Emporia Main Street and the Freedom Fest Committee have begun their annual Holiday Soldier Care Package Drive that will rub through Dec. 6.
The two organizations are asking for monetary donations and donations of hygiene, clothing and food items to be sent to deployed military personnel over the holiday season. A complete list of acceptable items can be found on Emporia Main Street’s website. Local business items are encouraged to give soldiers a “little taste of home during the holidays,” according to Jessica Buchholz, Emporia Main Street’s Community Development Coordinator.
Packages are primarily meant for Emporia’s soldiers. Still, Emporia Main Street also branches out into the surrounding areas and the rest of Kansas. Requests can also be made to receive care packages, but it is asked that those requesting to have packages sent make a financial contribution to the drive. Monetary donations can be made online on the Emporia Main Street website, in person with cash or by check at the Emporia Main Street office.
Emporia Main Street tries to distribute donations equally among each of the addresses they receive. The more members a unit has, the more supplies they will receive. They recognize that although not all members of a unit are from Emporia, “there’s a lot of sharing going on” and that there needs to be enough support for everyone.
Buchholz explained the origins of the Holiday Soldier Care Package Drive.
“Steve Harmon, who is currently the Sergeant Major for the Kansas Army National Guard … was deployed, and he reached out and said, ‘We just really need some supplies…’ So Main Street put a call out to the community- ‘Hey, we have local soldiers in need. Would people be willing to donate items or make a financial donation to the cause?’ And the community just really stepped up and made that happen, and that tradition just kind of continued,” she said.
Buchholz said that around 40 packages were shipped to deployed troops last year, but this is a challenging and costly process. They use a mix of flat-rate and other shipping boxes depending on the contents of the package. If it is not flat-rate, they have to measure and weigh each box as well as give a value of the package’s contents. This is to ensure that the packages are appropriate for customs. Buchholz reported that the shipping for last year’s 40 packages was about $1500.
Emporia Main Street relies on Emporia’s community to make each holiday drive successful. In the past, they have had businesses offer to make contributions like covering the cost of shipping. Emporia State’s Registered Student Organizations can get involved with the drive and receive community service hours if they assist. Anyone who is interested in helping can contact Buchholz by email at [email protected].
“Emporia always steps up to the plate when there’s a call out for a cause,” said Buchholz. She also indicated that Emporia being the home of Veterans Day makes the cause close to the community’s heart. “It truly is just a great way to give back to our community and … to our service men and women … The sky’s the limit on what you might want to donate.”
