May is more than a month for celebrating moms and observing Memorial Day.
To underscore this, franchise owners of the Silverton and Stayton Postal Connections, Don and Sue Harteloo, have put together an annual drive similar to others they’ve conducted in the past intending to show some appreciation to overseas military personnel.
According to Military.com, May is National Military Appreciation Month as designated by the U.S. Congress in 1999.
The National Military Appreciation Month websitenotes that this month includes related designations of May 1 as Loyalty
Day, May 8 as VE Day, May 12 as Military Spouse Appreciation Day, May 20 as Armed Forces Day and, finally Memorial Day on May 29.
In a press release issued earlier this month the Harteloos announced “in honor of May being nationally recognized as Military Appreciation Month, Stayton and Silverton’s Postal Connections stores are hosting its second-annual month-long, community-wide donation drive to gather much-needed items for military members serving overseas.”
The business owners conducted a similar drive a year ago, and in February they encouraged community members to send cards and notes overseas as sort of a Valentines Day themed show of appreciation.
Gathering for a care package to Kuwait
Throughout the balance of this month, the local Postal Connections are accepting donations from area residents, businesses and community members to compile “care packages” to be sent to military bases or local military personnel serving abroad.
A provided list of recommended ideas is as follows:
- Healthy snacks (jerky, trail mixes, granola bars and fruit snacks)
- Drink mix packets (Gatorade, lemonade, iced tea and Crystal Light
packets) - Microwavable food (Easy Mac, popcorn, Cup O’Noodles, Chef Boyardee
and oatmeal) - Non-perishable food (tuna cans/packets, fruit cups, peanut butter, Nutella, soups and other canned foods)
- Toiletries (travel-size shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, body wash, wet
wipes and hand sanitizer)
“(Military personnel) work diligently to protect our country, day in and day out, and sometimes without the everyday essentials that they’re used to,” said Postal Connections COO Fred Morache. “In honor of Military Appreciation Month, we wanted to recognize our military members by surprising them with those comforts from home donated by people who appreciate the work they do…”
