregon/ Washington branch demonstrate for
this community the national G2TT slogan: “Our troops need to know
that we support and appreciate the sacrifices they make for us, our
families, and our future. This is about giving back to those who give
all.”

Comment

This extremely well written, informative article is a must-read by all Americans! I’ve forwarded this to my entire contact list and ask for them to do the same. Keep these articles coming Ms Skinner!

— Leontene Bell · Nov 18, 02:09 AM · #

Commenting is closed for this article.