In This Issue
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OHH Baby: How to Help
Calendar of Events for 2012/ 2013
Operation Rack Pack: Volunteer Help Near & Far
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Quick Links
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OHH Calendar of Events
July 2012
~Operation Rack Pack for RCT 5 ADVON, returning from Afghanistan,
July 18, 10-1pm
(on Pendleton)
*We will also be preparing welcome home gifts for CLB 5, 7th ESB and 3dAABN ADVON this day*
~OHH Baby Shower Prep Day
July 20, 9am-noon
(in RSM)
~OHH Baby Shower for 2/1, (deployed)
July 22, 12-3pm
(on Pendleton)
~Operation Rack Pack for CLB 5, returning from Afghanistan,
July 30, 10-1pm
(on Pendleton)
August 2012
~ Operation Rack Pack for RCT 5, returning from Afghanistan August 5, 12-4pm
(on Pendleton)
-Operation Rack Pack Part I for 2/5 ADVON plus one Company, returning from Afghanistan, , August 18, 9-1pm
(on Pendleton)
September 2012
~Operation Rack Pack Part II for 2/5, returning from Afghanistan September 8, 9-1pm
(on Pendleton)
October 2012
~OHH Bring it On!: Paint Ball Challenge (OHH Fundraiser)
November 2012
~Begin Operation Christmas Spirit Drive
~End of Month, OHH Camp JOY "Winter Wonderland" for 3/5 and 2/1
December 2012
~Operation Christmas Spirit. End date: December 17
~Operation Rack Pack for 2/1
January 2013
~OHH Baby Shower for HMLA 169
February 2013
~No events this month – Fundraising month for Operation Rack Pack
March 2013
~Ladies’ Spa Day for 3/5 and Easter Themed Camp JOY/Mom’s Day Off for Deployed Units
April 2013
~Operation Rack Pack for 3/5 and HMM 364
May 2013
~Operation Rack Pack for HMLA 169
June 2013
~Operation Rack Pack for 1/5 (pending board vote and approval on August 2nd)
To volunteer for any of the events above, email our volunteer coordinator, Cindy at cfarnum@operationhelphahero.com
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Be sure to include your full name, the names of anyone else you're bringing with you and indicate which project you're signing up for in the subject line.
Thank you for volunteering your time! |
Current Operation Rack Pack Wish List
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Please consider donating an item from our wish list or volunteering today! We are welcoming home over 1,300 Marines and Sailors in July and August alone.
Wish List for Each Marine and Sailor:
- Toiletries : shaving cream, lotion, deodorant, toothbrushes, toothpaste, razors, shampoo, mouth wash
- $10 food/restaurant gift cards: Subway, Carl’s Jr., In & Out, Dominos, Philly’s Best, etc.
- Snack foods: chips, protein bars, cookies, candy bars, microwaveable foods, popcorn, instant noodle cups, etc.
- Entertainment items: magazines (no older than 3 months), playing cards, DVDs, games, books, etc.
- Movie tickets: gift cards, iTunes cards, Netflix cards and Movie Theater cards
- Drinks: soda, water, dry drink mixes, Gatorade, coffee, Starbucks gift cards, etc.
- Towel sets: towels, hand towels and wash cloths
- Trial Size Laundry detergent and Hand Soap (reg size)
- T-shirts, socks, bath mats and pillow cases
Donation deadline: Our goal is to have everything for all our summer barracks projects by August 7th.
Hands-on Volunteer opportunities:
See calendar above.
To sign up to volunteer, schedule a donation drop-off or pick-up, or ask questions email our ORP project coordinator, Cindy, at cfarnum@operationhelpahero.com . If volunteering, be sure to include your full name, the date you’re volunteering and the project to make sure we sign you up for the correct event.
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A Special Thank You!
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We have a lot of people to thank for the success of our most recent barracks projects for 1/4, 3/1 and Operation Rack Pack. We will get into more detail in our next newsletter but felt we couldn't wait to thank the following sponsors, groups and businesses for their contribution to these projects:
- The Laguna Niguel Military Support Committee was an AMAZING support for our 1/4 barracks project. They are a group of patriots and so faithful to the units they serve. It was an honor to work with them.
