After our impulsive shopping trip to the Library, and a yummy family lunch we cleared the table and pulled out the boxes of freebies that I had for donation. We also went through our stockpile of food and toiletries. Then we got to work.
FPO/APO Flat Rate Boxes are a bit bigger then the largest Flat Rate Box offered by usps.com.
***I should sidetrack here and share a few tidbits.
1) you can order free priority shipping boxes at USPS.com that will be delivered to your house---all FREE; even shipping
2) IF you are using the Flat Rate Priority Boxes you can go on USPS.com and print your postage labels there for a discount price (a few cents) plus when you print online you get FREE delivery confirmation. (just guess at the weight)
3) once you've done the above IF you live within a half mile (i.e. .5 or 1/2 mile) from your mail box (we JUST make it) you can sign up for FREE postal carrier pick up
~~Since we are shipping overseas we DO have to have the special label that you disclose what you are mailing... this goes in a special clear adhesive pocket that you attach to your boxes. Again you can order these with your boxes for free to be delivered to your house.
So, back to our APO/FPO flat rate boxes.... they ship for 14.95 (if I recall correctly)
With all our stockpile and freebies we FILLED 8 (!!!!!) yes 8! of these boxes.
We can't afford to mail them all right now. But they are packed and ready to go.
We'll mail 2 next week and then our plan is 2 every 4-6 weeks after that. If my budget allows we'll get in another box here and there.
We filled brown lunch sacks with items and then labeled
Any Male Soldier/Marine
Any Female Soldier/Marine
Any Soldier/Marine
based off what we put in the bag.
Then we smushed, cajoled and jostled those bags to fit as many as possible in them.
I'll mail a box to each of our contacts for our "adopted" group/unit and they will distribute as they see fit.
Their goal is to
A) give items and letters to those that don't receive mail in an attempt to keep moral up
B) give items to those in need of them.
The girls are already planning on speaking with their English teachers to see about having their classrooms write letters to the troops for us to include in our boxes.
I'm curious as to what the response to that request will be.
I'm not sure they "teach" letter writing skills to kids anymore.
Should be interesting ;) I'll have to let you know what kind of response/feed back they get.
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