August 2004

Dear Friends,

Since April 2003, we have sent over 8,500 boxes of food and toiletries to our troops overseas. Included with this letter is a list of items that are needed by our troops. Through our experiences in boxing items and what our troops have told us, we revised the list. Please note that we are asking for travel size items. The troops have to carry everything with them, so, large bottles and packages are too much. Also the cost of shipping the larger items is too expensive.

Would you be interested in helping our troops with a contribution of any of the items on the back of this page? We are also asking for donations to help defray the cost of the postage to send the boxes to the troops in Iraq, Afghanistan, Korea, and other remote locations around the world. Each box costs any where from $15.00 to $25.00 for the postage.

You may contact us at (440) 877-9241 any time of the day or evening or email us at swdsue@cs.com if you can help. We have numerous drop-off points around the city or we can have the items picked up by appointment.

Thank you for your time and consideration in supporting our troops.

Sincerely,

Sue Swider

Head Coordinator for

Boodle Boxes for Our Troops

FOOD ITEMS

Gatorade

Powder drink mixes (Hot and cold)

Tea bags and coffee packets

Cup of Soup, Ramon Noodles

Granola Bars / Cereal Bars

Trail mix / Instant Oatmeal

Cookies / Crackers

Dried fruit / Fruit Snacks

Nuts (any kind) / Sunflower Seeds

Hard or chewy candy, gum (wrapped)

Dry cereal (individual servings)

Cans of applesauce or Fruit (pull top lid)

Cracker Jacks

Tuna, Sardines, etc. (pull top lid)

Peanut butter (no larger than 12oz)

Seasonings & Tabasco (no larger than 4oz)

(Plastic)

Beef jerky / Slim Jim’s

Pringles, Fritos, Doritos, etc. (small)

Chocolate (since the temperature has dropped

we will ship now)

MORALE BOOSTERS

International Phone Cards

Disposable cameras

Tobacco

Greeting Cards / Note cards

Pens

Calendars

Small pocket notebooks

Personal letters (we include them in the

box, so remember your return address if you want a letter back)

Sunglasses

Magazines (no Swimsuit edition)

Paperback books

Children’s drawings

Word puzzle books

Travel size games

Blank CD’s and DVD’s (we burn them)

(Imation DVD + R)

PERSONAL HYGENINE

Small bars of soap (hotel size)

Toilet paper

Purell 4.25 oz

Eye drops .05 oz

Moisture & hand lotion (travel size)

Shampoo & cream rinse (travel size)

Chap stick

Antiperspirants 1.7 oz

Toothbrush

Tooth paste (travel size)

Dental floss

Shaving cream or gel (travel size)

Disposal razors

Combs, & brushes (small)

Feminine products (individual wrapped)

Gold Bond 1 oz

Petroleum jelly 3.75 oz

Powder 1.5 oz

Noxzema 2.5 oz

Vitamins (the small the better)

Cough drops

NECESSITIES

Gallon, sandwich and snack size zip lock bags

Please include a few boxes with your items

because everything we pack goes in bags

Dryer sheets (for bugs& smell)

Air fresheners (smelly tents)

Fly strips

Fly swatters (metal handle only)

Laundromat size laundry soap

Batteries

PLEASE KEEP IN MIND:

When shopping, remember that our troops only have pockets and backpacks to keep their possessions in. Large items are too hard to handle for them. They are also too much to ship.

Think of it like you are the one walking in the middle of the desert, in the middle of nowhere. How would you pack?

No pornographic materials are allowed to go into Muslim countries.

Please remember the holidays. We will try to do something special for all holidays and need blank greeting cards for the soldiers to send back home.