- Operation America Cares and the Ladies of Oceanside's American Legion Auxiliary Post 146. This group is always good for volunteering their time and support. They jump in where needed and have blessed us with girl scout cookie connections and much more.
- The Las Flores Auto Center, especially Allen for thegenerous donations and time given to OHH through your Hot Rod Show. You made a huge difference for our drive for 3/1!
- T-Surt and Oakley: Not only for your volunteerism but also for the t-shirts/hoodies we've been able to provide each returning Marine and Sailor because of you.
- Our Santa Margarita Catholic High School OHH Club: for the proceeds of your spring coin drive and hard work.
- The Canyon NCL Chapter: for the proceeds from their Home Tours and fundraising, enabling us to help many, many families.
- Quicken: Your employee drive and donation dollars have benefitted four different barracks projects!
Our most recent Operation Rack Pack projects were successful thanks to donors and volunteers like you! Thank you for your support!
And thank you to the following companies for your support and products:
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Hello,
We apologize for the resend! We sent out the newsletter before it was completed and edited. Thanks for your patience!
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Summer is the perfect time to get out and active in your community. The days are longer, the weather is nicer and the kids are home to plan special family outings. It's the perfect time do do something meaningful with your friends and family. It's the perfect time to volunteer.
Whether near or far, we could use your help as we prepare for projects and programs to help local military. Our calendar is full of opportunities to serve those who serve our country. Whether through hands-on volunteering on local military installations, working on hand made creations at home, hosting a local drive for goods or supporting our programs through small group projects, you can impact our projects and as a result, touch the lives of our military heroes at home and abroad.
In this newsletter you'll find our current calendar of events. For each event, we also highlight ways you can help, near and far from where we operate in Southern California.
We hope you had a blessed 4th of July and thank you so much for your continued support!
Sincerely, Team OHH
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| OHH Baby Shower for 2/1: How you can help |
Ways to help us pamper 2/1's New and Expecting Mommies while their husbands are deployed
July 22nd
1. Adopt a Mommy: Help us put together a baby gift basket for a mommy and baby with your small group or business. Those who sign up to adopt a mommy/baby put together a personalized gift basket using our wish list. Want to adopt a mommy but don't have time to shop? We'll do the shopping for you and let you tell us exactly what you want us to add for the "items of your choosing."
2. Get crafty: Because we're often separated from our own families, us military mommies really love handmade gifts. It gives us a sense of belonging to a family. If you're a knitter or crafty, add your special gifts/talents to our goodies by creating items for the shower.
3. Let the games begin: Help us put together small game prizes. These prizes can be handmade, store-bought gadgets, themed gifts or items to pamper the mommies. We love creative gifts!
4. Give the gift of words: Have a small get together and ask each guest to bring a children's book or parenting book. Pass around the books to each guest and have them write words of encouragement to baby and mommy.
5. Sisterhood of the Traveling Mommies: Put together a diaper bag filled with items every mom needs while on the go with baby. All moms (and dads) know how hectic life can get just trying to get out the door with an infant. You learn, often through mistakes, the things you MUST have to survive being out and about with baby. Have fun filling a diaper bag with small necessities while on the go. Include little notes in the diaper bag with mommy advice.
6. Don't let baby break the bank: Donate large raffle prize items -- strollers, gliders, bassinettes, car seats, etc. These items help the young families we serve check one expensive item off their lists of necessities for baby, taking some of the financial burden off of our heroes and their families.
7. Make a de-lish dish: We do cater in sandwiches and salads for our showers, but we always love the touch of homemade foods. If you have a special dish you'd like to prepare for the mommies, let us know. We will be serving 25 mommies.
8. Driving Miss (or Mister) Baby: Host a diaper drive. The average American family spends over $1,000.00 in baby's first year on diapers and wipes. For some of our young military families, that's a significant portion of their yearly income. One of our goals is to give these mommies a head start with lots of diapers and wipes.
9. There's a FIRST for everything: Have fun putting together a gift bag themed with a baby's first (first tooth, first bath, first photo, etc.). We'll use the gifts for a fun game and give away your gift as a prize. Need ideas? We have a whole list of them!
