Nov 20, 2006: On Monday, November 20, 2006, Operation: Care and Comfort military care package program will reach a milestone with its 200,000th pound of care packages shipped to our Troops. Since April 2003, this all volunteer program has worked with the community to send a touch of home to our Troops serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other conflict regions. This self funded, grassroots program was founded by three volunteers, Julie DeMaria, Cookie Crissman and Randy Bye, and the program is affiliated with the Santa Clara Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross. Dozens of volunteers of all ages joined Operation: Care and Comfort on Sunday, November 19th, and helped pack approximately 10,000 pounds of care packages to send. These packages will be mailed at the Franklin Post Office in Santa Clara at 9:30 AM, on November 20th and 21st.

Operation: Care and Comfort’s unique program invites members of the community to use their time, talents, and treasure to show our Troops serving in harms way that they are not forgotten. “Our program’s strength is in the fantastic volunteers who have come forward to help in all areas, including fund raising, product donation drives, letter writing campaigns, etc. We are included in the Department of Defense America Supports You program, so folks all over the country contact us with questions regarding supporting our Troops” said Julie DeMaria, Co-founder, Operation: Care and Comfort. “In addition, our Service Members also find us and ask for support for their units, via our web site. We are currently shipping monthly care packages to 60 different military units of all branches, with more on a waiting list.”

Operation: Care and Comfort’s holiday drive began September 1st. On September 30th, TroopFest 2006, an Operation: Care and Comfort troop support rally and benefit concert, was held on board the USS Hornet, drawing thousands of people from all over Northern California. Entertainment included Greg Kihn, Tony Lindsay, and others who all came out to help.

“We are still collecting items, hand written cards and letters, and monetary donations to offset shipping costs of $1 a pound.”Items donated by December 1st will be packed and shipped in time for a Christmas delivery” said DeMaria. For ways to help, please visit www.operationcareandcomfort.org, or phone (408) 373-8635.

About Operation Care and Comfort
Since April 2003, the all-volunteer Operation: Care and Comfort program, unique to the Santa Clara Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross, has shipped over 200,000 pounds of care packages for distribution to Marine, Army, Air Force, Navy, and Coast Guard personnel deployed in conflict regions. Adopted military units receive care packages monthly, until they return home. For more information on this worthy program, please visit: www.operationcareandcomfort.org.

Contact Information:
Julie DeMaria
(408) 373-8635
troopsupport@comcast.net