Connected Through Giving

We just wrapped up the 2008 portion of our military care package program at the City. Over the course of the year, we collected items from employees and sent care packages (using the US Postal Service military care kits) to five soldiers - one employee from our Fire Department and four immediate family members of employees who were in active combat overseas. Our employees are a generous bunch. They donated enough items right off the bat to send out several packages. One employee collected cards from her daughter's third grade class for the soldiers, which they especially liked.

Items collected during our initial care package drive earlier in 2008

I am happy to report that all of the soldiers we sent care packages to are now home, or at least back in the United States. Some are set to be re-deployed, and we will resume sending care packages to those soldiers if/when that occurs. We are also going to use some of our leftover items to send holiday packages to extended family members of employees who weren't part of the regular program, and the rest will be donated to West Des Moines Human Services. It is heartening that even in troubled economic times, people are willing to give to those in need or to those who are working honorably on our behalf.