Care From Home

By Pamela Dickman
Reporter-Herald Staff Writer

Loveland resident Marcey Blanco is taking what she considers 75 very special deliveries to the post office today and Wednesday.

Each box is packed full of snacks, hygiene items, cards, pens, paper, eye drops, insect repellent and more.

And each box is headed to a military person fighting in the war against Iraq, sent on behalf of a family member in Loveland.

Blanco and her fellow members of the American Legion Auxiliary raised more than $3,500 selling "Support Our Troops" yard signs, bumper stickers and T-shirts.

They spent about $2,100 buying items for the military men and women and anticipate spending $1,300 to mail the packages.

On Monday, volunteers from the legion, Loveland High School and Allnutt Funeral Service created an assembly line to prepare the boxes. At several different stations, volunteers counted out snacks, Kool-Aid, tea bags, razors, pens and other items for each box.

High school junior Jayanthi Bunyan sorted a disposable camera, dice, cards and chewing tobacco per plastic bag. She commented on the variety of items and wondered if the recipients might trade among themselves.

"It's really going to, like, brighten their day," she said, imagining the military personnel may become depressed with the same conditions day after day. "They're going to be able to use it."

She and her fellow student council members volunteered under the direction of senior Kelsey Peltz, who placed a T-shirt and a pair of socks in individual plastic bags.

She said her brother, Kyle, a 2001 Loveland graduate, reports for basic training June 16.

"My brother is going to join the Marines, and I know some people that are overseas, and I just wanted to help out," Peltz said.

"It means a lot to me. Once it hits home, you want to help."

The project as a whole - selling the signs to raise money for the packages and displaying the signs- was a way for many different people to help, said Elaine Ryan, treasurer of the auxiliary.

"It was unique in its assessment of what you could do," Ryan said.

She added, "The signs were really well done. They lasted through the bad weather and rain."

For Blanco, the project started as an idea and grew to a huge undertaking.

She has spent hours organizing the printing and sale of the signs, shopping for items, planning what to buy, coordinating with the U.S. Postal Service, addressing the 75 labels by hand and drafting a letter to the servicemen and women.

She said she was happy to see her efforts come to fruition Monday and will mail the boxes today and Wednesday.

The letter she wrote to the 70 men and five women is addressed to "Loveland Hero."

Her message, sent through the items, efforts and signs, is spelled out in the letter:

"We just want you to know that you have been thought about all during your deployment and are looking forward to your safe return."

Note: This article appeared in the Reporter Herald on Tuesday, April 29, 2003. It has been placed here for preservation.