Four members of the Albion American Legion will join three members of the Medina American Legion in traveling to Fort Drum this weekend to deliver special packages that will go to soldiers in Afghanistan. The effort is in coordination with Community Action of Orleans and Genesee County’s Community Angels care package program.

Joni Dix, emergency services coordinator of Community Action, said the organization has been sending care packages to soldiers overseas for three years.

This year, Orleans County American Legion Commander Larry Montello contacted Community Action and recommended they adopt a platoon. He said he was motivated by a letter he received from someone in Plattsburgh, letting him know about the platoons that would be delighted to receive the care packages.

Throughout the past several weeks, residents have been asked to donate what they can toward the care boxes. Then on Veterans Day, the Angels — with the help of about 40 local community members — packaged up the goods and got the boxes ready for shipping.

The boxes include such things as personal hygiene items, playing cards, magazines, books and candy. Among the many organizations that donate to the care packages was Associated Brands in Medina, which gave Kool-Aid packets in bulk for the soldiers to put in their canteens.

Also, Fast Fitness in Albion collected donations for the boxes, Head Start participants presented a flag to the soldiers, the Salvation Army donated camouflage bags, local Girl Scouts made cards to put in the boxes and Boy Scouts helped package the items.

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Local dentists also donated toothbrushes, toothpaste and more.

“It’s hard to do this by yourself,” Dix said. “But with everyone working together, it makes it easier.”

The platoon has 129 soldiers, including one from Medina and one from Albion.

Dix said that each year, Community Action packs about 100 boxes. This year, with the help of the American Legion, they made about 180 boxes.

The packages will be distributed to the all the soldiers in the platoon, “from the captain right down to the supply sergeant,” Montello said. The remaining boxes will go to the Lockport armory for distribution.

The brigadier general at Fort Drum was “ecstatic” to hear that the boxes were coming, Montello said.

According to Annette Finch, director of community services for Community Action of Genesee and Orleans County, what is just as important as sending something to the soldiers is the fact that many people — including younger children — gave up a few hours of their time on Veterans Day to help assemble the boxes.

“It was truly a county effort to put these boxes together,” she said.

Montello added, “To see the community working together, that was awesome.”

There will be two vehicles driving down to Fort Drum with the care packages. Once the boxes are delivered, they will be shipped to the platoon in Afghanistan — as a surprise.Staff reports

Four members of the Albion American Legion will join three members of the Medina American Legion in traveling to Fort Drum this weekend to deliver special packages that will go to soldiers in Afghanistan. The effort is in coordination with Community Action of Orleans and Genesee County’s Community Angels care package program.

Joni Dix, emergency services coordinator of Community Action, said the organization has been sending care packages to soldiers overseas for three years.

This year, Orleans County American Legion Commander Larry Montello contacted Community Action and recommended they adopt a platoon. He said he was motivated by a letter he received from someone in Plattsburgh, letting him know about the platoons that would be delighted to receive the care packages.

Throughout the past several weeks, residents have been asked to donate what they can toward the care boxes. Then on Veterans Day, the Angels — with the help of about 40 local community members — packaged up the goods and got the boxes ready for shipping.

The boxes include such things as personal hygiene items, playing cards, magazines, books and candy. Among the many organizations that donate to the care packages was Associated Brands in Medina, which gave Kool-Aid packets in bulk for the soldiers to put in their canteens.

Also, Fast Fitness in Albion collected donations for the boxes, Head Start participants presented a flag to the soldiers, the Salvation Army donated camouflage bags, local Girl Scouts made cards to put in the boxes and Boy Scouts helped package the items.

Local dentists also donated toothbrushes, toothpaste and more.

“It’s hard to do this by yourself,” Dix said. “But with everyone working together, it makes it easier.”

The platoon has 129 soldiers, including one from Medina and one from Albion.

Dix said that each year, Community Action packs about 100 boxes. This year, with the help of the American Legion, they made about 180 boxes.

The packages will be distributed to the all the soldiers in the platoon, “from the captain right down to the supply sergeant,” Montello said. The remaining boxes will go to the Lockport armory for distribution.

The brigadier general at Fort Drum was “ecstatic” to hear that the boxes were coming, Montello said.

According to Annette Finch, director of community services for Community Action of Genesee and Orleans County, what is just as important as sending something to the soldiers is the fact that many people — including younger children — gave up a few hours of their time on Veterans Day to help assemble the boxes.

“It was truly a county effort to put these boxes together,” she said.

Montello added, “To see the community working together, that was awesome.”

There will be two vehicles driving down to Fort Drum with the care packages. Once the boxes are delivered, they will be shipped to the platoon in Afghanistan — as a surprise.