Servicemembers United accepting donations for military care packages

ENLARGE
Photo credit: Servicemembers United
Alex Nicholson is the Executive Director of Servicemembers United.

SAN DIEGO — As part of its commitment to provide care packages for active duty military personnel, Servicemembers United (SU) operates the “SU Gives Back” program.

The organization’s next care package drive will take place on Thursday, Dec. 8, from 7:30 to 9 pm at Bourbon Street Bar & Grill.

Care packages are delivered to deployed active duty servicemembers, as well as injured servicemembers at the National Naval Medical Center at Bethesda. The organization maintains a running list of deployed care package recipients to whom they periodically send packages of donated and needed items.

Those who wish to donate to the drive should review the list of needed items below.

SU was founded in 2005 after a small group of servicemembers realized that far too few Iraq- and Afghanistan-era veterans were being included in the movement to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” The nonprofit, non-partisan organization has grown to become the nation’s largest organization of LGBT troops and veterans of the U.S. armed forces.

The organization also hosts a weekly “Active Duty” happy hour event at Bourbon Street every Thursday from 7-10 pm for servicemembers and friends to gather.

Those who are currently deployed overseas or under way on a ship and would like to join SU’s care package recipient list should email their name and mailing address to [email protected].

Bourbon Street is located at 4612 Park Blvd. in University Heights.

Acceptable donation items for “SU Gives Back”

Food, snacks and drinks:

– Beef jerky / Slim Jims
– Coffee (ground instant or drip)
– Powdered drink mix (Gatorade, Kool-Aid, Crystal Light)
– Sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds
– Protein powder, protein bars
– Gum
– Granola bars, power bars, cereal bars, cliff bars
– Trail mix, dried fruit
– Peanuts, mixed nuts
– Instant oatmeal

Toiletries
(no hotel samples; travel sizes ok)

– Baby wipes
– Hand sanitizer
– Body wash, liquid soap, facial cleanser
– Shampoo, conditioner
– Hair gel
– Combs, brushes, bobby pins (in original packaging)
– Deodorant
– Disposable razors (especially Intuition or Mach 3)
– Shaving cream (tubes only)
– Chap stick, lip balm, Carmex, Blistex
– Baby powder, foot powder (travel size only)
– Tissues (travel size only)
– Hand and body lotion, moisturizer
– Sunblock, SPF 45, zinc, vitamin E, aloe vera gel
– Mouthwash
– Toothpaste, toothbrushes, dental floss
– Breath mints, breath strips
– Lozenges, cough drops
– Loufa sponges, wash cloths
– Nail files, emery boards, nail clippers (in original packaging)
– Feminine hygiene products
– Cotton swabs, Q-tips
– Band-Aids, Gauze pads, first-aid kits, ace bandages
– Icy Hot, Bengay cream
– Moleskin
– Gel shoe insole cushions
– Tylenol, Motrin, Advil, Aspirin packets
– Eye drops (i.e., Visine)
– Nasal spray
– Multi-vitamins

Fore more information click HERE.