- TO SUPPORT SHOEBOX FOR SOLDIERS - Call Rhonda Luttrull - 417.767.4643 -
THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF THE 2009 CHRISTMAS RUSH! (11/07/09) Because of your efforts with Family Pharmacy, this year we collected 430 Priority Mail boxes, stuffed with requested morale and supply items for our local soldiers serving overseas! Over $3500 was collected to pay for postage, but we could still use your help, as more boxes are arriving daily. Please consider a financial donation to "Shoebox for Soldiers" - call Rhonda Lutrull today! Here are some photos from when we collected your donations to the 2009 KTTS / Operation HERO "Shoebox for Soldiers" Christmas Rush:
YOU CAN STILL SUPPORT "SHOEBOX FOR SOLDIERS" YEAR ROUND - HERE'S HOW: STEP-1
Make a quick shopping trip with the kids, get together with your coworkers, or get your church involved! Rather than an actual "shoebox" - we ask that all participants fill a 12x12x5.5 Priority Mail Box from the U.S. Postal Service with an assortment of the items and gifts listed below...
Clothing - Flip-flops, Army-green socks, Hats, Gloves and Blankets
Healthcare - Tylenol, Tums, Allergy/cold medicine, Gold Bond foot powder, Lotriman Ultra, baby wipes, sun block, Chapstick, deodorant, razors, eye-drops, Ben Gay, Icy Hot, Q-tips (Also consider putting together a supply box for a female soldier)
Snacks – items like beef jerky, dried-fruit, nuts, mixed nuts, granola bars, fruit roll-ups, Ramen noodles, Mac and cheese, tuna in a pouch, gum, mints, powdered drink mixes, nonperishable food items, popcorn kernels (No glass, please!)
Morale - AA and AAA batteries, board games, puzzle books, word search, sudoku, CD's, DVD's disposable cameras, pens and pencils, handheld games
Supply - Duct tape, Electrical tape, Super glue
Include a "Thank You" card in the box
PLEASE - Include $12 postage for each Priority Mail Box
Additional requests from soldiers include:
- Fishing gear, tackle, freshwater bait, hooks and pliers
- New or used electronics...like Nintendo, Wii, Playstation consoles and games
- Musical instruments...smaller items like harmonicas
STEP-2
Deliver your "fully loaded," unsealed Priority Mail boxes to any Family Pharmacy location across the Ozarks! Don't worry about filling out the customs-forms...this is why we ask you to leave the boxes unsealed...our team of volunteers will catalog the contents of each box and fill out the appropriate customs forms for you - then seal your box and send it on.
For a complete list of Family Pharmacy locations, including addresses and phone numbers - follow this link: Leave your postage money with the friendly Family Pharmacy crew, and know that you're putting a smile on the face of a local soldier this Christmas. These men and women sacrifice so much - as do their families - and they ask for very little in return. Imagine what a surprise it will be to receive a package from home, loaded with gifts and supplies, from neighbors and friends who just want to show how much we appreciate their service...Let's make this a memorable Christmas for these heroes who won't be spending the holidays at home with their families!
** Please make checks payable to "Shoebox for Soldiers"
** Call "Shoebox for Soldiers" coordinator Rhonda Lutrull for more information, and to let her know of your support: 417.767.4643
Thank you for supporting "The 4th of July Salute for our Troops" with Family Pharmacy 6/8/09 - Last night, the Shoebox for Soldiers volunteers gathered at the Family Pharmacy Warehouse in Nixa - where we picked up all of the boxes and money YOU contributed with the Spring campaign. We then transported them to Victory Life Church in Rogersville where we prepared the boxes with addresses and customs forms, and got them ready to send! Check it out - 130 APO boxes were collected (thank you for going to the extra effort with this drive!). 130 boxes would cost $1553.50 to send to our local soldiers serving overseas; thanks to your amazing generosity, we also raised $1601.60 to support the postage. THANK YOU FROM "SHOEBOX FOR SOLDIERS! Special thanks to Rhonda Luttrell, Dionne, Papa Bear and Colleen, Karen and Esther, Wade, Jordan, Brianna, Linda, Kim, Justin - plus Brian, Mandy, Lynn and the entire Family Pharmacy "family." We sincerely appreciate all of the support you provide through drop-off locations and infrastructure for the "drives" - You're the best! Here are some photos! - And click here for Andy's "Thank You" to Family Pharmacy, the volunteers and all of our donors! ** Click here for The Morning Show's interviews with SFC Dorsey and PFC Hudson - recipients of your generosity over Christmas! **
THE "SHOEBOX FOR SOLDIERS" STORY: Since her son, PFC Dustin Hudson was deployed to Afghanistan with B-company of the 506th out of Fort Campbell, Kentucky...Rhonda Luttrull has channeled her anxiety into helping Dustin and his fellow soldiers know, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that they are remembered and loved here at home. Whether it's spending time writing several letters or emails a day, or packing her "Shoeboxes for Soldiers," she brought a smile to faces of so many soldiers serving with PFC Hudson's company in Afghanistan. Here's Rhonda, in her own words, 12 July 2008: "My son Dustin graduated from Fordland High School in 2004. He did well in school. He was crowned 'Homecoming King' his Junior year, and the student body president his Senior year. Dustin played some sports - baseball and basketball - and worked in-between it all. But his true passion had always been the Army.He graduated from Fort Benning, Georgia in Julyof 2007. He is stationed at Fort Campbel, Kentucky and has been forward deployed to Afghanistan. As I write this, Dustin has been over there for 3-months, 8-days and 14-hours.
The morning after he left, I felt restless and helpless. I decided to put my nervous energy to work for our soldiers and started calling family members for help sending packages to Dustin. Abut three weeks into it, during one of our phone conversations, Dustin said some of the men in his unit hadn't even heard from home yet. THAT is when I asked my church family to adopta soldier...agreeing to pray, send cards and letters and packages when possible. The Victory Life Church of Rogersville proudly accepted and has been a great support for me and soldiers stationed in bothIraq and Afghanistan. At this time, we have 20-soldiers adopted-out...each has received 2 packages, one filled with toiletries and the other snacks. My goal is to expand and keep this as an ongoing project...after all, the need will always be there until they ALL come home. Dustin has since returned from Afghanistan...and with the incredible success of the "Christmas Rush" campaign, Shoebox for Soldiers endures - thanks to your compassion and support.
KTTS Operation Hero "Shoebox for Soldiers Christmas Rush 2008!"
Thanks to your efforts in October of 2008, we collected over a thousand shoeboxes and filled 325 Priority Mail "APO" boxes, stuffed with supplies, to Afghanistan, Iraq and Kosovo! A very special THANK YOU to Family Pharmacy, for providing the drop-off locations, transportation of the shoeboxes, warehouse space and priceless manpower. Thanks as well to Romano's Macaroni Grill for providing a location and FABULOUS meal for our Shoebox volunteers on "Collection Day," October 24th... - Click here and listen to Andy's interview with Rhonda from October 6th - - Click here to listen to Andy's interview with Rhonda from August 6th -
Here are some photos featuring our wonderful volunteers with the Christmas Rush 2008: Shoebox for Soldiers Coordinator Rhonda Luttrell Ozark Cub Scout Jason Carrico - who mobilized Pack 1890 to help! The Cub Scouts with Andy and Lynn Morris from Family Pharmacy Look at all of those Priority Mail boxes packed with your supplies! Springfield Postmaster Bill Brayman stopped to help, while Andy taped... Your generosity was AMAZING! How are we going to pay for all of this postage?! Keep packing those boxes with more shoeboxes and supplies, Colleen!