I need ideas for raising money and for carepackages to send to Marines in Iraq?
469312
Your first move is to contact an organization that knows what to do.  I would suggest you locate a local USO, if there is one nearby.  \nIf you do not get any help there, here is a web site that matches 'any-soldier' type donations with  real recipients, since the military discourages unaddressed gifts.\nhttp://www.anysoldier.com/index.cfm
820319
Here is a website that contains addresses of soldiers in Iraq and Afganistan. Not all soldiers have internet access. Many of them are out in the middle of no-where. But they deeply appreciate receiving packages. And with Christmas approaching what better way to support our troops than by sending them a box filled with homemade cookies, candy, and small gifts? Here is the website where you can contact our troops.\n\nhttp://anysoldier.com/WhereToSend/
441958
Operation USO Care Package\n \n\nOperation USO Care Package enables individuals to express their support for our troops by sponsoring a Care Package and including a personal message. USO Care Packages are distributed to boost morale among troops participating in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. The care packages contain an assortment of items that our military have specifically requested, such as prepaid international calling cards, disposable cameras, toiletries and entertainment items. A USO Care Package can be purchased for a service member when a $25 donation is made.\n\n \nContribute to Operation USO Care Package at www.usocares.org \n\nYou can also just contact your local USO http://www.uso.org/whatwedo/specialprograms/default.htm\nand tell them that you want to be a Pen-Pal and they can give you more information.\nAll the best;
623618
volunteer to go to iraq. they'll hook you up
422026
If you are going to be sending heavy items like shampoo then I would suggest getting a flat rate box from the post office. They cost 8 dollars I believe but there is no weight limit. Before the flat rate boxes it was costing me 15 -20 dollars just to send one package. Also don't send phone cards because the military has a contract with att and they can buy min. over there a lot cheaper than any phone card you will send. I would suggest send DVDs(Target sometimes has them on sale for ten dollars), books, magazines( Cars, maxium, mens health, etc.). Cookies but they should be store bought. I always like to send seasonal items like Easter candy too. If you know what kind of music he likes then send him the newest music Cd's.  That's what I call music Cd's are nice because they have a little bit of everything. That's all I can think of right now.
195222
Marine Memorabilia\nBargain Prices. Smart Deals. Shop for Shop Gear!\nSponsored by: Shopzilla.com\n\nMarine Corps\nJewelry, Beads & Accessories Marine Corps Deals\nSponsored by: stores.ebay.com/FindingKing/  [Found on Ads by Google] \n\n US Marine Corps items\nIdeal place for US Marines items Shirts, caps, flags, and more\nSponsored by: www.soldiercity.com/  [Found on Ads by Google, MIVA] \n\n Marine Corp\nFind out how you can serve. Get free info here. No obligation.\nSponsored by: www.military.com/  [Found on LookSmart]
839010
now this I can help you with...I put 8 years in the Navy...5 of those on ships out to sea.\n\nBooks, find books...Not sure if he likes to read but he can trade them or give them away.\n\nCandy: Send hard candy like jolly ranchers\nmagazines are good. \n****Most Important a note from you and your friends family etc...Not just telling him but the whole SHIP great job.\nI recieved a package much like yours from a Man in California he got a bunch of people to sign a SuperBowl 2003 tee-shirt saying wish you were here and best of luck. I still have that tee-shirt.\n\nMusic cds are good too. but most have a collection out there lol\nThose little debbie oatmeal pies...I sold a box of those once for 40 bucks LOL...\n\ni will reply more in a few.
550722
Do fundraisers.  Our church collects soda cans and it got us like $500.  Good Luck.
500624
There are many potential sources.  I think your largest cost will be shipping.  Consider contacting groups like Goodwill or Salvation Army.  Many people in the U.S. donate clothes to these charitable organizations, who then resell them to support their missions.
205883
Get everyone involved call your friends and neighbors to help with the benefit. Give everyone something to do. Set a date. Make poster. You need to call your local business and ask for donation and tell them what you are doing. Have your local news paper to advertise for free.  Have a raffle on something that one of the stores give you. If you can get a florist to donate a plant you could raffle it off.  Me and two of my friends had a befit for a small boy in our home town and raised over $3000.00 We used a vacated lot  and had a huge yard sale and had all kind of activities for kids and adults to do. We even had a local band to preform and Pepsi donate a drink machine. Ask the fire department and police to get involved. Ask them to let the kids look at the trucks and cars.We even got our med helicopter to land and it was a big hit. Have a bake sale. Have someone to sell hamburgers and hot dogs. Don't be afraid to ask for help. Tell the business's you will advertise their name on what ever they donated. And have fun. Good Luck
340029
Try a local community bank, real estate office,auto dealership, factory, or other very visible community business.We did this for a charity event. The sponsor(s) will want to see their name plastered on everything.Ask if they have a banner or something that you can display during games.Do not display anything for free. Get a corporate logo on pdf file & make sure all newsletters, forms, correspondence, etc. you send has their logo on it. Good luck.Big box stores(Lowe's,Walmart,some grocery stores can often help out w/ small amounts, $100.00 or so, and will often donate gift cards. Have you thought about a raffle?
