HOULTON, Maine — The countdown to Christmas is ticking away pretty fast for Support Our American Recruits (SOAR) Houlton which plans to ship gifts to military personnel with a Maine connection serving overseas. SOAR Houlton kicked off its Christmas gift campaign October 1 by putting drop-off boxes for personal items and snacks in several locations around town. This local, faith-based organization of volunteers, an independent chapter of national SOAR, plans to collect donations for “Make A Soldier’s Christmas” throughout October and mail them before mid-November.
SOAR placed one of the drop-off boxes for priority items — those most often requested by troops — at SCRAPS, the scrapbook and card-making store in Market Square. Favorite food items are power bars and individual servings of coffee, cocoa mix, fruit, nuts, trail mix and other healthful snacks. High priority personal care items are: boot liners, insoles, Odor Eaters for boots, athlete’s foot medication, foot powder, moleskin, lip balm such as ChapStick, saline nasal spray, eyeglass wipes, waterless soap, hand sanitizers and disposable razors. Service men and women also appreciate: AA batteries, disposable cameras, and activity books with word games and crossword puzzles.
SCRAPS first collaborated with SOAR in 2006 when they participated in a card-making workshop to send cards to the troops. “It was a great success. It surpassed our expectations,” said Beverley Rowe. SPC David G. Rowe came up with the idea for his mother to open SCRAPS and he paid the rent for the first year before going off on his first tour of duty in Iraq. “It was his way of taking my mind off things,” continued Rowe, who now co-owns the store with partner Lisa Winship. Rowe’s son is currently on a second tour in Iraq.
Marilyn Sjoberg, treasurer for SOAR Houlton, says they serve men and women who “have Maine roots somehow … whether it’s the grandmother that did the referral, or the mother or they themselves [who contacted SOAR].” Her son, Staff Sgt. Scott Sjoberg, served two tours in Iraq and is currently on Maine Funeral Honors Duty. Word-of-mouth keeps the list of service men and women growing.
Emphasis – Overseas and Personal
The emphasis, says Sjoberg is on military personnel who are serving overseas, especially “in harm’s way.” But, there are several in boot camp or on home bases who are remembered as well. And, SOAR also sends out gifts during the year at other times.
“We do try to be sensitive to what it is they are asking or what the soldiers are saying to us,” says Peg Luciani, president of SOAR Houlton. Due to the outpouring of support for the 2006 Christmas card project, soldiers, with limited space and sometimes in mobile units, asked if SOAR could limit the amount of cards they sent.
“So, we decided it would be beneficial to them and to us … if each member or each person who attended SOAR took a few names. And, so, that becomes our own personal soldier. So then, throughout the year, we can send them cards and you get more of a personal relationship with them throughout the year, not just at Christmas.” Luciani’s nephew, Sgt. Bruce Irwin, who lives in Tennessee, completed a tour in Iraq and Korea and she says he may return to Iraq.
“We just sent out a combination box that had snacks and the individual drink mixes. And, the contents cost about $20 and it was about $10 to ship. So it’s about a $30 investment,” said Sjoberg. Adding that phone cards are also a great item to send, Sjoberg explains it has to be at least 550 minutes because the overseas connection alone takes about 200 minutes.
Additional drop-off locations are: Houlton Higher Education Center, Military Street Baptist Church, Cornerstone Baptist Church, and SOAR headquarters (34 Corner Rd., Hodgdon). To submit the name of someone serving in the military or for more information, call: Marilyn Sjoberg at 532-4378.
