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If You Donate

What: Personal items, toiletries and supplies for "freedom boxes" to be sent to soldiers overseas

When: Items are due by Dec. 1

Where: At any drop-off location, listed at www.myspace.com/newcomfortzone: the Owl's Club, Mattress World and Carpet & Furniture World in Lewistown

For more information: Call Lewis at 513-9745 or e-mail her at theredcarpetvip@gmail.com.

LEWISTOWN - Heather Lewis is putting together a project this holiday season that's going to take the entire community.

To show respect and gratitude for soldiers fighting overseas, "Just in Time for Christmas" is a project being implemented through Lewis' business, The Red Carpet. It will consist of sending care packages and letters to military personnel abroad.

"(The project is) just about them showing their support for the troops," Lewis said about the community.

Lewis plans to send 3,000 "freedom boxes" to soldiers, which each will contain donated personal toiletries and other supplies, as well as letters from students in Mifflin County, she said. She hopes to receive everything by Dec. 1.

Lewis, of Lewistown, is in the process of finding area businesses to act as drop-off locations for donated items, she said.

"To pull this off, it's going to take the entire community," she said. "It's a huge process."

Lewis said as of now, three businesses are participating as drop off locations: the Owl's Club, Mattress World and Carpet & Furniture World in Lewistown.

To help with shipping costs, businesses that participate as drop-off locations are asked to pay $25 to send a box, Lewis said.

Businesses may contribute money to send as many boxes as they wish, she added.

Lewis is asking that businesses do not pack the boxes themselves. The boxes just need to be filled with donated items from the community, and Lewis will take care of packing the boxes, she said.

"Every box is going to be equally divided out," she said.

Businesses aren't the only ones that can sponsor boxes, Lewis said. Community members may sponsor a box by donating $25 to send it overseas.

Lewis said she is in contact with Gov. Edward G. Rendell's office, which is communicating with military personnel. Military personnel will supply Lewis with a list of 3,000 soldiers overseas to send the boxes to, she said. At this time, a list has not been received.

If people in the community know of soldiers abroad, they can provide their name, unit number and address, Lewis said.

"We will make sure that their whole unit gets boxes," she said.

Right now, Lewis has about 227 letters from students at Indian Valley Middle School, she said. Lewis is asking other schools in Mifflin County to write letters as well, and hopes to receive all letters by Dec. 1, she said.

Community members also may write letters if they wish, Lewis said. Letters should not be gender-specific and should be placed in a white envelope, she said.

Each letter should be addressed, "Dear soldier" or "Dear service member," she said.

Letters may be placed at any drop-off location, she added.

Lewis said the main reason she wants to ship boxes to soldiers is because it feels good to receive gifts, but it feels even better to give them.

"Can you picture 3,000 soldiers getting something from Mifflin County unexpectedly?" she said. "That's what it's about."

Lewis said the sacrifices soldiers make are amazing, and people don't always understand that or how the soldiers protect the country's freedom.

"This is the least that we could do," she said.

Items needed include: eye drops, saline nasal spray, sun block, toothpaste and toothbrushes, non-aerosol deodorant and shaving gel, shampoo, liquid soap, anti-bacterial hand sanitizer, antibiotic ointment, sunglasses, disposable cameras, envelopes, paper and pens, small toys, tea bags, gum, white crew-length socks, hot chocolate and pre-sweetened drink mixes, and individually wrapped snack packages.

Lewis added that newspapers also will be accepted as items in the boxes. They may be placed at any drop-off location, she said. Donated newspapers should be relatively recent, full and in good condition, she said.

"Anything they could read about here would be cool," she said.

According to a press release by Lewis, most soldiers carry about 60 pounds of armor, backpacks and weapons, so all donated items should be travel size.

"Everything should be able to withstand extreme heat ... in winter, the desert at night can be mighty cold, so think seasonal," she said in the release.

Checks to sponsor boxes may be made out to The Red Carpet. To participate as a drop-off location, to sponsor a box or for more information, call Lewis at 513-9745 or e-mail her at theredcarpetvip@gmail.com. A list of drop-off locations can be viewed at www.myspace.com/newcomfortzone.