At a Glance
What: Give 2 The Troops Oregon/Washington Branch Packing Party
Where: Albany, OR
Who can help: Anyone who wishes to actively support the troops
Contact: Sharon Crary, Director
Email: Scrary@give2thetroops.org
Website: give2thetroops.org
"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 non-profit organization that sends care packages to deployed troops.
On October 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 says 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 followup 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.
Crary says she accepted the director position because she felt an 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, chic 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 help 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.
OSU 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.
IN PHOTOS:
1st picture: Larry Schmale and Nancy Sacks filling bags for unit member.
2nd picture: Marilyn Girdler writing personal notes to go with each bag.
3rd picture: Director Sharon Crary (l) and Nancy Sacks combining personalized cards and stationary with packages prepared by Schmale and Sacks.
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