Create Holiday Greetings for Deployed Soldiers
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 22, 2010) — Brighten a deployed soldier's holiday season by creating greeting cards and care packages with the University of Kentucky HOMEFRONT Intiative Tuesday, Nov. 23 from 2 to 4 p.m. in room 063 of Dickey Hall.
The care packages will include various items like socks, pillowcases, microwave popcorn and granola bars that will be shipped to soldiers who are having to spend the holidays in Iraq or Afghanistan.
"Even the smallest gesture will bring a smile to the faces of our sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, fathers and mothers who are selflessly serving to ensure freedom for so many," said Laurie Henry, assistant professor in the UK College of Education. Please take a few moments out of your day to show your support for our troops serving in Afghanistan and Iraq."
HOMEFRONT, which stands for "Honoring Our Military through Education: Flexible Recruitment of New Teachers," is a program that began in the college's P20 Innovation Lab. As part of the lab's College and Career Readiness mini-lab, the HOMEFRONT Initiative is designed to focus on the recruitment of new teachers through federally funded programs, such as Troops to Teachers, to attract active duty and military veterans beginning or continuing with their college education.
Whether you want to help assemble packages, or just drop items off, any and all efforts are welcome.
Items for care packages may include:
Single serving sizes of chips, pretzels, and other snack foods
Gum and mints
Slim Jims and Jerky
Dry Cereal
Easy Mac
Microwave Popcorn
Granola and Power bars
Instant Soup
Single serve drink mix to add to bottled water
Nuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds
Condiment packages (ketchup, mustard, etc.)
Chapstick and Lip balm
Hand/baby wipes (packets, not tubs)
Paperback books
Socks
Twin size sheet sets
Pillow cases
Miniature foam footballs, basketballs, hacky sacks, and playing cards.
Donations may also be dropped off in rooms 335 of Dickey Hall and 131 of the Taylor Education building until Monday, Nov. 29.
For more information, contact Laurie Henry at LaurieHenry@uky.edu.