Who: ALL HANDS ON DECK! Scouts, Parents, Grandparents, Friends...the more the merrier (and the more boxes get filled.)
What: The Vermont S.U.P.P.O.R.T.S. Packing Event is open to the public and free of charge. If you’ve never joined… anyone can come in and grab a box, fill it with gifts and goodies from our tables, and top off with a handmade card (or grab a pre-made card. We seal it, label it, and send it off to one of our soldiers serving in combat zones overseas.
Where: Elks Lodge, 118 Western Ave, St Johnsbury, VT 05819
When: Saturday, December 7, 9:00 AM
Why: Every year thousands of our men and women are in combat zones during the holiday season. Their chairs at our holiday dinners are empty, their presents remain unopened, and their smiles can’t light up the room.
The Vermont Supports Our Troops Project (now VT S.U.P.P.O.R.T.S, inc, a Vermont non-profit organization as of 2014) was created in 2004, during the second Operation: Desert Storm, as a way to send a hometown holiday to our troops overseas. Local civilians got together to pack boxes and write cards to our troops. More than a decade later, the project has grown by leaps and bounds, involving local businesses, media, and over a hundred volunteers. However, the task remains the same.
No matter where our troops are stationed, we can still lift up their spirits and make their smiles glow from thousands of miles away.
How: Scouts can help simply by making a card, or showing up to help pack boxes. Families can help in the same ways, or visit https://vtsupports.org/donate/ to make a monetary donation or by purchasing something on the shopping list.