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Brandon Mom's Holiday Mission: Support The Troops

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Published: October 13, 2008

BRANDON - Donna Johnson has made it her mission to send care packages to U.S. servicemen and women overseas since her son, David, was deployed to Kyrgyzstan with the Air Force for the first time four years ago.

That's when she and other members of the Brandon Junior Woman's Club launched Operation Holiday Support.

Johnson said the group shipped more than 300 packages full of personal necessities and niceties to troops last year.

As her son prepares to ship out again, she is organizing another collection.

Donations will be taken through Nov. 30 at four Brandon-area businesses. Club members will package the items and mail the first shipment in November. They will hang on to gift-worthy items such as CDs, electric toothbrushes and games to be mailed in December.

They also need cash donations to help pay for postage.

Johnson said she gets a lot of e-mail and letters from military men and women thanking her for the packages. One of the most popular items, however, cannot be found on a store shelf.

"The guys really love getting letters from kids," she said. "I'd like to put at least three letters in every box, so we're hoping to get some schools involved in letter-writing."

Get Involved

WHAT: Operation Holiday Support sends care packages to troops overseas. Needed: black socks, gel insole heels, shaving gel, wrapped hard candy, prepackaged snacks, Advil and Tylenol, mouthwash, over-the-counter cold and flu tablets, toothpaste, Clorox wipes, inflatable pillows, travel games, cotton swabs, nonreflective sunglasses, lip balm, deodorant, beef jerky, AA batteries, throat lozenges, eyedrops, dryer sheets, peanuts, dried fruit, DVD movies and other nonperishable items.

WHEN: Through Nov. 30

WHERE: Drop-off locations and hours:

• 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday, South Shore Group, 16637 FishHawk Blvd., Suite 103, Lithia. Call (813) 662-2355.

• 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday, Berg & Wheeler, 217 E. Robertson St., Brandon. Call (813) 685-0050.

• 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday to Friday; 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Tassels, 3239 Lithia-Pinecrest Road, Valrico. Call (813) 651-9010.

• 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday to Thursday; 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, The Pottery Patch, 2551 State Road 60 E., Valrico. Call (813) 643-0014.

To donate money for postage, send checks made payable to the Brandon Junior Woman's Club to P.O. Box 66, Brandon FL 33509.

CONTACT: Call Donna Johnson at (813) 244-4758 or e-mail donna07bjwc@aol.com with "For the troops" in the subject line.

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