Giving Thanks: Meaningful ways to send holiday cheer to our troops this season

The spirit of the Christmas season has arrived early this year! We’ve received dozens and dozens of emails in the last few of weeks (Hello, Taste of Home magazine readers!) from folks from all across the country wanting to send a cookie-filled care package to some of our troops serving overseas. How sweet! Unfortunately — or, more appropriately, fortunately — our Adopt an MP soldiers that many people have asked about are all safely back home. But we’re glad that there are lots of organizations in addition to ours that support our military. To get involved, check out some of our favorites: 

1. Soldiers’ Angels. This organization currently has 227 “heroes” waiting for adoption. Adopt one of the Soldiers’ Angels military men and women with your family, school, church, or neighbors. Then check back here for all the details on ordering a free military care package kit, getting the best deals on postage, the nine most wanted care package items (and three to skip), and — of course — our famous Hershey’s Kiss cookie trick.
2. Cup O’ Joe for a Joe. For just $2 you can send a cup of Green Beans Coffee to a service member serving overseas. What’s nice is that you often get an email back from the thankful soldier within days. 
3. Treats For Troops. These volunteers ship six tons of care packages a week to our troops. And if you’re in Tampa, Florida, this week, Treats For Troops is collecting extra Halloween candy to ship overseas.
4. Operation Santa. The great folks at Citizen S.A.M. still need stocking stuffers for Operation Santa, which will be sending more than 30,000 handmade stockings sending overseas for this holiday season.  

Closer to home, if you know that the child of a friend of a friend of a friend is deployed, call up the family and offer to send a cheerful holiday package. If there’s one thing a deployed soldier never gets tired of, it’s packages and letters — and cookies — from home.