New Dorp Businessman Sending Care Packages to Troop
Back when Mike Allen was in the Air Force, care packages from home were “very few and far between.”
So, now, more than 40 years later, Allen is doing his part in sending the comforts he missed so much to the troops.
He is participating in a month-long drive at his Postal Connections franchise in New Dorp to collect food and toiletries for active service members and veterans.
“May is Military Appreciation Month,” said Allen who served in the Air Force Strategic Command from 1971 to 1979. “We need to support our troops.”
Items being collected include beef jerky trail mixes, granola bars and fruit snacks; drink mix packets; microwavable and non-perishable foods, and travel-sized toiletries.
Once the drive ends on May 31, the items will be shipped to military bases across the country by the Postal Connections corporate office.
For Allen, owning a one-stop shipping and mailing center is the perfect connection to those who now wear the nation’s uniform.
Last year, he teamed with Operation Backpack, a national nonprofit which has sent more than 2 million books to active and injured service members and veterans since it was founded in 1999.
He collected more than 4,000 on his own.
“The number was astounding,” he said.
Items for this month’s drive can be dropped off at Postal Connections at 1365 North Railroad Ave. from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays. The store is closed on Sunday.
Additionally, the corporate office has launched a nationwide social media sweepstakes with a chance to win a $100 Visa Gift Card. To enter customers are asked to share a photo of a friend or family member in the military along with a note of appreciation tagged #MilitaryMoments.
For more information, call the store at 718-980-2000.
