Local Community Groups Join Forces To Ship Care Packages To Troops

On Saturday and Sunday over 350 Volunteers cam together to ship care packages to deployed troops at Amvets Post 66 in Wheeling. The event was hosted by a local community group called Help USA Troops who worked along with members of Amvets Post 66 and VFW Post 981 of Arlington Heights. The event was a 6-month effort of gathering community support, raising funds, collecting goods and then finding enough volunteers to ship 1200 care packages to deployed troops.

1200 is the all-time record for the group. "We could NOT do this without the support of the community". Dawn Hedrick is president of Help USA Troops and along with others worked tirelessly to make this happen. There were many more people involved behind the scenes as many scouting, church groups and community groups collected and helped as well. The event was so successful despite light rain the volunteers would exit the building in one door and come in another entrance to pack and ship. The group hopes to do this again next year in April as well. The shipping costs alone run almost $20,000 and the process will start again in a few months. Since 2011 Help USA Troops has shipped almost 6000 care packages and is shipping about 20% more each year. The group wishes to thank the more than 350 volunteers that made the event possible and hopes to do more next year.

Help USA Troops is a registered charity and can be reached at www.helpusatroops.com. The group was founded in memory of Lcpl James Stack who was killed in action in Afghanistan in 2010. James' family and friends are active in the efforts. Donations of time and money are gladly accepted. This year's drive is closed and left-over items or items that could not be shipped will be donated to local Vet groups who assist the needy.