CHRISTMAS STOCKING PROJECT

"Thank you" to everyone who participated in Operation Christmas Stocking.  This mission was completed on November 8, 2005.
 

I want to make you aware of a Christmas project and ask for your support.  Please forward this to your address book and if you can, get your church, your local schools, your co-workers, anyone you can think of, involved in packing a Christmas stocking for our military and civilians working in Afghanistan.
As most of you know, I try to spend all my holidays with the troops deployed to remote areas overseas.  Last Thanksgiving, I fully intended to return to Iraq but was told that those serving in Afghanistan feel that they are the "forgottten War".  We went to Afghanistan for 2 weeks during the Thanksgiving Holidays and we visited remote bases.    Many of the remote camps do not have a DFAC, (dining facility), port-a-potties, Base Exchanges, etc.  
Below is information on a project that was designed to put a PERSONALIZED CHRISTMAS STOCKING in the hands of every military person and civilian serving in Afghanistan.....17,000 TOTAL!!!

DEADLINE TO RECEIVE THE STOCKINGS WAS NOVEMBER 8TH.    IF WE RECEIVED MORE THAN 17,000, THEY WILL BE DISTRIBUTED TO THE LOCAL CHILDREN IN AFGHANISTAN.  A LIST OF ITEMS WHICH CANNOT BE SHIPPED TO THE MILITARY AND SHOULD NOT BE INCLUDED IN THE STOCKINGS IS SHOWN BELOW:

Flammable and combustible liquids and solids
Cigarette lighters
Knives
Sharp pointed instruments
Liquor
Lewd or pornographic matter
Matter inciting violence
Sexually oriented advertisements (material)
Pandering advertisements
Politically, socially, or racially offensive items
Candy cigarettes, cakes with alcohol
Sand and/or soil
Pork or pork products
Perishable products

Many of the Camps don't have a base exchange which means they can't even buy the simplest "amenities".   Here's some suggestions:

DVD's
CD's
Any nonperishable food items (cookies, candy, gum, granola bars -- always welcome)
hand sanitizer
chapstick
small individual packages of kleenix
disposable cameras (take a photo of the person packing the camera and then put it in the stocking!)
Wet ones
Hard Candy
gum
dental floss
toothbrush
toothpaste
deodorant
shaving cream
disposable razors
pen/mechanical pencil (with lead)
eye drops
shampoo
bug spray
sunscreen
small flashlight with a BLUE bulb -- not WHITE
Lotion
small alarm clock
AT&T calling cards
tiny little "personal" fan
clip on lights
Tourist type" items indigenous to your area:   -- playing cards, Yo-yos, harmonicas, guitar picks
Use your imagination!

THANKS FOR JOINING ME IN THIS WONDERFUL ENDEAVOR! 
Jude