If you’re fighting overseas in Iraq or Afghanistan, it’s not like you can leave your barracks and simply walk to a WaWa on the edge of your basecamp and pick up a stick of deodorant or grab a box of granola bars.
Items like these, which can be found at almost any store in Evesham Township, are in high demand by our soldiers. As such, the Yellow Ribbon Club and its members are stepping up this weekend to gather as many items as they possibly can to ship overseas to the brave men and women fighting to protect our freedom.
Representatives of the Yellow Ribbon Club will be out at the Super Fresh on 101 E. Rt. 70 on Sunday, March 25, to help support the troops. The program will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. It’s the first of two drives that are schedule for the next several months.
Some of the brave men and women serving in Afghanistan are in remote areas with limited supplies and don’t have access to such items as boxed soups, Tastykakes, cookies, candies and simple hygiene supplies such as shaving items, body and foot power and deodorant.
There will be short lists of items at the entrance of the store shoppers can pick up while going into the supermarket. The YRC is asking shoppers to purchase an extra item or two during their time in the store and donate the items to the YRC.
The club will box the items up and then ship them overseas to various bases and soldiers.
The YRC members will be give donors a large yellow bow in exchange for the donated items, while supplies last.
“We have been at war for a long time now. We are all guilty in some fashion of living our lives, day by day, without thinking of what is going on over there and how we have Americans protecting our ways of life — but are in harm’s way,” YRC member David Silver said. “As we get to come home from work, play with our children, and tuck them into bed, we have American families making huge sacrifices while their moms, dads, sons, daughters, brothers and sisters are deployed so we as Americans can have the opportunity to live our lives in the aforementioned way. What a gift it is to be able to use the very freedom our U.S. Armed Forces provide by choosing to support them by simply picking up one or more items while shopping and dropping it off in exchange for a yellow ribbon.”
Last year the YRC collected more than 28,000 pounds — more than 14-tons worth — of items to send to soldiers overseas.
Why not take some time and pick up an item or two to brighten the day of a soldier representing the country?
“What better way to enjoy and exercise your freedom by doing something as simple as picking up a box of Tastykakes and sending it to someone deployed in Afghanistan to let them know that they are not forgotten and we are grateful for the freedom and way of live we are provided,” Silver said.
The YRC consists of volunteers that include mothers, fathers, and others with family members in the U.S. military forces serving or have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Other volunteers include those who do not have family members serving but are very patriotic towards their country and to those who are sacrificing to serve. The Yellow Ribbon Club does multiple things to support the troops including sending care packages overseas and help to promote and foster welcoming home events for local veterans in grand fashion.
For more information on the event or the YRC, please visit the group’s website at www.yellowribbonclub.org.
