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Our most pressing need is Marines
and National Guard members who have been sent to Afghanistan (where the worst of the
fighting is taking place). They are stationed deep in enemy territory
where we haven't been before. The only water and supplies they have is
what they can carry in on their backs. When they finally get a break and
can receive mail from home, we want them to find care packages overflowing with
snacks, hygiene items, DVD's and CD's, Oreos, SOCKS!! and other needed items.
But, most of all, we want them to experience the love we'll be tucking inside
along with cooling ties and other items. We'll be sending out extra boxes to
the Marines in Afghanistan this week in addition to the 50-100 packages we normally send. That's $400-$900 in postage and that's to send out EMPTY boxes, it also takes MORE money to fill them so....we need YOUR help. If you can help us with ANY amount, it will be very
much appreciated. Please scroll down for the mailing address or PayPal link.
Thank you
for having a HUGe heart for some of America's finest young men and women.
This young Marine weighs 145 pounds and the pack he carries (because he's a
mortar man) weighs more than 120 pounds. He must stop every couple dozen
steps or so and bend to the waist to take some of the pressure off his back. Can
you even imagine? This American serviceman volunteered to do this job in
order to ensure MY safety and yours. Please help us meet his needs by
sending in a donation today.
The Hugs Project, started May, 2004 in Oklahoma by Ray and Karen Stark, is a non profit 501 C 3 organization. We were the first ones to send cool ties (affectionately nicknamed "hugs" since they go around the neck) to the Middle East. We recognized the need to help keep American Troops and our allies cool during the summer and warm during the winter. Our dedicated group also sends care packages and other handmade items to our Service Men and Women. This is our way of saying, "Thank you, we respect you and appreciate everything you do for our Country. Thanks for protecting our freedoms".
The Hugs Project has members in every state and 53 foreign countries. The OKC group meets three times a week in the Oklahoma City area (W, Th and Sat from 10-4), but we are constantly growing and now have "group hugs" in many other cities. We have active groups in Atlanta, GA; Sacramento, CA; Boring, OR; Austin, TX; Kansas City, MO; Elkhart, IN; Longmont, CO; Paducah, KY; and more cities have groups forming right now.
We consider it an honor to be able to help
some of America's finest men and women serving in our Military.
Our hope is that every American citizen in the Middle East can
receive a "hug from home". They are really easy to make and our
troops over in the sandbox love them, along with all the goodies
we send them.
Our group has sent out over
1 MILLION
"hugs", 250,000 "kisses" (helmet coolers), and more than 400 TONS of care package
items. We are committed to improving quality of life for our
dedicated U.S. Military Troops.
Temperatures
top 140 (that's NOT a typo) degrees in summer so our main emphasis
is writing LOTS of supportive letters and making cooling ties (we
affectionately call them "hugs" because they go around the neck
and all our troops deserve a hug) that can reduce body temp by
5+ degrees. Hugs can save our men and women from heat stroke
deaths. In the winter months, it can drop to -20 to -40 in the mountains of Afghanistan so warm gear is needed then. If you would
like to help us meet the needs of our outstanding military men
and women (and civilians) in harm's way, please contact Karen
at:
TheHugsProject(at)cox.net
for ideas about how you can help or to request packages and hugs for someone you know. We hope you will
consider participating in our present and in their future. And
if you can't sew, knit or crochet, we have other things with
which you can help.
FOR THE TROOPS
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Someone recently expressed
surprise that the post office or the military isn't delivering these
care packages to the troops for free. They didn't realize that every box
The Hugs Project sends costs us between $12.95 and $40 for postage. But,
that's the way it is...we get no help on shipping from the military and
the post office wants to be paid. We are a grassroots organization and
only exist because of the generous donations of patriotic people like
you. Your donations are tax deductible. Thanks to Crossroad's Mall in
Oklahoma City, we pay NO rent or utilities; also, we take NO
salaries....All money donated goes directly toward materials, supplies,
and care package items. A donation of just $50.00 will pay for 1 care
package full of "hugs", "kisses" and other wonderful items (but any
amount will help!). If you like, your name and address will be listed on the customs form and the return address label so that the troop will know who to thank.
You can donate via PayPal using the link below.
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Your donations are tax deductible. Thanks to Crossroad's Mall in
Oklahoma City, we pay NO rent; also, we take NO salaries....All money
donated goes directly toward materials, supplies, and care package items.
You can donate via PayPal using one of the
links
or contact Karen at: TheHugsProject(at)cox.net for other options.
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