After Holiday Care Package Blitz for the Troops, Thank Yous Pour In

by Judy Silberstein

(January 4, 2007) Thank you letters, emails, faxes and photos have been flooding Jenny Mcfarland’s mailboxes in response to the December blitz she helped organize to send care packages to troops serving in Iraq and holiday baskets to area families with a parent deployed in the military. The holiday drive, mounted on short notice and with relatively modest goals to send boxes to around a dozen addresses, quickly snowballed as local friends, families and businesses joined the effort. On December 10 and 17, Larchmont’s St. Augustine Church cafeteria morphed into a makeshift staging arena for packing boxes with food, phone cards, books, CDs and other items valued by the troops. In the end, more than 257 cartons were filled and shipped in time for Christmas. (See: Last Minute Blitz Mounted To Send Care Boxes to Iraq Troops.)

With her own husband, Colonel Thomas F. McFarland, having been stationed in Iraq in 2005, Jenny McFarland knew how much it meant to receive tokens of support. That lesson was underscored by the thank you messages she’s been receiving.

In addition to enough care package items to fill 257 boxes for the troops and “truly spectacular Christmas baskets for eight local military families,” the project took in donations totaling more than $1500 to cover costs for shipping. Among those contributing were Frank Webers of Collins Brothers Movers (who covered shipping costs for an extra 55 boxes); CVS at Ferndale in Mamaroneck (who offered a 2 for 1 special on toys for anyone purchasing items for the project), and Betty Scanlon and her needlepoint customers at Stitch by Stitch who made a large donation. Chipping in were Lt. Rich Heine and Colonel Reed Bonadonna ( and family), who themselves spent time in Iraq. (See: "WAHOO!" Colonel Reed Bonadonna Back from Iraq and Larchmont Firefighter Back in Iraq - Now in Al Anba.) St. Augustine’s church lent support, as did many of its parishioners and Larchmont Cub Scout Pack 33. The project even got unexpected help from a postmaster in Floral, Queens who agreed to accept the packages on a Sunday after Larchmont volunteers packed them up. “They processed them for us in about 10 minutes, which is really unbelievable,” commented Ms. McFarland.

The second set of boxes shipped on Sunday, December 17, and the thank yous started arriving on the 19th: Captain Paul Zacharzuk emailed his appreciation from Al Taqaddum, Iraq adding “ It makes it even more special when you see the faces of those Marines that don't always receive something finally get a package. For them, they know that some one out there cares about them and took the time to spend their own money to send a little something over here to them.”

On December 23, Ms. Mcfarland heard from Air Force Master Sgt. Bob Rauch, who for the first time is missing a holiday with his wife Kathy and their 7 children. “ You don't know how much packages like these mean to the many men and women serving overseas without their spouses and children,” he wrote in an email.

Marines of the Second Battalion sent the following:

“We are all looking forward to coming home and these acts of kindness will make the return that much sweeter,” wrote Major Michael A. Brown on December 23.

Each care package was accompanied by cards or notes, many from Larchmont children. Andy Preville, an Army medic with the 466th ASMC, wrote on December 23, “Our favorite activity is getting mail, reading the letters of support brings us back home for that moment and it feels great. Please thank the kids who wrote the letters and cards."

LTC James H. Lukehart sent photos of the troops opening their letters:

There was even a letter from a general – Brigadier General Michael J. Silva (commanding the 411th Engineering Brigade). “With every package snacks, socks, holiday greeting and personal care items, you have shown us that we are still in the hearts and minds of the people we are here to serve,” he wrote.

Appreciation letters also came from the local families who received gift baskets, including the Hills of West Point, NY, who wrote: “There are many times when things get very difficult for my wife and the children while I am gone, like the kids getting sick, or feeling lonely that you feel like you are alone as a military family and under-appreciated. How untrue this is! These gift baskets truly gave our family great reassurance that the people of this country like you and all the families that gave are behind us.”

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