Published: June 29, 2009 11:01 pm      

ETMC Auxiliary collecting items to send to soldiers

By Kelsey Palmer

news@jacksonvilleprogress.com

This Fourth of July, it is important to remember the men who inspired this great day of independence. And that’s exactly what the members of the ETMC Auxiliary of Jacksonville are trying to do.

This year, these gracious “pink ladies” are asking Jacksonville-area residents to donate supplies to the ETMC Gift Shop’s donation bin for care packages to be sent to the brave men and women deployed in Iraq.

Jeannine Perry, six-year Auxiliary member and organizer of sending care packages, became interested in the idea after her son-in-law, who is currently a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy, told her of the need for supplies for soldiers overseas.

“By law, we can’t send care packages to just any soldier, so we send it to my son-in-law’s friend, who disperses out the supplies to whoever needs it,” Perry said. “We get a lot of thank-yous from the soldiers who receive our donated items. They are wonderful and very interactive.”

Of the things the Auxiliary welcomes are first-aid and hygiene gear like toothbrushes and Band-Aids, packaged foods like beef jerky or candy and almost anything that does not melt in the heat and is not a liquid.

“I’ve become a magician at packing,” Perry said with a laugh. “We use extra-large prepaid boxes from the Post Office for our care packages and cram it full of supplies. We usually get $50 to $60 worth of stuff in there.”

Since late November 2008, the Auxiliary has sent 22 care packages chock-full of goodies to soldiers deployed in Iraq, thanks to those who have donated.

“The people of Jacksonville have been so generous,” Perry said. “We wouldn’t have been able to do this without all of the supplies the employees and patients of ETMC have donated.”

There are plans to “redecorate” the donation bin where many have donated supplies — so if it is missing, Perry said the Auxiliary member running the Gift Shop will be happy to take any donations.

The Auxiliary has also had people donate money to either purchase supplies or help with shipping charges.