"Caring Beyond the Box"
Thank you for your cooperation and support!
We cannot do all we do without you!
When you give us qualified items for our troops, rest assured your contribution WILL benefit our amazing heroes. Due to various circumstances, civilian groups are able to get boxes to our troops when military supplies cannot.
So it is imperative we send food and needed products so they not only have a piece of home, but also help when they need it most!
Support Our Soldiers custom packs our boxes, filling the direct needs of our soldiers. We do not drop-ship generic boxes with items they cannot use or do not need. This ensures the soldier’s specific needs are met and our donations are maximized to help our troops.
Before you purchase items to send to the troops, please keep the following in mind:
- For security and sanitary reasons, please leave all items in their original packages.
- Choose the latest expiration dates possible.
- Click Here for a list of drop-off locations.
- Current needs are posted on our Facebook page. Like our page and check it before you go shopping.
- We cannot accept canned goods or aerosol products.
- If you want to help, but don’t have time to shop your cash donations will help to purchase needed items and cover the cost of shipping the boxes to the troops. Visit our Donate page to make a cash donation.
- Many stores have systems where you can order online and have your purchase drop-shipped to our headquarters. Visit our contact page for our shipping address.
Below is a general list of the items most commonly requested by the troops.
FOOD, SNACKS AND DRINKS: (Please, no expired or canned food)
- Protein /Energy Bars (Like Power or Cliff bars)
- Powder Drink Mix Single servings (Gatorade, Kool-Aid, Crystal Light)
- Tuna, Salmon, and Chicken Salad (foil pouches or ready-to-eat, no cans)
- Beef Jerky/Slim Jims
- Chocolate Products (Oct. through Feb only – due to heat)
- Pretzels / Pringles / Chex Mix / Wheat Thins / Ritz or Club Crackers (Small)
- Granola Bars / Cereal Bars
- Dried fruit and Raisins
- Fig Newtons, Oreos, Nutter Butter, Cheese and Crackers (Small Packs)
- Trail Mix, Dried Fruit, Granola, Fruit Roll-Ups / Fruit Snack Gummies
- Nuts: Peanuts, Mixed Nuts, Almonds, Cashews
- Gum, Life Savers, Breath Mints
- Microwave Foods (Chef-Boy-R-Dee, Dinty Moore, Hormel, etc.)
- Cookies of all kinds (with chocolate: Oct. – Feb. only!)
- Rice Krispie Treats (Store-bought only)
- Little Debbies & Hostess cake products- PLEASE CHECK DATES
- Cereal (Small, individual boxes), Pop Tarts
TOILETRIES: (Note: The military issues and/or sells toiletries to our troops, however troops often miss their favorite brand of shampoo or soap. Our goal is to send troops reminders of home & items they miss.)
- Trial size Shower Gel, Hand Sanitizer
- Hair Gel (for female troops to pull hair back)
- Deodorant (No roll-on)
- Shaving Cream or gel in Tubes (No aerosol CANS of Shaving Cream)
- Lip Balm / Chap Stick / Carmex / Blistex
- Hand & Body Lotion / Moisturizer (travel size)
- Sunblock- at least SPF 45, Aloe Vera Gel
- Bug Spray / DEET / Skin-So-Soft
- Mouthwash (travel size)
- Breath Strips
- Lozenges / Cough Drops
- Loufa Sponges / Buff Puffs
- Nail files / Emery Boards / Nail Clippers
- Gel Insoles / Shoe Cushions
- Tylenol, Motrin, or Advil Packets, Allergy Tablets (Check expiration dates)
- One a Day Vitamins (These are always needed. Check expiration dates)
ENTERTAINMENT AND SPORTS:
- DVD Movies (new or used – recent releases only, please!)
- Xbox Games, PSP, PS2, and PS3 Games (new or used)
- Game Books: (Crossword Puzzles / Word Search / Math Puzzles / Mad Libs / Logic Problems / Sudoku)
- Yo-Yo’s, Dominoes, Poker Chips & Mats, Dice, Paddle ball
- Board games (UNO, Monopoly, Sorry, Chess, Checkers)
- Dart Boards (regular or magnetic – any size)
- Nerf or Regular Footballs / Whiffle bats, balls & mitts
- Frisbees / Hackey sacks
- Harmonicas
OTHER:
- Standard Size Pillow cases- Green, Navy, Brown, Tan
- Trial Tide Liquid Detergent/Dryer Sheets
- Air Fresheners (standalone-not plug-in. Car types are also good)
- Christmas green garland, 12-15” green wreaths, small non-glass ornaments, non-glass indoor/outdoor lights
- Twin Size Fleece Blankets (Yes, it gets very cold in the winter over there!!)
- Disposable Hand warmers and Foot warmers (in the wintertime)
- Fly swatters, bug repellent in plastic pump bottles only – NO AEROSOL
- Alarm Clocks (Small in size; wind-up or battery-operated)
- Water Bottles, Travel Mugs and Thermoses with Lids (for Coffee, Soup, etc)
- New Coffee Makers and Filters (110 voltage okay)
Due to our Policies and Regulations, we CANNOT ACCEPT these items:
- Home-Baked Food
- Glass Bottles or Glass Jars
- Aerosol Cans, Aerosol Sprays, Pressurized Canisters
- Expired Foods
- Cans Without Pop-Top Lids
- Candles, Lighters, Matches, or Lighter Fluid
- VHS or Cassette Tapes
- Contraband Items (live plants, tobacco, alcohol, knives, anything containing nudity, etc)
- Music CD’s
- Prescriptions of any kind (including those for canines)
- Used Clothing, Linens, or Toiletries
Note: Our troops do not need stamps. Because they are in war zones they are able to send mail home to their loved ones at no charge.
Click Here to download a printable version of the comprehensive needs list. Remember, you can check our Facebook page to get the most current list of what the soldiers are asking for.
Paying It Forward: If there are items we are not able to use, we pay it forward and donate to area Homeless shelters or Food pantries to help our veterans as well.
The troops love to hear from all of us and Mail brightens their days! These are the MOST IMPORTANT items we can send the troops and we can never have too many, so please keep writing! Consider making a patriotic banner or poster to send inside one of our care packages!