Fox Valley Troop Support needs your help

Do you know someone deployed from the Fox Valley area?

With the nation at war, the local troops need to be assured that the folks back home unconditionally support them. Fox Valley Troop Support is a group of patriotic citizens whose mission is supporting the local troops with letters of encouragement and care packages for service members who are deployed around the globe.

Many local troops have already deployed and many are preparing for an upcoming deployment and will be away from their loved ones during the summer months. Here is how you can help a deployed service member receive a little bit of cheer from the folks back home.

Fox Valley Troop Support Inc. has partnered with the Batavia Veterans of Foreign Wars, 652 S. River St., Batavia. From 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, May 13, they will be dropping off donations and sorting. On Saturday, May 14, care packages will be prepared, inspected and sealed from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

If your service organization would like to collect items for care packages; organize a fund drive to help defray the expensive postal rates ($12.95 to send one USPS APO flat rate box); or if you have an idea how you can help, contact FVTS co-chairs Sarah Giachino at (630) 587-3789 or sarah@fvts.org, or Kathy Tobusch at (630) 937-4181 or kathy@fvts.org.

Information on tips for letter writing/care package suggestions and updates can also be followed at www.fvts.org, on Twitter@FoxValleyTroops and Facebook page: FoxValleyTroopSupport.

To add a deployed member to the care package list, include name, rank, unit address, including APO or FPO. They also need their approximate month of return from deployment. Care packages usually arrive overseas in approximately two weeks.