509338
I'm active USMC.  try anymarine.com, anysailor.com, anysoldier.com and anyairman.com.  They support the military deployed to Iraq and other war zones.  They would have some great ideas for how to get in contact with people overthere.
207133
Troops involved in any combat situation have the privelage of free postage. Does not matter if it is a letter or a small package. You can chizzle something on a rock and put an address on it and it WILL get delivered.\n\n:o)\nHope that helps\n\nCPL. Howitzer, USMC
896822
My son has been in Iraq twice now and i know how tough it can be on the home front. God bless you and your family, and Thank You for all that you are sacrificing for us. \nBeings it is after the 13th of Nov. {the date we are supposed to get things mailed for Christmas } it might take longer than the expected week and a half. You might be better off sending packaged goodies, the commercial preservatives are better than what we can use at home. Here are some things i have mailed and had good results with...Oatmeal, or chocolate chip cookies do really well in the mail if you put them inside of a pringles can. Those "disposable" tupperware bowls are inexpensive and work to keep things airtight and fresh too. Divinity, and homemade fudge keep very well if airtight, so will rice krispie treats. Put layers of waxed paper in between, or individually wrap each piece. Carmel corn is always a winner too, and can be sent in a ziplock baggie. Make sure that the box you send everything is packed tight so things don't end up breaking to pieces in the mail, i use dry popcorn, or new socks to fill the spaces. Hope that this is helpful for you.
297379
Before you send her anything ask her. She more than likely has a good PX nearby with all the good stuff she can buy (at limited quantities). If her First Sergeant is worth anything he or she will get a few comforts. Mine got porcellin toilets and ice cream and I was happy. In addition to the other things suggested here I would also include stamps, pictures of the family, news clippings from home, music and fem hyg items.
207666
Care packages are really the best! Try and get the name of a contact in her division, they can give you a list of things to send like calling cards, eye drops, lip balm, soap, a favorite candy (not one that will melt!), books, batteries, magazines, baby wipes, etc. They can also know if you need to package it in a certain way. Include as much as you can, there are lots of soldiers that have no one to send them things.\n\nYou could also start her class with letter writing. When my dad was in Iraq while I was in 2nd grade (in the early 90's), we wrote letters every other week I think. He said it really helped keep everyones spirits up to get mail, especially the guys who never had anyone write them.
836813
I am totally against the war in Iraq, but I have spent a lot of time over the last couple of years packaging up care packages for the holidays to send to them.\n\nDon't worry too much about lunatics that make those kinds of remarks.  We can all feel what we feel about the war itself, but the fact is that many of our soldiers are over there actually making life better for some of the Iraqis.  \n\nWhat I did was I scoured the paper for articles about local family members with loved ones overseas.  At this time of year, there are a lot of personal interest stories, since many of these families will be spending their 3rd or more Christmas without their loved one.  I'd then go to the phone book or 411 and get the phone number for the family.  I'd introduce myself and tell them what I wanted to do.  They would give me the name and address of their soldier and I'd send a care package.\n\nYou could also call a military base near you and ask if they have a "clearinghouse" for holiday cards.  They may have something set up where you can take the card/package there and then they'll forward it.\n\nI also asked around at my church.  Many many people there either had family or knew people who had family overseas.  They're a great wealth of knowledge.\n\nIn Tampa we have a group that does shoeboxes - people take a shoebox, fill it with everything from toothbrushes to Visine and take it to the Shoebox headquarters.  Those shoeboxes are then sent over to the troops.\n\nIf you're interested, a great shoebox would have:\n\nDiaper rash ointment\nVisine\nHard candy\nCrystal Light\nMagazine(s)\nSomething from your hometown (a city guide brochure, postcard, whatever)\nA picture of you and your family\nMoisturizer\nGum\nA restaurant gift certificate for when they come home\nCDs \nA handwritten message\nBaby powder\nSoap\nToothpaste\nToothbrush\n\nUse your imagination!  Imagine yourself stranded in an awful, hot, sandy place with nothing to do - what would you like to get? \n\nJust remember, cookies will be shattered to pieces by the time they get there and chocolate will have melted.  Try to keep any treats to hard candys, Twizzlers, gum and stuff like that.\n\nGood for you.  Regardless of your feelings about the war, many of the men and women over there are good, kind and decent human beings.  It means the world to them to get something - even just a card - to let them know they're remembered.\n\nIt was really cool - I sent this HUGE care package to a young man who was a platoon leader - I wrote him a note saying that he was to "play Santa" with the box and hand the stuff out to his buddies.  I had gotten his name from the paper, contacted his mom and gotten the address (I stood up at church one day and asked people to bring stuff for the box - and BOY DID THEY!!).  Anyway, several months later, I got a phone call from a local reporter.  This young man's mom had called him when I did the package and told the reporter about me.  \n\nIt turns out that the young man was coming home, LOL, and the reporter wanted to arrange a meeting between us :)  So, we met at my church and they did a little 60-second segment on the meeting.  It was very cool :)  It was nice to meet the young man and know that the stuff that was sent was needed and appreciated.\n\nIt does make a difference :)