SUPPORT FOR THE TROOPS
CFPA Salutes Our Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen & Coasties!
OPERATION STUFF-A-STOCKING
DONATIONS TO USO CAN BE MADE HERE!
When we started this program back in 2007, it was considered a one-time Christmas wish with holiday cards & foot powder! Since then, CFPA has committed to an annual display of our support for those who do so much to preserve our way of life. That first shipment was four boxes of food, personal hygiene items, puzzle books and toys sent to 2 service members. Each year, both the amount sent and the number of soldier/recipients has grown!
To ensure the success of our Support the Troops program, CFPA pays for all shipping of the donations received. Heartfelt gratitude goes to the many companies, law firms and individuals who have donated their time, office space, money & goods through the years that have gone so far to make this program the enormous success it has become!
Their sign says “Black Sheep”
Cpl Eddie Roe
Louise M Anderson, LCDR, MSC, USN & Team
Promotion at 9000′
SPC Brandon May
ways you can support our troops
all year long
Something you can do year round to support our service men & women:
Send a troop box: grab a shoe box or any small carton or container and fill it with your admiration, love and support for the men & women who are serving overseas (along with some snacks & other goodies!).
*USPS gives special rates for their large flat rate boxes!
Contrary to popular belief, you cannot send a box to “any soldier”. Items such as those are not shipped and may not be returned to you. There are certain mailing restrictions, some of which are detailed below. If you do not have family or neighbors serving and still want to show your support, you can send to the troops listed below or visit a website such as AnySoldier.com for addresses, wish lists and more detailed mailing instructions & restrictions. Also, AnySoldier.com links to other websites for Marines, Sailors, Airmen and members of the Coast Guard. This is a great community service idea for Boy & Girl Scouts, churches, or any other organization. However, CFPA would like to urge you to support OUR Troop Box Drive each year that sends cards & gifts out to local soldiers from here in the Central Florida area & family members of OUR members.
Suggested items to include in your Troop Box:
International Phone Calling Cards Any sort of food seasoning besides salt & pepper
Hot sauce Velveeta cheese regular size
Cookies individual packs Chips variety packs
Cheese & Crackers Sunflower seeds
Bags of peanuts, cashews Comic books
Gum & Hard candy Thank You Cards
Visine Q-Tips small package
Disposable Cameras Silly string
Wet Wipes Ziplock bags
New or Used CDs & DVDs Current Magazines
*No homemade CDs or DVDs, please
Protein bars Batteries in various sizes
Presweetened powdered drink mix Crystal light (add-to-water drink mixes)
**Sauce packets. Remember, they don’t have anything to flavor their food!
Things to keep in mind when preparing your own Troop Box:
Each country has customs regulations that apply to all incoming mail. These may include prohibitions on certain kinds of food or entertainment products. Host countries mostly prohibit the entry of alcoholic beverages of any kind, narcotics, munitions, pork and pork by-products, pornography, and material contrary to the Islamic religion — even some material that promotes any religions such as religious books and magazines. Letter mail is not being opened unless it appears unusually bulky, officials said, in which case it may be examined to see if it contains contraband, such as drugs. Parcel mail is being examined on a spot-check basis to determine conformity with host country customs regulations and for terrorist-type mailing. Some military units may have additional restrictions imposed by the theater commander, such as size and weight restrictions, to ensure logistics support can handle the mail without delays. The maximum length of a package in any category is 48 inches. Keep in mind when we mail them the packages have to be wrapped securely. Liquid-filled containers tend to break. Powdered items can open during transit causing concern over what kind of substance it is. Please pack the items in sealed plastic bags. Contraband items are confiscated. These include alcohol, tobacco and pornography. Label packages properly and list all contents on the customs labels that you can get at any local post office. Families should not put the country or the base camp’s city on the mail because it might get sent through the host country’s mail system.
CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE USO DIRECTLY
USO donors and partners provide critical support that improves the daily lives of service members and their families. The USO is not a government agency. It relies on supporters like you to fund the programs that make the biggest difference for those who serve.
If you have a family member or friend/neighbor who is serving in the military that you would like to see acknowledged in this space, please contact CFPA at TROOPS@cfpainc.org. Be sure to include your soldier’s name, unit, address and PLEASE! Include photos – unit photos, snapshots from overseas and pics in uniform are especially welcome!