10. Special Delivery: Each of our mommies receive a small gift bag with simple pampering items for their hospital stay-- thank you cards, candies, slippers or plushy socks, lip balm, a Target gift cards, lotions, etc. Consider making a special treat or donating items for hospital/mommy bags. We're planning on 25 mommies.
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For more information about our baby showers and how you can help, please contact Cindy Farnum at cfarnum@operationhelpahero.com or Sarah Quail at sarahquail110@gmail.com.
Specific items we need:
~Baby bath items
~2 baby bjorns
~a nursery glider
~a changing table
~25 white onesies
~3 Fisher price floor gym/activity centers |
| Operation Rack Pack |
Getting involved, whether near or far... here's how:
- Create towel rolls (towels and wash cloths)
- Create hand towel rolls (hand towels with hand soap, mouth wash, lotion or tissue box using patriotic, red, yellow or blue ribbon)
- Decorate welcome home bags (Paint or color “welcome home” and “thank you” sentiments on bags provided by OHH in bright colors… leave some room at the top for the bag to be sealed shut.)
- Decorate welcome home posters (Any size poster will do; the more colorful and heartfelt the better. If they’re Marines… don’t call them Soldiers!)
- Write welcome home letters (Write a thank you note to a Marine/Sailor for his/her homecoming. Leave the card/letter unsealed as we do have to monitor what we put in the bags.)
- Create “kitchen kits” (Fill baggies with paper plates, plastic ware, napkins, condiments)
- Create “entertainment packs” (Assemble a magazine, a book, a DVD movie, a pack of microwave popcorn, and a deck of playing cards in gallon baggies.)
- Make fresh baked goods (Bake and assemble baggies or treat sacks with 2-6 cookies/brownies/treats in each.)
- Create meals in a box for barracks rooms shared by 1-3 Marines/ Sailors (For example, sandwich kits, Italian dinners, breakfast boxes, etc.) The men/women in the barracks have access to a microwave in their rooms, and the new barracks have communal kitchens. The best meals are ones they can make in their rooms.
- Assemble laundry pod kits for each Marine/Sailor. One of the first things service members want to do when home is laundry. We’ve found the Tide laundry “pods” are a cost effective way to give each guy/gal the ability to do laundry. (Put 2-4 laundry pods into a baggie for each Marine. Add sticker label with pod directions, and you’re done!)
- Donate an item from our wish list to the left or contribute through an online donation and we'll do the shopping for you!
Online donations: www.operationhelpahero.org
Mailed donations: Operation Help a Hero, PO Box 80996, Rancho Santa Margarita, Ca 92688
Mailed packages: Operation Help a Hero, co Cindy Farnum, 7 Paulownia, Rancho Santa Margarita, Ca 92688
For donation "drop sites" in Southern California, please contact us and we'll find a site closest to you. |
| Help Our Wounded Heroes |
Gift cards and donations help us support our wounded heroes and their families as they recover.
We have service members right here in our community who have returned home to us wounded. They can be in need of extensive hospital stays and treatments.
If you are interested in supporting these heroes but don't know what to do, here are some ideas, wounded warrior approved:
- Gas cards: Our wounded, once out of the hospital, may travel quite a bit for therapies, doctor's visits and more hospital stays. When they are in the hospital, sometimes their families are on the road -- spending time in the hospital but trying to maintain life at home. All this travel is expensive, and a $25 gas card can make a difference.
- Restaurant gift cards: Gift cards to chain restaurants located near our wounded warriors also help offset costs that add up during recovery . This is especially helpful for their families who find themselves looking for food in and around the hospitals.
- Help us with donations for ipads, needed supplies and the ability to add handicap accessible features to their homes and cars.
- If you're looking for a larger organization than ours that focuses entirely on wounded warriors, we recommend the Semper Fi Fund.
A note from Cindy: As many of you know, a dear friend of mine was injured in Afghanistan, losing part of one leg and injuring the other in an IED blast. Watching him recover and witnessing his resolve and determination has been amazing! Although I, of course, hope you choose to support OHH, I've seen the support they've given year after year. I recommend supporting the Semper Fi Fund, too. They have supported multiple friends of mine, families OHH has helped as well, and more recently, my close friend and his family; they have truly been well-taken-care-of by this organization. |
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